Pet Items to Bring on Vacation

Toys, a leash, important medication—these are no-brainers when you’re preparing to vacation with your dog or cat. Because such a vacation takes so much preparation—especially if you’re traveling with a pet for the first time—it’s virtually impossible to leave these essentials at home. Other items? They might not even cross your mind. But without them, your vacation may get derailed before you even reach your destination. Add these to your next travel checklist to ensure a happy and safe getaway for you and your furry friend. A lot of travelers clear their photos off their phones before they go on vacation in order to leave as much space as possible for new memories. That’s fine, but leave at least a couple of pictures of your pet. Many shelters require visual confirmation of ownership in the event that your pet gets lost and you need to pick him up somewhere. You should know where the nearest veterinarian or emergency pet health facility is at all times. Laying your own sheets and blankets out in a rental car or on hotel furniture is one way to make sure your pet doesn’t leave his or her hair everywhere. If [the sheets] haven’t been washed immediately before your trip, they have the added bonus of smelling like home, which ought to keep your pet calm in an unfamiliar place. Ziploc bags are basically a pet parent’s Swiss army knife. You can use them to pick up poop if necessary. You can also carry food in them if you’re going on a day trip and need to pack a backpack.The quality of tap water changes from city to city (sometimes drastically), and for pets who are accustomed to drinking from just one water source for their entire lives, even a slight change in quality for short period of time can upset their stomach.

Keep Your Pets Safe This Fall With These 5 Tips

1. Fleas and ticks love hiding under fallen leaves and other seasonal debris once it gets chilly out. If your pets spend a fair amount of time outdoors, be sure to rake the leaves and dispose of them promptly to continue keeping your furry friends pest-free.

2. It’s that time of year to be on the lookout for rodents and other feral critters that may scurry into your garage, attic or crawl space searching for warmth. It’s best not to use poison when trying to control pests like rats and mice when there are children and pets around that may accidentally ingest the poison. Live traps and snap traps are better alternatives.

3. Autumn is just as wet as spring is in many parts of the country, which means there are still opportunities for fungus to grow among us. Be particularly vigilant not to allow your pet to eat any mushrooms that may spring up in the backyard. ASPCA has an informative animal poison control center which is a great resource if you suspect your pet has ingested anything dangerous.

4. As the cold winter months roll in, people typically use the autumn season to winterize their cars with antifreeze and other chemicals. Ethylene glycol is the deadly ingredient in antifreeze and smells sweet to pets, which may pique their interest enough to ingest any they come across. You can prevent this from happening by keeping your pet out of the vicinity as you’re working on your car and keeping antifreeze and other chemicals tightly closed and out of reach of curious pets.

5. As cute and cuddly as your pooch may be in an ugly holiday sweater, it may not always be the safest option - especially if your pet spends time outdoors unsupervised. Dogs and cats can be frostbitten if their fur gets wet in freezing weather and wet clothes will only exacerbate the problem.