Holiday Travel: Tips For Traveling With Your Pet

The holidays are rapidly approaching and if you plan to travel to see family or friends, make sure your fur babies are well taken care of with these tips for traveling with your pet.

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Plan Ahead

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Before deciding to take your cat or dog with you for the holidays, it’s good to ask yourself if your pet will be happy. Many pets prefer to stay in the comfort of their own home, and a pet that is anxious or car sick is never fun. If you think your pet would prefer to stay at home, make an appointment with a reliable pet sitter or boarding facility. Many boarding facilities book up quickly, so I recommend making your pet’s reservation as soon as possible.

Traveling by Plane

If you are traveling by plane, your pet will need a health certificate completed within 10 days of travel. If you are flying internationally, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with your arriving countries’ entry requirements and plan well ahead of your departure date. Your airline will also have specific requirements for pet travel.  To find out more about your arriving countries’ entry requirements, visit the USDA APHIS website here.

Vaccines

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You want to make sure that your pet is up to date on vaccines prior to traveling. Most boarding kennels require certain vaccines to help keep your dog protected against disease. If you’re not sure the status of your pet’s vaccines, call your veterinarian and they can let you know.

Medications

If your pet is on medication, you will want to make sure you have enough for while you’re away. Many pharmacies are closed during the holidays, and the last thing you want is to run out of a critical medication. Contact your veterinarian if you need medication refills.

Microchips

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If your pet is microchipped, is your registration information up to date?  You can stop by your veterinarian clinic and have your pet scanned for a microchip. They can also inform you with whom the microchip is registered so you can contact the registration company and make sure all the information they have is accurate.

My fur babies, Murray and Munson, are registered with Pet Link and we have never had any issues with their service. I even get semi-frequent emails from them that remind me to keep my contact information up to date.

In my home, my fur babies are very much part of the family and I always consider their best interest when making travel arrangements.

Are you traveling with your pets this holiday? How do you plan to care for them when you travel? Let me know in the comments if you have any other suggestions to keep the fur babies safe and happy.
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