Taking your favorite pet on your next road trip? To make sure it’s as pleasant for your pet as it is for you try following these simple pet safety and comfort tips.
No Sticking Their Heads Out The Window: Although most pets will take great enjoyment from spending the entire road trip with their head out the window, it’s not safe. Your pet can easily be injured by flying debris from the road not to mention other cars. Along this same tip, I hope that it should go without mention that traveling with your pet in the back of the pickup truck is also a definite no-no! Some states even have laws restricting this type of animal transport because it is always dangerous.
Make Frequent Rest Stops: You should always provide frequent bathroom and exercise breaks. Most travel service areas and public rest stops will have designated areas for walking your pet. When taking your pets on bathroom breaks or short walks, try to stick to this area, also remembering to bring a bag to pickup any waste. Whenever you are outside your vehicle, make sure to keep your pet on a leash and wearing a collar that has a permanent and temporary travel identification tag.
Keep Them Hydrated: During your rest stops make sure to provide your pet with some fresh water so that they can re-hydrate themselves. Occasionally, traveling in a car can upset your pet’s stomach and keeping them hydrated will work to help prevent any ‘accidents.’ Another trick is to bring ice cubes for your pet as it’s easier than having to bring large amounts of water (plus by the time you’re done with the trip it IS just water).
Watch Their Food Intake: It is suggested that you keep feeding to a minimum while traveling. This also means feeding them their regular pet food and not whatever part of your fast-food that you didn’t finish. Pets and french fries, burgers or any other sort of fast-food item usually are not a good mix.
Don’t Leave Them Stranded: Never leave your pet by themselves in a parked vehicle. On average warm days, the temperature in your car can rise to 120 degrees in minutes, even if you have the windows slightly open. Another reason to not leave them in the car is it sometimes can act as an open invitation to pet thieves.
Keep Them Restrained: Make sure that your pet is safely restrained while in your car. Using a pet safety-harness or travel kennel are the easiest ways to keep your pet safe. These will not only protect your pet from harm, but they also help by keeping them from distracting you while you are driving. A pet safety harness acts the same way as a regular seatbelt does. While your typical pet will not find any problems adjusting to it, you may want to let them test it out by wearing the harness by itself a few times before using it in the car. If your dog prefers a travel kennel, make sure that the kennel is well ventilated and stabilized. Many pet owners prefer vehicle barriers, particularly for larger pets. Vehicle barriers are best suited for SUVs or other cars with large connected storage areas. No matter what method you choose, back seat travel is always safer for your pet than in the passenger seat.
Staying Safe and Comfortable: Comfort should be a priority regardless of how you choose to travel with your pets. Just as it’s important for your seat to be comfortable on long road trips, your pet’s seat should be comfortable too (by seat we mean seating area). Usually your pets favorite blanket or travel bed will do the trick to quickly put them at ease. If you don’t mind spending the extra money, there are many different pet travel seats available that you can buy which are designed with your pets safety and comfort in mind.