Travelling with your dog for New Year
December 7, 2018
If your New Year resolutions include plans to get away more, you probably want all members of the family, including your dog, to join in the fun – whether you’re staycationing or taking to the continent.
To ensure smooth travels with your pet, our head nurse, Caroline, has put together a few tips to help out.
Hopefully this will give you all the information you need, but remember the friendly team at Edgewood Veterinary Group are always happy to offer advice on any specific questions you may have when you contact us. Meanwhile, happy holidays.
Travelling at home
Many dogs love a car – or bus or train – journey as they associate it with walks and good times. But some have an equally adverse reaction, maybe because they are nervous passengers or experience travel sickness.
If nervousness is the case, it’s probably worth bringing them to Edgewood Veterinary Group for a check-up so you can talk to our head vet, Jürgen Theinert, about the possibility of sedatives so your dog doesn’t get too distressed on a long journey.
If your pet gets queasy on long journeys, feed them breakfast as early as possible before setting off and take extra care with braking, accelerating and taking sharp bends. Keep the car well ventilated and make plenty of stops.
And remember, all dogs are required by law to wear a collar and ID tag, and of course, microchips are essential. Dogs must also be restrained in a car, either in a small crate or with a seatbelt.
Travelling abroad
Since the relaxation of quarantine laws and the introduction of the EU pet passport, travelling abroad with your dog has become a lot easier, so nowadays there’s no need to say goodbye to your faithful companion when you set off overseas.
But there are still some essentials. Along with a passport and microchip your dog must be vaccinated against rabies and have a tapeworm treatment and you will need to allow 21 days between the vaccination and travel.
For the homeward leg your pet will need a tapeworm treatment one to five days before you arrive back in the UK.
Still unsure about travelling with your dog, especially following Brexit in March 2019?? The team will be happy to advise when you call on 01621 828381, but if you’re all set, then bon voyage!
