As the holidays approach, you're probably working to put together your plans for the season. If you're planning on traveling with your family, including the canine members, you'll have a few extra things to consider. Here, you'll find some tips to help you keep your dog safe as your family travels and celebrates the holidays.
Plan for Emergency Care
You never know what can happen, so if you plan for emergencies, you'll be able to manage the situation with much less stress. Take the time to do some research about the animal hospitals around the area in which you'll be travelling. Don't forget to map out a couple for along the route that you'll be driving.
Check for the hours for each location and if they offer 24-hour emergency care. Read some online reviews about the practice and get to know a little about the vet. The more you know, the better you'll feel about taking your dog there to be treated.
Knowing exactly where to go in the event of an emergency with your dog, you'll reduce the time it takes to get him treated and improve the chances of a better outcome.
Pack Wet Wipes
When you're traveling, your dog will have to take potty breaks. Unfortunately, this could put him at risk of salt exposure. All of those rest areas along the highway will treat the parking areas and sidewalks with rock salt to melt the snow and ice. Unfortunately, the rock salt that is meant to keep things safer for you, is a hazard for your dog.
This is why you need the wet wipes. Each time you take your dog out on any surface that is coated with salt, spend a few minutes wiping off his feet—paying special attention to between the pads. Dogs love things that taste salty, so if you load him back into your car with salt coating his feet, he'll likely spend the rest of the trip licking it all off. Eventually, your dog could be so exposed to salt that he develops belly problems that will require veterinary care.
No Table Scraps
When you take your dog to family gatherings where everyone is eating, make sure that everyone knows not to feed your dog table scraps—even if you are fine with your dog eating people food. This is because you need to know what your dog is eating and when he is eating it.
To stop people from feeding your dog without you knowing, make a tag to put on him—a small sign telling people not to feed the dog.
You can include your dog in your holiday travel plans. Just prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and love everything that happens along the way.
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