Make car travel comfortable for your pet. While many dogs enjoy a car ride around town, some pets simply cannot tolerate longer car trips. Some animals, like some people, function better in familiar surroundings. Others associate car rides with unpleasant destinations. If your pet exhibits signs of stress in the car or carsickness, it may be better to leave him in a reliable pet-sitter or a clean, well-managed boarding facility.  A car-sick animal can make a trip miserable for everyone.

Get your pet accustomed to riding in your car. Begin with short rides each day and gradually increase the length of each ride.

Grooming (bathing, combing, trimming nails) before a trip, plus having its favorite food, toy(s), and dishes available will make your pet more comfortable.

Find out in advance if the pet is welcome whether you're staying with a friend, hotels, motels, parks, and campgrounds.  Always check whether pets are allowed or kennel facilities are available. If the pet must be left alone in a hotel room, place a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door and inform the maid and the front desk. Consider bringing along a portable kennel for use in hotel rooms or the homes of friends or relatives who are not comfortable with your pet loose when no one is home.

Check with your vet about health issues for your destination. Make sure that all required vaccinations are up-to-date and to receive a health certificate within ten days of travel. Also, investigate local pet laws where you are traveling. Some states and municipalities are enacting laws requiring the pets be restrained in vehicles.  Have both proof of rabies vaccination and a current health certificate with you when crossing state or international borders.

Be sure your pet is properly identified with a current tag or a microchip. Prepare two sets of identification tags - one for your destination, and one for home. Should your pet become lost, this will allow you to be contacted right away - not after you arrive home.

Pack a simple pet first-aid kit that includes assorted bandages, antiseptic cream, an anti-diarrhea medication that is safe for pets (ask your veterinarian to suggest a product), gauze squares, and the phone numbers of your veterinarian, a national poison control hotline, and a 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital.

On the road

Buckle up - Pets, like children, should be safely restrained while traveling. All it takes is a sudden stop or turn to seriously injure your pet. Unrestrained pets are also the cause of many accidents, as they can distract or even interfere with the driver's ability to control the vehicle. Using a carrier is the safest way for your pet to travel, or consider using a restraining harness to avoid having a pet under your feet while driving. Never place the carrier on the sunny side of the car; pets can easily overheat.

Stop for perks and breaks. Stop about every two hours to give your pet a chance to get out and stretch. Remember to include a leash with your pet's traveling supplies. Also, make sure to give your pet plenty of fresh water.  If the drive is eight hours or longer, give your cat the opportunity to use a litter pan three or four times, and offer him fresh drinking water.  Stick to your regular feeding routine but offer a little less and give the main meal at the end of the day or when you reach your destination. Feeding dry food will be more convenient, assuming your pet readily consumes it. Dispose of unused canned food unless it can be refrigerated.

Never leave your pet in the car unattended. Pets can easily overheat even with windows open, and can suffer heat exhaustion, heat stroke or even death as a result. Your pet may also get stolen if left alone in a car.

Never let your pet ride in the back of an open truck, or with their heads outside car windows. Particles of dirt can enter the eyes, ears, and nose, causing injury or infection.

Perform a daily "health check" on your pet when away from home. In unfamiliar surroundings, your pet's appetite, energy, and disposition may change. Watch for unusual discharges from the nose and eyes, excessive scratching or biting of any body part, unusual lumps, limping, loss of appetite, abnormal elimination, or excessive water consumption. Visit a local veterinarian if you are concerned about any physical or behavioral changes.

Following this simple tips may help you, your family and your pet enjoy your next road trip!

For more about traveling with your pets, see PetConnection.com with Gina Spadafori

and read her books, co-written with Dr. Marty Becker...