If you’re bold enough to travel during the upcoming holiday season (because there’s noooo place like hooomeee or the holly-dayssss) then you already know that in the hazard-laden year of 2020, you’re taking a risk with a capital R.
I can think of a lot of reasons to travel for the holidays anyway: this may be our new normal, we may get one of the three vaccines in progress approved, it may be the last time you see a certain loved one… ever. There are lots of reasons and I’m not here to judge you.
I am here, however, to tell you how to keep Fluffy and Fido safe as you go.
If you don’t do ANYTHING else for traveling, get your pets vaccinated against rabies and make a copy of the paperwork to bring along. Crossing anything from state lines to city limits can result in different ordinances involving dog and cat bites, fights, escapes and other ugly stuff. Save yourself the pain of trying to reclaim your dog from animal control in another state.
Having that proof (not just the collar tag!) means you can not only prove the dog has been vaccinated quickly, but if you need to stop at a local groomer because somebody got into a rained-in dumpster or rolled in the mud means you can just pay the nice groomer to handle it.
Ideally, bring all your pet’s medical history. I like to scan Smidge and Cairo’s summaries from the vet (which usually has their picture, too) and keep them in a folder on the cloud drive on my phone. Did you know you can scan with an iPhone? Open your “Notes” app and hit the camera icon at the bottom of the screen, then tap “Scan Documents."
Even if you're NOT bringing your pet along to the family trip, any boarding facility will ask for certain vaccines to be up to date, like bordetella. If you board them for the holidays, start making a habit of getting all their vaccines at their annual visit.
Speaking of background check, make sure your pet’s microchip is up to date, and they have a well-fitting collar (preferably not a ratty one that may break, tear or shred) with their contact tags and name. I added “I Am Chipped” to Smidge’s collar tag, a dog bone, to indicate more information other than her name and my phone number were available. A chip also means if someone finds your runaway baby, they just need to head to a local vet or rescue group, who can contact you from there. In pandemic times, avoiding going to a stranger’s house is ideal for both parties.
Other good ideas: take detailed photos of your pet, including injuries, markings and tattoos in case of escape and reclaiming, or if you need to make a poster; make a list of your pet’s medications and dosage, in case your forget or lose it, so your vet can send another prescription to a local veterinarian; pre-portion food in plastic bags and seal them in an airtight container, like Tupperware or Lock n’ Lock, so wandering noses can’t get into anything; and stretch out meals over several hours during long car rides so nobody throws up.
I don’t have many tips in the way of flying with pets, because I am not comfortable putting my pet in cargo. We usually drive so we have our own car and can transport whatever we need, pets included.
Finally, give that little peanut a bath before and after your trip. COVID-19 can attach to the fibers in pet fur. Better safe than sorry!
By the way, many of these tips are great for end of the year staycations. Make sure your pet is up to date on all inoculations, that they are microchipped and the info is accurate, that they get a nice bath if they haven’t had a spa day recently, and digitize their medical records (or organize them as you see fit) so you won’t have to next year.
