Five Safety Tips for Pets in the Car for the Augusta, GA Area

When it comes to taking our three dogs anywhere in the car, it’s a scene straight out of Goldilocks and the Three Bears: one is too hyper, one is too scared, and one just lays there.

Traveling with your pets can be incredibly stressful, for both the pet and the pet owner. Trying to keep them from crawling all over you in the driver’s seat, keeping them from vomiting and preventing anxiety-induced accidents can take an otherwise wonderful trip to an absolute nightmare.

If you’re planning a long trip with your animals in tow, here are five safety tips to help keep your fur-babies happy in the car.

1.  Start small.  A 10 hour car ride is not the way to introduce your pet to travel. Instead of taking the “just wing it” approach, start introducing your pet to car travel by taking them on shorter drives leading up to your trip date. Once they’re accustomed to the routine, they’ll be less anxious about traveling.

2.  Use a well secured crate or cage. Even though it seems cruel to keep “Fido” cooped up for long periods of time in the back of the car, it’s actually the safest place for them. Make sure the crate is well secured so it won’t tip or slide around and that your animal has enough space to turn around, stand up, and lay down.  If you can’t crate, invest in a seat harness and keep them strapped in whenever the car is moving.

3.  Pack Your Own Water. The ASPCA recommends bringing bottled or tap water from home for keeping your pets hydrated on the trip, to prevent upset stomach issues that can occur from drinking unfamiliar water. The stress of travel alone can cause vomiting and diarrhea in pets; so anything that keeps their stomachs calm is a must!

4. Consider adding an additional travel tag to your pets collar with your cell phone, destination information (like a hotel’s phone number), and other contact information. Make sure each animal has a secure collar with a regular identification tag and consider getting your pet micro-chipped before long distance travel if they’re not already. Other information, such as vaccination and rabies shot documentation are also good to have on hand if you’re traveling out of state.

5. Talk to Your Vet. If you’re still concerned with your pet’s anxiety levels, make an appointment with your vet to talk about the option of medicating your animals to help keep them calm. Not only will your pet stay calmer, the medication may also help with motion sickness and stress-related accidents.

At Thomson, feel free to ask us anything! If you wanted to go to our Contact Form, you could fill out an inquiry.  We also have great specials and offer vehicles with large amounts of space for your pet if needed.

Author Bio:  Jenn Leisey is a freelance writer and foster mom who rocks harder than she rolls, sharing her adventures of divorce, dating, and parenting as a physically disabled woman on her blog, Doing Wheelies.