Traveling with Pets 101

It's prime RV travel season and I thought this would be a good time to discuss traveling with pets in your RV. Pets and RV's just seem to go together. One of the really great things about traveling in an RV is that you can take your pets with you. In many cases the main reason people buy an RV is so their pets can travel with them. Both of our dogs have been traveling with us in our RV since they were puppies. They both get extremely excited when they see us loading the RV for another trip.

It's fun and convenient to be able to take your pets along with you, but I realized a long time ago that certain precautions must be taken when you travel with pets. There were a lot of things to remember about traveling with our pets, so to make it easier I included this checklist in my “Checklists for RVers” e-book available at www.rveducation101.com

• First and foremost always keep in mind that an RV gets extremely hot and / or cold inside depending on the outside temperature. Always make sure there is some type of ventilation and / or heat and air available when pets are left in the RV.
• Never leave your pets in an RV for long periods of time without somebody checking on them periodically. If you will be away from your pets and the RV for an extended period of time leave a key with someone you can trust to check on the pets and in case of an emergency.
• Always have fresh water available for your pets. You never know the quality of the drinking water when you are traveling so it's a good idea to take a container of water from your home that your pets are accustomed to, or use bottled water.
• Pets should always travel in a pet carrier or crate for their personal safety.
• Get a current health certificate from your veterinarian before traveling.
• Always take the pets medical records along with you.
• Take a recent color photograph of your pets with you in the event that they should get lost.
• Update all vaccinations before leaving on your trip.
• Take a proof of rabies vaccination.
• Take flea, tick, and heartworm medications.
• Take a pet first aid kit and know what dosages of medication to give your pets.
• Take your veterinarians regular phone number and emergency phone numbers with you.
• Get the phone number for a local veterinarian when you arrive at your destination.
• Don't forget to take the brand of pet food your pet is used to and take a food and water travel bowl.
• Take a walking leash.
• Your pet's collar should include identification along with basic information such as your name, address and a cell phone number. You can even include an e-mail address.
• Take a harness, tie out anchor and a leash or chain. Give your pet plenty of room to move, but be cautious of traffic and obstacles that they can get hung or caught on. We use portable exercise pens.
• Take grooming tools, pet toys and treats.
• Take extra cat litter and the cat box.
• Take some plastic bags for pet clean up.
• Take your pet's favorite bedding or crate.
• Take some old towels just in case you need them
• Traveling can be stressful on pets especially if they are not used to it. When your pet is away from home and off of their regular schedule it can affect their health. Perform a daily health check on your pet. Look for anything out of the ordinary.
• Stop often when you're traveling and allow your pet's to exercise and to relieve themselves.
• When making campground reservations be sure and ask about pets. Some campgrounds offer kennels and boarding for pets. If your travel plans include day trips or extended travel away from the campsite inquire about these services.

This checklist does not cover everything that you need to be concerned with when traveling with pets in your RV, but it's a good start. You can add to this list and tailor it to your specific type of pet or your pet's needs and refer back to it before a trip so you don't forget anything.

Happy Camping,

Mark Polk

Copyright 2008 by Mark J. Polk owner of RV Education 101. Reprinted with permission.