- Ask yourself if taking your pet with you is the right thing to do (if the answer is “no” make arrangements with a pet sitter, etc.)
- Make sure your pet will be welcomewhere you’re heading
- Make sure you have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection if you are crossing state lines. You will need to get this within 10 days of your travel.
- Have both of these websites handy in case you run into an emergency while traveling with your pet and need to find a veterinarian that you can trust: American Animal Hospital Association’s search and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society’s emergency clinic directory.
- Prior to traveling, make sure your pet is properly identified in case it becomes lost.
- Properly restrain your pet with a carrier or harness that is the appropriate size for it. Appropriate size means that he or she can lay down, stand up and turn around.
- Make sure your pet is already accustomed to the harness or carrier before the trip. Additional stress can be added to your pet if it is not used to it.
- While traveling make frequent stops to allow it to go to the bathroom and stretch its legs.
- Take food and water for your pet on the trip.
- Bring a current picture of your pet and keep it with you, so it is easy to make “lost” posters if needed.
- Don’t forget to take your pet’s medications with you.
For more information and for further traveling with your pets tips go here:
