If you are planning to take a trip with your dog while traveling by car, below are three important tips you will want to know about:
1. Be sure that your dog’s vaccinations and other shots are currently up-to-date. If you have them, carry along with you any vaccination certificates or other veterinary information. These items are very important, especially if you are crossing an international border or must board your dog in a boxed area sometime during a trip. These veterinary papers and certificates of vaccinations may be required.
Also, you may be faced with an emergency if your dog becomes suddenly ill or is injured. By having carried the appropriate medical information with you, it will be much easier for a veterinarian to treat your dog who is not familiar with his medical history.
2. When it comes to dog supplies, be meticulous about stocking every possible item you can. When people travel it is very easy for them to adjust and make do without their normal day-to-day needs. However, although dogs lead much simpler lives, there are important items that they should have when traveling with you.
These items may or may not include the following: An emergency kit that contains first aid, an ample supply of fresh water, a solid food dish and water bowl that will not tip over easily, your dog’s regular dog food and his familiar snacks, an extra leash or two, toys that your dog likes, grooming supplies, blankets that have your dogs scent on them, and cleanup items such as paper towels.
3. Probably the most important safety tip that you want to adhere to when traveling with your dog by car is to never leave him sitting inside of a parked car during hot temperatures. When the weather is hot, the inside of a car can reach temperatures as high as 125° Fahrenheit. This can prove fatal to your pet!
And do not make the mistake of thinking that opening the car windows for an inch or two will solve the problem. Depending on the weather and the humidity combined, tiny cracks in the window will provide little to no relief if your dog is forced to sit in a cramped area of the car for a long period of time. If you absolutely must stop and keep the dog in the car, be as brief as possible - less than five minutes is best.
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