There are those who can not separate themselves from their four-legged friends: from weekends to longer travels, nothing can be considered a vacation without Fido and Micio! Only with them the holidays will be full of love and lacking of nostalgia, as often happens.
Whether it is the first time for you, or you are already an expert, spending a holiday with animals always requires a bit of preparation. Now all hotels, bathing establishments and holiday homes are animal friendly and equipped with all the necessary equipment and therefore, whether it is the sea or mountain, towns or villages of our peninsula, your dear hairy friend will surely spend a serene vacation .
However, a number of things need to be taken into account for departure. Perhaps trivial, that is why they do not come to mind, but they are fundamental!
Here are a number of useful tips to know before leaving with our faithful companions of a lifetime.
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CONTACT THE COMPANIES
First of all, contact the company with which you are going to travel: whether by plane, train, bus or ferry, check for any regulations related to the presence of animals on board. The advice is to do it before buying the ticket!
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APPOINTMENT AT THE VETERINARY
Especially if your destination is abroad, be informed about the vaccinations required for accessing pets in different countries. Once this is done, skip your trusty veterinarian and, besides ensuring that your four-legged friend is healthy, proceed with the various vaccines. I recommend, however, to fix the visit in advance! To ensure its effectiveness, some vaccines should be given three weeks before departure.
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DOCUMENTS, PLEASE!
If traveling abroad, Fido will also have to show his papers! The pet passport is required in all the countries participating in the Pets Travel Scheme. This contains all the animal's master data, including the number of microchips, information about the vaccines performed, and the veterinary approval signature. The Pets Travel Scheme has not yet become standard, so it is necessary to check the travel regulations for animals in both the country of origin and the arrival date. Only then you can be sure that they will be greeted at your destination!
In addition, in order to avoid some bad experience, especially if your dog / cat loves to wander free, we suggest creating a temporary medal with phone number and name of the accommodation or structure to be placed on the neck of your faithful friend.
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TRIP BY CAR
Leaving your pet free to wander around in your car could be dangerous. Using a leash or a toothbrush with a safety belt buckle (ideal for dogs), but also a carry case (ideal for cats) is a great way to travel safely. For large-sized dogs, however, you could install a special seat-hammock hood and a barrier to prevent the animal from reaching the front seats and bother the driver.
Take a ride in the nearest pet store and find the solution that best suits your car!
If your Fido particularly suffers the car, try to avoid long journeys and, in any case, often take a pause. A walk in the open air will help both of you to stretch your legs before restarting.
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TRAVELING BY PLANE
Your hairy friend will have a special ticket to travel by plane. Depending on the company, the prices and travel arrangements for pets may vary. In general, to travel in a cabin, the animal must not exceed 8kg of weight and the carriage must be tucked under the seat in front of you. The temptation to get him out and keep him tight will be strong! But you must leave it inside the cage for the duration of the flight. Animals that exceed 8kg, however, travel in the cargo hold. It may sound like a scary place, but the flight crew will be informed of the presence of an animal on board, so he will keep the light on , with heating or air conditioning in operation.
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MEDICINES NOT ALLOWED
If your dog or cat is anxious and agitated during the travel, do not give him any medicines or sedatives! The animal may have breathing or balance complications during the flight. Rather, to calm it, try natural remedies like homeopathic tablets, or a massage with essential lavender oil before departure. Or, more simply, why not try to "vent" it by letting it play with his favorite ball? During the trip it will be so tired that it will sleep!
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GAMES, FOOD PROVISIONS AND WATER
A favorite blanket or puppet can help to make your four-legged friend feel comfortable and keep it busy during the trip.
Do not wait to get to your destination to buy food: you could risk to not find the type or brand you want. In some cases, traveling with several pounds of food may be impossible, so a good idea might be to travel with a sufficient stock for a few days and check with a local veterinarian if the brand of food consumed by your pet is available in the area .
If you do a long car ride, do not forget about water supplies: maybe Fido will not tell you that is thirsty, but that is why you need to worry about hydrating it regularly.
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