Fido's First Vacation: Keeping Your Pet Happy And Healthy Traveling With Your Family

If you are taking your dog on his first trip away from home, you must realize that this vacation will not mean the same thing to him as it will to your family. Dogs are used to being home all the time and some may not handle being away from home very well. Here are some tips to help you keep your dog healthy, happy, and comfortable while on his first vacation.

Condition the Dog for Car Rides

While many dogs enjoy going for car rides, there are some that do not. They may get scared and begin to shake while the car is operating, and this could be extremely annoying for you and your family as you are traveling.

To prepare your dog, begin taking him for car rides. Over time, you will be able to tell if the dog will do well in a car or not. If you find that your dog does not adapt to car rides, taking him along on your trip may not be a good idea.

Find a Pet-Friendly Hotel

As with any trip people take, finding a place to stay is one of the most important parts. When people bring their pets with them, finding a hotel can be a little bit more difficult because only certain hotels allow pets. Before you leave on vacation, it's important for you to book your hotel room at a place that is pet-friendly, like one you can find at Go Doggy Vacations.

A pet-friendly hotel may:

• Charge more for the room, or the hotel may charge a pet deposit fee
• Provide your dog with its own water dish and food dish
• Have a specific area to take the dog outside for potty purposes
• Offer a first-floor room to make taking the dog outside slightly easier
• Require your dog to be caught up on immunizations, and you may have to provide paperwork to prove this

When you book the room you may want to ask the hotel if there are any other rules that you should be aware of, including leaving the dog alone in the room. Some hotel rooms will not allow the air conditioning systems to work unless the hotel key is in the room. This feature may help a hotel owner save money on energy costs, but this could be bad for a dog, especially if it is really hot outside.

Stick to Normal Feeding Habits

One important thing to realize is that your dog may not adapt well to changes in routine and environment. If possible, try to keep as many things the same as they are at home, including the dog's food. Always give the dog the same kind of food as you would at home, and give it to him at the same time as you would at home.

Changes in the dog's environment and food may cause the dog to have an upset stomach, and this could leave a mess in your hotel room, and it could make the dog tired or irritable.

Bring Medications for the Dog

Finally, to make sure that everyone (including the dog) has a great trip, you should bring along important medications to give to the dog if needed. Before doing this, talk to your vet to see which types would be right for your dog. Your vet will not only tell you which types are safe for your dog, but he or she will also tell you dosage amounts.

• Motion sickness – you may be able to give your dog an antihistamine or anti-nausea drug to help with motion sickness.
• Allergies – if your dog currently has allergies, or if you think he may have allergies while you are gone, make sure you have some type of medication for this. Your vet may suggest Benadryl, or some type antibiotic.

If your dog is currently on medication, do not forget to bring that as well.

When dogs feel nervous or scared they may become sick and upset, but you may be able to help prevent these problems by taking the right steps.