Tips from a Veterinary Professional for Traveling with Pets

Pet Friendly Lodging, Accomidations, & Information You May Not Be Aware Of!

Are you moving? Going on a trip? Can't or don't want to board or leave the pets behind? Years ago, this would have been a huge dilemma. However, there are now many "pet friendly" places that will accommodate you and your furry family along the way. Besides those things, there are always a few other snippets to keep in mind to make traveling with a pet a bit more efficient and hassle-free for you.
Not only have I worked in the veterinary field for over 16 years but I have personally traveled from coast to coast across America with a 9 year-old Rottweiler. I've also heard many travel stories from a great number of my clients; good and bad. The best travel stories have been the ones that went smoothly after the pets' owner planned ahead and had proper paperwork with them (such as a health certificate when traveling via plane and/or driving over country borders.) The worst accounts I've heard were the ones when they were not prepared, uninformed, and na�ve due to throwing chance to the wind and hoping for the best. (That's never a good idea in any situation!) So, reflecting on some experiences that clients have portrayed to me in the past, here are a few tips that may help under various circumstances.
When traveling via aircraft:

1.) If your pet is traveling in a carrier that is going to fit under your seat, be certain that the carrier is "airline accepted" before boarding the aircraft. There are many different pet carriers on the market but only certain ones that airlines will allow. Also, different airlines may accept or decline specific ones. You also must make sure the dimensions of the containment are accepted under those particular airlines' regulations. Most travel merchandise items can or do provide information directly on the product information tag as to if it is accepted and to which airlines it is accepted by.