Traveling with your dog can be an incredible and irreplaceable experience. But all that fun can quickly go wrong and turn a wonderful event into pure chaos.
However, when you pack for the unexpected bumps in the road, the bumps stay just that, minor little inconveniences that ultimately don’t take away the relaxing joy of traveling with your best fur buddy. Here’s how you can do that!
General Travel Checklist
What you need to exactly pack for your trip with your dog can vary, and that’s why we’ll go over all the common traveling scenarios. However, whether it’s a short car ride or a trip to another country, there are some essentials that are always a good idea to have on hand.
● Crate and/or car safety harness
● Food
● Water
● Food and water bowls
● Treats
● Microchipped
● Sturdy Leash
● Extra collar with up-to-date contact information
● Old familiar blanket or bed
● Toys and chew Items
● Brush
● Baby wipes
● Puppy pads
● Waste removal bags
● Towels, paper towels, and disinfectant sprays
● Pet first aid kit
● Flashlight
● Vaccination records
● All medication and supplements
● Road Trips
You’ll preferably want to keep your dog’s first car ride short to gauge their reaction, as that will help you prepare in the future for what you’ll all need to pack. For example, if they get nervous or car sick, you want to make sure you always bring an extra towel, wipes, other cleaning items, and potentially medication for their anxiety or car sickness.
Speaking of nervousness, a lot of dogs’ first car ride is to the vet, but that is not a place many dogs enjoy. So if you can, try to give your dog a short car ride or two before their first vet visit. But no worries if you can’t, as many dogs don’t appear to have much of an issue when young. So, just make sure you’re giving them rides to other places than the vet before they get too old.
Whether it’s their first or their 100th road trip, make sure they are buckled up, safely harnessed to something inside the car, or in a comfortable crate. It’s incredibly important to ensure your dog is secure so that if you have an accident, they can’t escape into oncoming traffic.
For long trips, make sure you are stopping every 2-3 hours so your dog can go to the bathroom, stretch their legs, and grab a drink.
Crucial items include: a leash, water, treats, food (for longer trips), pooh bags, comfort toys, and blankets.
Camping Trips
There is nothing quite like getting out in the wilderness for some camping and hiking. Really, the only thing that can make it better is when you have your most-trusted best bud by your side, sharing in the experience.
There are a few things you’ll want to do first before you go. First, you’ll want to make sure the campground you’re heading off to is dog-friendly, and if it is, you’ll want to check what restrictions they may have. Often, dogs are limited to certain trails even when the campground allows them.
A visit to your vet is a great idea, especially if you plan to head into heavy tick and mosquito areas due to Lyme disease, heartworms, and West Nile virus.
Because camping trips often include trails off the beaten path, a protective lotion, like Dog Paw Balm, can help protect their paws on rougher trails and help heal cuts and scrapes faster.
Crucial items include: Tick removal tool, brush/comb, shampoo/soap, updated rabies vaccination (if needed) towel, first aid kit, sturdy leash/harness, and a dog bed.
Flying Trips
Flying with your dog is quite a bit different from your regular road or camping trip. The first thing you’ll want to do is check your airline’s policy about flying with a pet. When picking an airline, you’ll want to check around to find what weight limit restrictions they have, as many airlines allow your pet to travel in the cabin with you when under a certain weight.
Having your dog’s vaccination records is a high priority when flying. Visiting your vet to talk about flying with your pet before is a great time to ensure their records are all up-to-date while learning about the risks and rules of flying with a pet. If you plan to leave your country with your pet, you will want to be even more prepared as many countries require quarantines that last anywhere from a few days to months.
Crucial items include: Vaccination records, pet license, ID tags, pet carrier that meets airline specifications, snacks, and an extra leash.
Veterinary Trips
While not as exciting for your dog as other trips — that’s an understatement — packing for the veterinarian is just as important, if not more so. The biggest thing you’ll want to do when packing for vet visits is to check with them first about what they’ll require for the said visit. Stool samples are a common request.
Crucial items include: Past veterinary medical records (if going to a new veterinarian), your identification, stool sample, pics/info on their brand of dog food, and a video of your dog acting abnormal (if that’s a concern).
Final Words
Remember, if your dog gets car sick or anxious during car trips, you may want to reach out to your veterinarian for medication that can help. As well, many pet parents find CBD derived from hemp plants an irreplaceable aid for car rides, helping both with digestive and anxiety issues. This makes CBD a great thing to include in a first-aid kit for your dog, which you can easily make at home.
Other great items to include in your dog’s first aid kit include: non-stick bandages, adhesive tape, cotton balls, hydrogen peroxide, antibiotic spray/ointment, digital thermometer, milk of magnesia, pillbox, tweezers, gauze, scissors, syringes, flashlight, magnifying glass, and a small soft muzzle.
When you pack for success, traveling with your dog is a once-in-a-life experience.
