- Traveling with your pet
- Best Mode of travel
- Travel Documents and information
- Vaccination Records
- Medical information
- Name, dose and strength of medications
- Description of any medical issues such as food allergies etc.
- Ample supply of medication
- Medication for travel sickness, diarrhea and upset stomach
- Name and Phone number of your vet
- Contact info for a vet in the area where you will be visiting
- Identification
- Collar with TAGS and your cell number or number of place you will be staying
- Microchip with updated info
- Prepare pet for time in travel container or car
- Make sure container is proper size and in good condition
- Make sure pet is happy and comfortable in container or vehicle
- Make sure identification is well marked on the container
- Do not use a neck collar on pet in container or anything that could be a choking problem
- Appropriate bedding and coat for pet
- Equipment
- Extra collars and leashes
- Tie out or long line if no fenced yard available
- Bowls both travel type and regular for after you reach destination
- Water from home or bottled water
- Ample supply of food
- Familiar bed/blanket
- Familiar toys and treats
- What if your pet is not traveling with you
- Select location or person that will be caring for your pet in your absence well in advance of your trip
- Do a dry run of these arrangements before you leave town
- Make sure all medical info listed above is available to person/location that is caring for your pet.
- Leave a signed authorization of treatment in case of emergency and you can’t be reached.
- Leave clear and detailed instructions on feeding, potty habits, physical impairments
- Leave an article of your clothing, familiar bedding and toys
- Leave ample supply of food, water and treats
- Thanksgiving concerns
- Secure pet as guests arrive
- Train ahead of time not to run out the front door
- Keep a leash by the door
- Secure pet as guests arrive
- Put pet in crate or secure room until guests have arrived and doors are secure
- Ask guests not to feed your pet scraps
- Make sure that all food and drink is out of reach of your pet
- No plates or drinks set on the floor
- Do not leave food on the table and walk away
- Take care that appetizers if set out on low tables are supervised at all times
- No food left on counter if you have a counter surfer
- Make sure pet has good ID with up to date microchip info incase a guest accidentally lets your dog out of the house
- Make sure that trash with dangerous things like turkey bones is not accessible to your pet
- Make sure that your guests know if any food you are serving could be dangerous to your pet such as grapes, macadamia nuts
- Empty trash and wastebaskets before retiring for the evening
- Designate a family member to make sure pet gets ample opportunity for potty breaks and exercise while you are busy with cooking and guests
- Know the name, location and phone number of your emergency vet hospital and poison control just in case
- Christmas concerns
- Everything that is of concern for Thanksgiving
- Decorations
- Electrical cords
- Garlands
- Ornaments
- Tree
- Make sure it is in a secure stand and can’t be tipped over
- Put dangerous ornaments high on tree or don’t use at all
- Put up undecorated tree for a few days before you decorate to give dog a chance to acclimate to it
- Shiny tinsel especially attractive to cats
- If you think your puppy, kitten or pet could be injured by or tear up the tree either put tree up on a table or put fencing around the tree to keep both tree and pet safe
- Candles that could be knocked over and cause a fire
- Water in tree stand for live trees often has chemicals
- Batteries in mechanical toys and decorations
- Gifts
- Don’t forget that wrapping paper is no barrier for dogs and cats to do not put food stuff gifts under the tree where pet can get to it
- Don’t leave children toys under the tree where pet can get to it and warn Santa not to do it and to put them up high so there won’t be any tears when a toy is chewed up on Christmas morning
- New Years Concerns
- Family members or guests that could have had a little too much celebration and do something stupid to or with your pet
- Noise makers
- Fireworks
- If you are going out for the evening have a pet sitter watch over your pet throughout the evening
- DO NOT leave your pet outdoors unsupervised ever but especially around the holidays.