Tips to Keep Dogs Safe on Vacation

It’s nearly July and many people are starting to plan summer vacations. Due to safety concerns around flying and traveling this year, many people are looking for vacations closer to home. And this means many people are planning to take their dogs as well. If you are one of the many people who adopted a puppy or adult dog this spring, this may be the first time you have traveled with a dog. This post will provide some safety tips and recommendations for your travel days and for when you arrive at your destination.

Before leaving for your trip I recommend you make a packing list for your dog as well. Even forgetting something as obvious as their food could create issues. You can of course probably buy anything you might need once you arrive. But if the stores don’t have the exact type of food your dog is used to and you have to switch to something different, this could cause vomiting or diarrhea. So try to plan out for your pets as well.

Here is a list of items I recommend you pack for your dogs:

1. Food and their bowls
2. Medications they are currently taking. Also make sure you have enough for your entire trip as getting a refill could be more complicated while out of town
3. Dog bed
4. A crate or gate so you can keep them safely contained while you are enjoying your vacation
5. Toys, bones, or activities to keep them occupied

The next thing I recommend is considering how to keep them comfortable while you are traveling. Will they be in a crate in the car, or do you need to find space for them on a seat or on the floor. You want them to be comfortable and safe, so be sure you have space for all of your bags and family members both human and pet.

You should also consider how your dog does in the car. If your dog gets carsick when driving around for short distances, they could be feeling very ill by the end of a long car ride. There are medications available for dogs to help with motion sickness. Some of my clients like to try over the counter medications first and for them I recommend Dramamine. The dosage depends on the size of the dog of course so ask your veterinarian for advice first.

An even better option for motion sickness is a medication called Cerenia. It is labeled for motion sickness and works great for almost all of my patients. It is a prescription product so it will need to be prescribed by your veterinarian. Another great benefit of Cerenia is that it lasts for 24 hours so you won’t need to re-dose halfway through your drive.

I also recommend  making a first aid kit for your dogs. Consider packing some bandage material including ‘vet wrap’ which is the colored bandage material your vet uses. This material can come in handy if your dog gets any small cuts that need wrapped up. But be aware that this bandage material can easily be wrapped too tightly so be careful with it.

You should also pack an antiseptic to clean the wounds. One option which you can purchase from the pharmacy is betadine. It can be diluted to a 10% solution with water to clean cuts or wounds. If you don’t dilute it with water it can be very irritating to the skin. Hydrogen Peroxide can also be used to clean wounds but is not as strong an antiseptic as betadine.

I also recommend packing an antacid such as Pepcid (famotidine) in case your dog gets an upset stomach. I recommend a dosage of about 1 mg per a quarter of your dogs body weight. So a 40 pound dog would take about 10 mg twice daily. As I discussed in my post about diarrhea, you can also feed your dog a bland diet of chicken and rice if they develop vomiting or diarrhea.

I also recommend packing some Benadryl (diphenhydramine) in case of any insect bites. We dose Benadryl at 1 mg per 1 pound of body weight. So a 50 pound dog should receive 50mg of Benadryl every 8 hours. One major warning I give with over the counter anti-histamines, is to be sure the product does not contain any additional active ingredients. Ingredients such as pseudoephedrine are very dangerous for dogs.

I do not recommend giving your dog human pain medications such as Advil or Tylenol. If your dog has been prescribed something like Rimadyl for pain or limping you can pack it with you, but do not give human drugs.

There are some additional things you can do to keep your pet safe and healthy on vacation that are specific for the type of vacation.

Beach Trip

We have always had wonderful vacations taking our dogs to the beach. They love sitting on the deck in the ocean breeze and playing in the surf. But there are some dangers at the beach.

One thing people may not realize is that if your dog is drinking a lot of salt water, this will can cause vomiting and diarrhea. If you allow your dog to freely drink from the tide pools or surf you are risking a sleepless night taking your dog outside to the bathroom. Try to discourage your dog from drinking the salt water, and take some fresh water on your walks along the beach so they are not tempted to drink the ocean water.

I also recommend packing some dog shampoo and ear cleanser for your trip. If your pet is swimming in the water they could get skin irritation from the salt and sand if you don’t clean them off in the evening. An oatmeal shampoo is a gentle option to get your dog clean without drying out their skin.

Also if they are really swimming in the waves, and get water down in to their ear canals, this could cause an ear infection. Using an ear solution to flush out the ear canals each evening is a good way to protect against secondary infections.

My last warning is to remember that if the sand is hot enough to burn your feet, it can hurt your dogs paws as well. Keep them off the hot sand in the middle of the day and instead take them on morning or evening walks.

Camping

Camping and hiking with your dog can be a lot of fun, and an added bonus this year is that it’s easy to socially distance. Make sure you pack a good first aid kit with bandage material in case your pet gets any cuts on their feet while hiking or stepping on rocks. Also make sure to only hike on paths that are safe for dogs.

I also recommend keeping your dog on a leash. Even if your dog would never run off, they risk eating something like mushrooms, or getting injured while running through the woods unsupervised.

Another specific risk with camping and hiking are ticks. Make sure your pet is on a good preventative. You may even want to consider doubling up on products for the trip, if your vet agrees that it is safe. For instance you could give a monthly chewable such as Nexgard, combined with a topical such as Frontline Plus or a Seresto collar.

Lake Trip

Another great vacation option with dogs is a lake trip. They can also enjoy swimming in the water or will just be happy to still be near you. You shouldn’t have to worry as much about vomiting or diarrhea if they drink fresh water, but I do recommend reading my post about leptospirosis and making sure they are up to date on their vaccine.

You may want to consider bringing a doggy life vest for your dog if you aren’t certain of their swimming abilities.

I recommend bringing an ear cleanser along on this trip as well to be sure they don’t get an ear infection secondary to water in the ear canal.

When we can’t take our dogs on our vacations we have used both pet sitters and boarding facilities. As long as your trust the person or facility taking care of your pets it is easy to still enjoy your vacation. But if it’s a trip where your dogs can come along, it can be a lot of fun to share vacations with your pet.

What kind of vacations have you taken with your dogs, and how has it gone? Or do you have any questions about traveling with dogs? Please let me know below!