As the holidays are almost over, many of you may be thinking about a winter trip with better weather than the one you celebrated the holidays with. If that getaway includes a road trip with your favorite person riding shotgun, today’s blog post is a must-read to ensure the safety of both you and your pet.
Car security for pets
In the introduction, I mentioned your favorite first-person riding shotgun on a road trip. I didn’t mean that literally. The passenger seat is not a safe place for your pet. Your lap is a worse place for your pet to travel. Uncontrolled, pets contribute to distracted driving. In an accident, an uncontrolled pet becomes a projectile—dangerous for itself and everyone in the car. The safest place in the car is a crate strapped to the child seat loops behind the screen that divides the cargo area from the passenger area. Studies pet safety and certifies automobile safety products for pets Use of canine and feline crash test dummies. Their website is a great resource to review when planning your trip.
Planning for veterinary care while on the road
The obvious point here is to make sure you have enough of your pet’s medication to last the duration of the trip. A client of mine has a clever solution to this potential problem. The chain pharmacy in New York City where I write her pet’s medication will refill the prescriptions at their North Carolina branch where she and her dog are on vacation. This makes her travel a lot easier as refills are easily accessible when she is out of town.
Less obvious is planning for the different diseases and hazards your pet may encounter in different parts of the world. The distribution of fleas, ticks, and heartworms varies across the United States, and the Companion Animal Parasite Council recommends year-round flea, tick, and heartworm prevention for all dogs and cats, regardless of age. From where they are calling home. However, this recommendation is especially important if you are heading to areas at high risk for these diseases, such as the southeastern states. Other endemic concerns include the deadly bufo or cane toads in Florida.A single bite from a bufo toad can be fatal. out west, There are poisonous snakes for your pets to avoid. Before traveling to a new location, research potential pet hazards and ways to keep your pet safe.
Finding a veterinary ER in an emergency
If your pet has an emergency while you’re traveling, the easiest way to find an animal ER is with a quick internet search on your phone. If you don’t get a viable hit, try calling the nearest veterinary hospital and listening to their answering machine. Their message will likely make a recommendation for the nearest animal.
Visiting Canada with your pet? Have your Rebbe papers ready
To enter Canada with your pet, you need a rabies certificate provided by your veterinarian. For re-entry into the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also requires rabies vaccination papers. Before leaving home, You need to fill out an online form about your dog’s rabies vaccination.
Traveling to Mexico with Your Pets
Pets traveling to Mexico do not need any health papers to enter the country traveling for sun and relaxation. By December 12, 2024, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) pet travel website.. However, returning to the United States is more complicated. Since Mexico is considered a screwworm-infested country, A health certificate completed by a veterinarian in Mexico is required to document freedom from screwworms for dogs entering the United States.in addition to the rabies information required by the CDC.
The Centers for Disease Control has an FAQ page about bringing a dog into the United States from abroad. Currently, there appear to be no requirements for cats entering the United States from Mexico or Canada. However, a word of warning: regulations for importing and exporting pets can change unexpectedly. Regularly monitor the USDA and CDC websites before traveling to stay up-to-date with travel requirements.
Planning to travel internationally with your dog or cat? Here are some previous blog posts with additional planning tips for your pet:
Tags:
Canada, Car Safety, Car Travel, Cars, Cats, Center for Pet Safety, Dogs, Emergency Vet, Mexico, Rabies, Screwworms,
