Thinking about traveling with your furry friend this holiday season? Well, according to statistics, a lot of people are! Pet adoptions definitely skyrocketed during the months of lockdown due to the pandemic. This means that there are a lot of new pet owners out there, possibly traveling for the first time. So what kind of advice do you think they would like to hear? There are a lot of things, but we will just focus on the basics. Unfortunately a lot has changed in the airline industry since the pandemic started. There are two main things to know - first, airlines are charging for pets to travel with you now. Only licensed service animals are allowed to accompany an owner at no charge. Most airlines additionally did away with crated animals in the cargo area. The second and most important thing to know is that of you plan on traveling internationally, make sure the U.S. is allowing pets from that country into the U.S. There are now more strict regulations on countries that have a high risk of rabies infected animals. The U.S. is no longer allowing pets to enter into the country from those states. So how could this effect you? It means that if you take your friend to one of those countries, your pet will not be allowed back into the states! And THAT would be a tragedy!! So now that the most important things are out of the way, let's move on to pet etiquette! I am sure you have noticed that people are bringing their dogs everywhere these days, so why not make sure your furry friend has good "table manners" and does not disrupt fellow travelers or diners. This can be practiced at home. Its also a good idea to bring a stuffed toy, some frozen or dry food, and a water bowl whenever traveling. Additionally, a lot of pets get nervous when they see you packing your suitcase and then refuse to get in the crate, so it's also a good idea to bring the crate out a few days before the trip and put snacks in there a few times a day so the dog or cat doesn't think its a big deal when you are ready to kennel up and leave the house. And don't forget about bathroom breaks. Airports have designated areas for pets to go when traveling by air, and when traveling by car, it is recommended that you stop every three hours for about 10 minutes to let your pet stretch, walk and hopefully take a bathroom break.
If your pet gets extra nervous when traveling, you can always ask your vet for a medication to help relax them. BCP Veterinary Pharmacy is the perfect compounding pharmacy to make that medication into a tasty chew treat or a transdermal lotion that can be rubbed on the inside of the ear. We also have overnight shipping so you can get your prescription delivered right to your door when you are ready to hit the road!
