dto the documents to travel serene to the canine and feline etiquette. Here’s everything you need to know, or it’s good to remember, to wear the dog on vacation. A handbook of tips and tricks compiled by the experts of Ca’ Zampa, Italian group of veterinary clinics.
1. Dog on vacation: documents for “him”
The vaccination record and certificate of good health they are indispensable documents for peaceful holidays with the dog. If you go abroad they also serve the passport and vaccinations in order. Including the rabies vaccine, done at least a month before. Each state can then have additional mandatory health measures.
2. Prevention is better than cure, depending on the destination
Depending on the destination, there may be risks for certain diseases. At the sea, for example, between sand, sea water and sun, they could emerge skin disorders. Better then not to shave dogs too much: the hair is able to protect them.
Furthermore, it is preferable to defend the skin from parasites, in particular from sandflies. It is better to make aadequate prophylaxis against heartworm which mainly affects the areas infested by mosquitoes in Piedmont, Lombardy and the Po valley. It is advisable to use repellent, chemical or natural pesticide products and possibly vaccines if necessary and recommended by your trusted veterinary doctor.
In case you have inadvertently gone to an area infested with fleas and ticks, a shock treatment with an antiparasitic bathto immediately remove parasites and avoid contamination of home environments, including gardens.
If instead you go to the sea, it’s better protect the animal with creams to be applied in particular on the nose (nose), ears and any areas without hair and therefore poorly protected.
3. Dogs and cats in cars
There are dogs and cats who travel, others who suffer from the car and the journey. To prevent escapes and avoid damage in the event of an accident, it is preferable to place the dog or cat in a cage large enough to allow the animal to stand up and turn around to change position. But not too big, otherwise its mass, in case of collisions, would pick up more speed.
In public places, such as motorway service stations, the legislation provides that the dog must always be kept on a leashleash that must not be more than one and a half meters long. And with a muzzleregardless of size. Collars and harness are instead at the discretion of the owner.
To secure the cats, however, the carrier is necessary.
During the journey by car it is advisable to stop every hour and a half.
4. Pay attention to the temperature
Shaving the dog doesn’t help, on the contrary: the coat protects it from the heat. To keep it cool (especially if it belongs to a brachycephalic breed, such as the Pekingese or the English bull dog, which suffer particularly from high temperatures), there are cooling mats. They can be cooled in the fridge or are based on gels that exchange heat.
It would be better not to leave during the hottest hours, perhaps favoring sunrise or sunset and make sure that the cabin temperature is comfortable and partly air-conditioned.
5. Water, herbs and homeopathy
It’s good to make sure that the animal drinks a lot the day before the trip, but not too immediately before. To avoid the unpleasant consequences of regurgitation in the car, it is advisable to use disposable underpads for the floor of the car or the bottom of the cage. During the journey, especially if not excessively long, it is advisable don’t let eat the animal until it arrives at its destination.
For the more anxious animals there are phytotherapeutic products based on specific herbaceous essences, pheromones and homeopathic products.
6- Beauty case, dog wellness products
Better to pack some useful products. Based on chamomile to clean and wash the eyes. A protective and soothing ointment for the fingertips and other more delicate parts. Physiological solutions for wash and clean the ears from earth, sand and sea water. Repellent pesticides, antidiarrheals and lactic ferments to stem any after-effects also due to travel stress.
Don’t forget to bring bags, spades, bowls for drinking water, carder, combs, brushes. The same rules apply to the cat, even if it is advisable to recreate an environment suited to its nature, with its litter box and its relaxation area.
7. Feeding the dog on vacation
If your pet is used to eating industrial food, it’s easy: just bring the usual croquettes and cans with you.
For those used to homemade ‘jelly’, it would be better get the animal used to the mix of industrial and traditional porridge at least fifteen days before leaving. Bringing already prepared and frozen food from home requires a lot of attention to ensure its correct conservation.
8. Dog by the sea, rules and advice
After every dive, it pays off wash the dog with fresh water. At the end of the holiday period, however, it is recommended to rehydrate the hair with treatments specific shampoo-therapy to restore its optimal physiological conditions. This because sea water is basiccontrary to the request of the animal’s skin which prefers basically neutral substances tending towards acid.
9. Dog in the mountains, watch out for your fingertips
Fresh water, lake or stream, if clean, is an optimal source for hydration and is therefore less problematic than sea water.
In the mountains you walk a lot between cliffs and rocks and therefore the risks of trauma such as abrasions and cuts on the fingertip. It is advisable to clean, cleanse and soften the fingertips and fingers with special ointments.
Beware of areas infested with fleas and ticks that could literally attack the dog during an exploration phase in the woods or bushes, in these cases an immediate pesticide bath avoids contamination of the home environments as well as immediately benefiting the dog.
10. Dog etiquette on vacation
The owner of the dog on vacation can only feel serene if he has educated him well. It is absolutely advisable to prevent him from doing his business near shop windows or on entrances to the beach frequented by children. But even the barking and walks in which it drags or is dragged by the owner can compromise the serenity of the holiday.
When crossing another dog, it is appropriate prevent aggressive attitudes, subtracting the stimulus, keeping it in a control position (sitting on the ground) or deviating its path. Remember the two legal obligations: a leash of a maximum length of 1.5 meters and a muzzle always available.
iO Woman © REPRODUCTION RESERVED