Easing your pups into a stress-free ride
With two long weekends and school holidays fast approaching, Aussies will be hitting the road to enjoy the break. To help all those adorable puppies purchased during lockdowns come to terms with life outside of their kennels, Toyota and Pet Expert Dr Leigh Davidson, director of Your Vet Online, have put together 8 top tier tips to help ease pups' nerves on their first road trip.
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Young travellers
The best way to manage travel anxiety in pets is to familiarise the pet with travelling from a young age so it becomes second nature to them.
This doesn’t mean older pets can’t be trained as many take to travelling extremely well. However, depending on their history, older pets may need a slower, unrushed start.
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Buckle up
Decide how you are going to secure your pet (remember it is illegal to have a pet loose in the car with you). Will it be in a crate cage, in a booster seat or simply attached via a seatbelt in the back seat or hatch area? Keep them well secured so that they feel safe and comfortable – while ensuring they can’t cause too many distractions while you’re driving.
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Begin with Basics
Start by simply securing your pet in the car and allow them to sit there with no movement and with the vehicle turned off. Give them their favourite toy and plenty of pats.
Start the car and, if your pet seems fine and not showing signs of anxiety such as panting, licking their lips, cowering, tremors or whale eye then you can start to take your pet for short trips. Try to keep to roads that are smooth and straight to begin with to ensure a pleasant ride.
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Stick to routine mealtimes
Many pets have no issues with travelling so there is no need to be too pedantic with the timing of meals. However, for some pets it may be best to try to keep to a routine. If they normally eat breakfast at 6.30am then continue with this. Most pets will also want to go to the toilet after they have eaten therefore, as a rule of thumb to avoid accidents, try to feed your pet at least an hour before travel so they have time to do their business, or take them for a toilet break before you leave on your journey.
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Take a break
There are no dead set rules for how often to stop for breaks when on long journeys. Just like us, pets enjoy the opportunity to have a toilet break and stretch their legs every 3-4 hours. A small drink can also be offered then. A longer run around and opportunity for a snack every 6 hours or so would make for a much happier pet.
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Travel sickness
It’s not uncommon for pets to suffer from travel sickness and this can be particularly trying for everyone. A lot of dogs that show signs of anxiety when travelling may actually be experiencing nausea.
In these situations, your veterinarian or your online vets can assist by prescribing medications that can stop nausea. Also ensure your pet has had a small meal an hour or two before they travel. A completely empty stomach can make them feel worse.
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Air Flow
Keep a window down a little so that there is fresh air flowing, but not so low enough for them to escape or let their head out where they could get hit by debris.
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Road Trip equals Fun Trip
Taking pets with you regularly on short trips gets them familiar and comfortable with being in the car. Instead of taking the dog to your regular dog park, drive them to a different one a bit further afield so that they quickly learn that travelling is a good thing.