How to Travel with Your Pet

How to Travel with Your Pet

When you have a pet and an upcoming trip, you have to decide between leaving them at home with a pet sitter, checking them into a boarding facility, or bringing them along on your journey. If you choose to travel with your pet, consider the following advice to ensure you’re well-prepared and can enjoy a smooth trip with your four-legged friend in tow.

Tips for Safe and Easy Pet Travel

Whether you’re preparing to leave, hitting the road, or just arriving at your destination, consider the following tips for traveling with pets.

What to Do Before Traveling with Your Pet

  • Pets can become lost much easier when they're in an unfamiliar place. Before you go, update ID tags and get your pet microchipped. If your pet already has a microchip, make sure your current contact information is listed in the database.
  • Different states and countries have different vaccine requirements for pets and different parasites lurking around. Talk with our veterinarian about your pet's vaccinations and parasite preventatives well before you go.
  • Research pet travel requirements. Whether you plan to cross state lines, visit another country, or travel on any form of public transportation, your pet will likely need an official health certificate or vaccination records at the least.
  • If you're concerned about your pet getting carsick or experiencing anxiety on an airplane ride, ask our veterinarian about short-term pharmaceutical solutions.
  • Purchase a travel carrier or crate before your trip, so your pet can get used to spending time in it at home.

Hitting the Road with Your Pet

  • Pack more food, water, and prescription medications than you think your pet will need.
  • Bring along a favorite toy or pet bed for comfort.
  • Schedule plenty of time to stop frequently along the road for potty breaks and exercise at local dog parks.

Considerations for Your Destination

  • Find a pet-friendly hotel (preferably near a dog park) and request a ground-floor room for quick outdoor breaks.
  • Note nearby 24/7 emergency veterinarians, so you're prepared in case your pet needs medical attention.
pet-travel-strip3

Make Sure Your Pet's Travel-Ready – Book an Appointment with Our Pensacola Veterinarian

If you have an upcoming trip and plan to bring your pet along for the ride, we recommend scheduling an appointment with a veterinarian at Olive Branch Pet Hospital. We’ll make sure your pet’s vaccinations are up to date and provide you with any travel paperwork you might need. Plus, we can discuss prescriptions to combat car sickness or anxiety that could simplify your trip. To learn more, contact our office today.
pet-travel-strip4

Health Certificates

Health Certificates

Every year, we see a number of little furry holiday puppies and kittens in for post purchase checkups. This year was no exception! People pay large sums of money for pets without Health Certificates! Whether a person pays a penny or thousands of dollars for a pet, a Health Certificate is required by law, in Florida, to be provided to the buyer from the seller. This document certifies a pet is 8 weeks old, had its first vaccinations, been checked for intestinal parasites and dewormed if necessary, is free of any contagious disease and congenital defects and examined by an accredited veterinarian. (Accreditation means the doctor has met certain requirements by the state which enables them to sign Health Certificates; not all doctors can sign Health Certificates.)
Unfortunately, Health Certificates are not required in Mississippi or Alabama. This year, I saw a Boston Terrier puppy with mange, an eye ulcer and heart murmur bought for $600 from Mississippi; a Persian kitten from a pet store locally covered with Ringworm which is extremely contagious (the new owner had it) bought for $650; a Bichon puppy with a ectopic ureter (tube from kidney bypasses the bladder so the pet dribbles urine continuously) bought in Alabama for $350 which will be surgically repaired at a cost of $2300; plus a few others! As you can see, it is best not to buy a pet without a Heath Certificate! It is always heart breaking to destroy a new owners excitement and joy with bad news of a serious and potentially fatal health problem. If the state you a purchasing a pet from does not require a Health Certificate, make sure there is a clause in the purchase contract that allows you to have the pet examined by your veterinarian and returned for a full refund if there is a problem!
Please feel free to contact the office if you have any questions about breeds or breeders. Most of our clients have very good examples of certain breeds and we will be glad to direct you to the breeder they know and trust.