Asheville’s Holistic Vet Discusses Travel with Animals

Travel with your four-legged family member can be superbly rewarding when well prepared, but even the best of plans can go awry. Below are some tips for trekking with Fido or Morris.

In February of last year my Office Manager, Billie, went to Portland, Oregon for a seminar. Julep, her cutest little Maltese/Yorkie buddy and traveling companion was whisked along into the cabin of the plane, where she was asked to stay in her 18″ x 11″ carrier. On the return trip, Julep started to show some signs of anxiety. As Billie puts it, “I kept her on my lap, in her carrier, because I could see the worry in her eyes, and I felt like that was the only thing I could do to soothe her. Even though the flight attendant asked me several times to please put the carrier under the seat, I refused, thinking ‘What are they going to do, throw me out of an airborne plane?’”

You can be sure, when Billie made travel plans for her next Portland training, Julep stayed in Asheville, NC with Billie’s partner, Jon.

Travel with your four-legged family member can be superbly rewarding when well prepared, but even the best of plans can go awry. Below are some tips for trekking with Fido or Morris.

Travel by Car

Obviously, most of us travel with animals by car. Like Julep, who enjoys car rides, most dogs become acclimated to this form of transportation.

On the other hand, unless your cat is an adventurer and unfazed by traveling, he may try to avoid car travel at all costs. Usually, a car is everything your cat does not enjoy: tumult, trembling and transition.

If you have a furry pal who is opposed to leaving home or who has a difficult time with car rides, then, by all means, please leave them with a pet sitter or boarding kennel. If you’re taking them with you, take advantage of my tips for car rides:

• The safest way for dogs to travel in a car is in a crate that has been anchored firmly. Canine restraints/seat belts are useful to prevent roaming, however, they haven’t reliably been shown to protect them during a crash. Remove all leashes and collars while your furry friend is crated.
• Keep your energy positive while allowing him to enter and get settled in the crate. This is not a punishment, so don’t treat it like one.
• Make sure your pup has had plenty of exercise before she climbs into the crate or car.
• Don’t feed your four-legged traveling companions before their transition to the car. Small protein-based treats during your rest stops work well  
• Cats should always travel in carriers. Period. This is for the safety of everyone! If a cat should get underfoot as you are dashing for the brake pedal, the outcome may not be pretty. Secure the carrier with a seatbelt.
• Use a larger kitty crate for longer trips. Make sure it’s large enough for a small litter box and a secured water bowl.
• Just as we do for smaller children, reserve the back seat or beyond for your four-legged copilots. Deployed airbags can cause major injuries.
• All dogs’ heads inside the car, please! I know, there is nothing more delightful than Fido’s head leaning from the window, tongue whipping in the wind! There is much road debris kicked up by vehicles that can injure their heads and more specifically, their eyes. Why do you think motorcyclists wear goggles?
• No dogs in the back of pickup trucks. This is never safe for your best friend. This post outlines the dangers for canines in a truck bed.
• Yay, rest stops! Don’t miss them – they are marvelous for everyone on a long trip. Don’t just stop and potty; play around and take a short jog/walk.
• Whenever possible, have a human buddy along to share the driving and help keep an eye on the furry kids.
• Take a bag of supplies with you for the journey. It should include treats, a good strong leash, fresh cool water, and a bowl to drink from, a toy or two, and plenty of cleaning up materials, such as cloths, spray cleaner, poop baggies, etc.
• Don’t ever leave your dog/cat alone in the car. Heat, cold, vandals, anxiety… need I say more? Be aware of what your kitty or puppy might experience and make your choices accordingly.
• Don’t smoke in the car while transporting animals (or other people!). Being trapped in a small space with secondhand smoke is not okay.

Dog trainer Karen Pryor has an excellent article here on helping canines become accustomed to riding in cars.

Travel by Air

Air travel is certainly not for every animal. Even if your four-legged is small enough to ride in the cabin with you, they still are expected to be able to stay in a rather tiny carrier and to spend most of their time on the floor or under your seat. These close quarters, changes in air pressure, noise and vibration can be rather nerve-wracking.  

