Pet Travel, Drool, Pee....and health certificates

GUEST POST BY Dr. Elizabeth Broel

Somewhere in the middle of Missouri, at 1:37am, my cat made his way to the front center console of my SUV.  My oldest brother and I left Rapid City, South Dakota, about 16 hours earlier and were over halfway through a marathon drive straight from Rapid City to Auburn, Alabama.  I was on my way home from my final veterinary school preceptorship that I just finished in Missoula, Montana.  My brother flew out to Montana to visit and help with the drive home, Griswold-style.  We also had a car packed full of all my veterinary junk, my German Shorthair Pointer Hattie, and my cat Henry.  My brother, while he likes animals from afar, does not care for any sort of pee, poo, hair, or other animal “filth” (as he would say).

Now my dog and my cat travel pretty well.  I had driven from Auburn to Missoula two months before with no issues.  The dog had her bed in the back seat that she shared with the cat, and the cat had a litter pan on the back floorboard.  They had water, and we stopped regularly for food and walks (Well, not the cat. He used those stops to sneak into the front floorboard and play “try to jump out and run away at the gas station”, which, let me tell you, was a total blast….NOT!).

So back to my cat.  Here comes my sweet little kitty (actually he’s not that sweet but I love him anyway!), climbing up to the front to see us, a welcome sight as the interstate stretched before us in the middle of the night.  He climbed right into my brother’s lap in the passenger seat and made himself at home. 

Me: “Awwww, hey  Henry.  Sweet kitty.  Coming to the front seat to say hi. “

My brother: “Oh, hey cat, eww, get out of my lap.  Do I have to touch you? Wait. He’s leaving wet footprints in my lap.   Why are his feet wet?  WHY ARE HIS bleeping  FEET WET?!”

(I’m paraphrasing here, but that’s a pretty accurate description of how that conversation transpired).

Turns out my cat did NOT use his litterbox that was placed conveniently on the back floorboard.  But the dog bed sure seemed like a good place to relieve himself (poor Hattie, she was just lying there, oblivious to her cat-pee-soaked bed).  And then my brother’s lap seemed like the next logical place to land.

That was 10 years ago, and we laugh about it now, but at the time my brother was, ahem, displeased. The story ends with us in a Wal-Mart in the middle of the night somewhere near St. Louis, buying a new dog bed.  That’s after I stuff the pee soaked bed in a garbage can at a nearby gas station that was closed (Have you ever tried to stuff a large dog bed into a gas station garbage can?? Not easy!). The rest of the trip was uneventful aside from the intermittent grumblings of my brother.  Something about cat pee footprints all over his shirt…..

If you have ever traveled with your pets you know it can sometimes be a logistical challenge, and even the most well laid out plans can get derailed by our faithful companions’ antics.  From packing their stuff to containing them in the car to having emergency supplies to finding appropriate pet-friendly facilities en route and at your destination….you get it, a lot of logistics and “what-if” scenarios to consider. Even though the holidays are behind us, a lot of you travel a lot with your pets.  Here are a few things to consider:

Does your pet get anxious during travel, either while on the road or at your destination? Luckily there are several different medications available to help with general anxiety during travel that are very effective, relatively short acting, and can be used strictly on an as-needed basis.  There are also some behavior modification techniques you can try to help desensitize your pet during travel, which if consistently practiced, over time may lead to decreased travel anxiety.

Does your pet vomit or seem nauseated (licking or smacking lips, or drooling) during travel?  There are a variety of medications available, both prescription and over the counter, that may be used to combat car sickness in pets.

 

What would you do if your pet had an emergency while you were on the road, or at a destination out of town?  It’s always good to carry a small first aid kit for your pet like you would for yourself or your child (contact your veterinarian for some tips on assembling a basic first aid kit that every pet owner should have).  And don’t forget to pack any medications your pet takes or may need while away!  It’s also a good idea to identify the nearest emergency hospital to your destination, in the unfortunate event that your pet actually needs emergency care while you are away.  During an actual emergency you may be too flustered to think straight, so identifying a facility ahead of time can save you valuable time in the event of an emergency.

Did you know that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires any animal traveling domestically across state lines to have a USDA accredited veterinarian-issued domestic health certificate?  The veterinarian must perform a physical exam and ensure you pet is healthy in order to issue a health certificate, and domestic health certificates are only valid for 30 days.  International travel requirements vary depending on the destination country.  Many destinations, particularly those that are considered “Rabies free” (this also includes Hawaii), have extremely strict guidelines and paperwork requirements that may take six months or longer to complete, so planning ahead is a MUST!  If you are planning to travel internationally with your pet, please contact you veterinarian as soon as possible to discuss the requirements.

Even the most seasoned traveler will experience some hiccups from time to time when traveling with pets.  My brother and I still laugh about Henry’s pee prints and the dog bed in the gas station trash can (in hindsight I do feel bad for the poor gas station attendant who had to empty the trash the next morning).   But if you prepare ahead of time, traveling with your pet can be a fun and fulfilling adventure!  Feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss medication options or planning ahead in more detail.

Everyone at Carolina Pets Animal Hospital wishes you happy and safe travels! 

Keep calm and travel on….