Traveling is one of the things that frequent people’s bucket lists. It’s a great way to unwind and explore a new country and culture, maybe even learn a new language. But having a pet waiting for you at home can be difficult, and while you are away chasing the sun or surfing the waves, you would want them to be well taken care of and fed in your absence.
There are many ways you can prepare your pets before your travels to ensure that they will be safe and well fed while you are away, here are a few:
Hire a house sitter
This is a person that will live in your house in your absence, allowing your pets to have supervision and attention. They may even take care of the house too. Make sure that this is someone you can trust as you will need to be comfortable with giving them access to your belongings. More affordable than some options, this trades accommodation for pet care. Make sure you have trained your dog before you leave them with other people.
Make sure you get your dog checked up before you go
Regular check-ups for pets is a must in the first place. This is to monitor their health to ensure that areas such as their teeth are clean to be able to eat properly if their body is healthy and to spot any abnormalities at the earliest time. For example, one of the most traumatizing and terrifying things to discover is the development of dog cancer, but when caught early, the success of treatment increases drastically. The key is recognizing symptoms that may indicate such conditions such as bad breath, unexplained lameness and loss of appetite among others. Once spotted, you can then research the best ways to treat your canine companion
Enlist the help of neighbors, friends, and family
An alternative to hiring a house sitter, this may be a good option especially if your pet is familiar with the guardian. Neighbors who live close by may even come over more often than paid professionals and having your friends and family check up on your pet can reduce the anxiety that comes with giving a complete stranger access to your house.
Stay at a local vet or pet hotel
An alternative would be enlisting the help of your local veterinarian who may have a boarding service. This is especially useful if your pet suffers any medical issues or require consistent health care in your absence. This might be a slightly more expensive option, but at least you know your pet is safe and fed.
Regardless of what type of pet you have, most vets have the facilities to take in your companion. The best way to approach this is by asking for referrals from trusted pet-owners about the best places to take care of your pet. It may be best to take your pet to the location at an earlier time, just so they can get used to the place while you are still there.
Before you travel, ensure that the vet has your emergency contact information, any notes on your pet’s needs and an alternative contact in the local area in case they are unable to reach you.
Different pets react to their owner’s absence differently, so make sure your course of action aligns with theirs. For example, cats are most comfortable staying at home, so it may be best to hire a house sitter or enlist the help of friends to check up on them once in a while to change their litter box and top up their food and water bowl. Meanwhile, dogs are social and require more attention, so having someone there with them might be the best option, especially if it’s someone familiar.
I would say “Stay at a local vet or pet hotel” is the best idea. That will become helpful is the pet get sick. Even I prefer this one .
Hi, First of all, you selected a really cute image. I agree with what tips you have suggested but it is very difficult to manage so many things. Pet care become a serious job when you are out of home. Even at home, you have to look at the things very closely but thanks to technology, it is now becoming easy. Different automatic robotics are now introduced for pet care like I was recently introduced to catevolution.com.au/ who are offering the best quality pet care accessories. I would really love readers to introduce with this real help. Their price, quality, and service are really excellent. Hope it will ease you in your pet care
I like your recommendation to take your pet to a local boarding service when going out of town. My brother has a dog but doesn’t travel too much. Now that the’s thinking about going on a cruise, he’s not sure what to do with his pet. I’ll let him know to find a local place to board his dog while he’s gone.
Awesome post, Thanks for sharing this. Scheduling an appointment typically can take longer along with your cellular vet than in a typical workplace so for routine care you’ll want to be certain and schedule forward of time. For emergency therapies once you want a vet right now it’s possible you’ll must all the time have a backup vet in case your cellular vet is unable to get to you shortly.