If they are delegated to the belly of the plane to ride in the cargo area, they will have normalization of pressure and heat. Most people agree; the flight is usually not a problem unless there are weather extremes or there is a malfunction of the climate control. Most problems occur while the plane is on the ground. Here is a list of some possible issues that could crop up:

• Your friend could be sent to the wrong destination due to a routing error.
• Climate conditions of the holding area may not be ideal.
• Food and water supply may not be adequate.
• She may sit in extreme heat, cold or rain while handlers transport and load baggage into the planes from the tarmac.
• Your companion may sit in sweltering or frigid conditions once she is placed in the cargo area until the plane takes off and the climate control kicks in.
• His kennel may get tipped, crushed or opened accidentally during transport, loading or unloading.

If you absolutely must transport your canine/feline by air, don’t feed them for four to six hours before their flight, and make sure they are able to make a last minute pit stop and that you remain calm. If you are relaxed about the transition, then your animal friend will be more inclined to follow suit. There should be water available in their crates and a blanket from home that will surround them in a familiar scent.

See this article for more information on animals and airline transportation.

Travel Anxiety

You may be faced with the necessity of traveling with an unhappy four-legged friend. They may be fearful of the circumstances or develop motion sickness. These two maladies can create oodles of anxiety surrounding travel for both you, as a caretaker, and your sweetest furry partner. Below are some tips for travel anxiety:

• Although you may be tempted to medicate her during travel, I recommend trying nutraceuticals, supplements or training before contacting your veterinarian for pharmaceuticals.
• Sometimes, all it takes to calm a companion animal is to simply remain calm yourself. Set him up for a win/win situation by not anticipating a meltdown. Before you even start to travel, picture a calm you with your calm animal going on a calm drive and maintain this attitude as you are moving towards the actual time of departure and as you’re driving.
• Remember to take Fido on a long walk/run before the traveling begins!
• Flower essences, homeopathic mixes, hormone sprays and herbal mixes are available to take the edge off. At Sunvet Animal Wellness Clinic, we carry Rescue Remedy, King Bio Multi-Stress Control, Calm Spirit (a Chinese herbal blend), Vet Classics StressAway Chews, Calms Forte, Homeo Pet Travel Anxiety and Vetri-Science Composure, Feliway (cat calming hormone) and Adaptil (dog calming hormone). Typically, I will use Clinical Kinesiology to determine which soothing supplement is best for a particular animal.
• Essential oil of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is calming in and of itself. Apply one drop on your hands and rub your hands together, then use your hands to gently apply a small amount to your cat or dog. Bonus: Soothing effects on the driver, too! Read more about essential oils for your dog.
• Strings of saliva hanging from the dog’s lips is a sure sign of motion sickness, though all dogs can react differently. Some hang their heads and look troubled, others may try to pace, and some will whimper. If you have a pup that experiences this phenomenon, it is important always to withhold food for several hours before you hit the road. Some of these dogs will respond to very gingery Ginger Snaps. Ginger is wonderful for calming the stomach. Others do well with homeopathic mixes. If you have tried it all and still feel at a loss, your veterinarian can provide you with anti-nausea medications.
• Keep calm in the face of a vomiting episode. Your furry friend was not at fault and certainly couldn’t control her bodily reaction to your car’s movement. If you maintain a sense of peace, she will be less likely to become even more anxious.
• Interestingly enough, if your dog tends towards motion sickness, placing her either on the floor of the car or up where she can’t see the world can be helpful. Hmm….it’s worth trying these options on subsequent jaunts.
• ThundershirtsTM work wonders on many anxious traveling dogs, though in the summer they can be a little too cozy as temperatures soar.
• Avoid perfumes while transporting animals. Their sense of smell is exquisite. Dogs have a 300 million smell receptors, and cats have 80 million. We humans stumble across the finish line with only 5 million! Perfumes and perfumed body lotion can be less than helpful.

It’s summertime, so let the good times roll! Time to share your vacation with your four-legged child… or not! Only you can figure out what works best for everyone.

Shine on!

Dr Laurel