Planning to take your dog on a road trip or driving holiday? With good preparation, you can help ensure smooth sailing (in the car!) for you and your pet.

Health care

In the couple of weeks before you leave, you should check that your pet is healthy and up to date with all their required treatments. This includes:

• Coverage with vaccinations and parasite control relevant to the areas you’ll be travelling in
• Ensuring you have a sufficient supply of any regular medications or prescription diets that your pet is on

If you’re unsure about the appropriate vaccine and parasite protection for your pet, please consult our friendly vets.

If your pet sometimes suffers from motion sickness, you can also have a chat with our vets regarding the safest travel sickness prevention medication options.

Thorough identification

Before travelling, ensure that your pet is well “labelled”, so you can be easily reunited should they get lost. This includes:

• Make sure your dog is microchipped, and that your up-to-date contact details are linked to their microchip number on an online microchip register that is recognised in the state/s within which you’ll be travelling (some registers are recognised nationally, whilst some are only state-based)
• Attaching an ID tag to your dog’s collar that bears your contact details

Safe travel

Consider how you will comfortably restrain your pet in the car. The safest options include:

• A travel harness attached to a car safety belt
• A well-ventilated transport crate (secured within the car)

On the day

On the day of travel, we’d recommend not feeding your pet for at least three hours prior to setting off, so they don’t travel on a full tummy that could predispose them to nausea. You should also take them for a walk just prior to hopping into the car, for one last toileting opportunity.

Then, buckle up and enjoy the freedom of the road with your four-legged friend!