L AT I ME S .
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ROAD TRIPS THINGS TO KNOW
WHETHER you’re bringing poodles, above, or pit bulls, experts recommend a harness or crate. Free-moving pets can distract you.
CANINE CAR CARE
BY ROSEMARY MCCLURE >>> My dog, Piper, is a white fluffball, a 20-pound rescue pup who prances around like
a pint-sized princess and greets me with a play bow and kisses when I come home. ¶ Imagine my surprise when
my fair-haired girl locked me out of the car in the middle of the desert one recent night. She had the cellphone,
my purse and the car keys. I had a disbelieving look on my face.
We had gotten off Interstate 8
at a rest stop outside El Centro,
near the Mexican border. I walked
Piper, put her back in the car and
was walking to my door when I
heard the electronic locks snap. I
grabbed the door handle and
pulled, but it wouldn’t budge.
Piper was standing on the car
key fob. I had apparently dropped
it when I lifted her into the car.
The story ends happily, thanks
to a CalTrans worker who lent me
his phone to call a roadside service
with a locksmith.
But it scares me to think what
would have happened if it had
been daytime — and hot — or if
someone hadn’t helped me.
The experience offers a lesson
in what not to do on a road trip
with your pet.
Thankfully, snafus such as this
aren’t common.
You’re more likely to confront
stress and carsickness when you
take your pup on a road trip, said
Dr. William Ridgeway, a vet at
Long Beach Animal Hospital.
“Those winding roads to Big
Bear can be tough on dogs that
aren’t used to traveling by car,” he
said.
His advice: “Take them around
the block in the car. Get them
KITTIES CAN TRAVEL TOO
By Julie Pendray
Last summer my cat, Michelle,
and I traveled in my fully packed
Prius from Southern California to
British Columbia and back, a
journey of about 6,000 miles.
Dogs get most of the ink when
it comes to car trips, but I can
attest that cats also can be great
company as you head down the
highway.
Michelle’s curiosity and inde-
pendence made me laugh; she also
occasionally kept me warm (or at
least kept my feet warm), whether
in a tent, a motel or a lodge. She
won hearts and admiration by
being sociable with people she
trusted.
Here are tips to help Kitty
become a first-class travel com-
panion.
A strong cat-owner bond is
key. After she took up residence
with me, Michelle would run to the
door when I left for work, and I
could hear her crying as I drove
away. Clearly, she wanted to be
with me, in the house on the road.
Get your kitten used to the
idea. Take your furry friend on
short trips. This not only intro-
duces the car idea but also may
predict (or help avoid) car sick-
ness.
Don’t force the issue. If your
pet doesn’t want to go, make other
arrangements. If you start assess-
ing your pet’s willingness to travel
early, any reluctance to go won’t
come as a surprise, said Dr. Liz
Stelow of the UC Davis School of
Veterinary Medicine.
Keep the number of human
passengers in check. Traveling in a
car with a lot of people or young
children increases the risk your cat
will escape, Stelow said.
Make sure your plans are
locked in. Scope out pet-friendly
used to it.
“If you take several small trips
and build up, you’ll find out if your
dog’s ready to go on a longer trip.
“If motion sickness if a prob-
lem, there are medications similar
to Dramamine for pets.”
Other tips:
Don’t feed your dog for a few
hours before you leave, Ridgeway
said, and walk your pet before you
depart.
Many experts, including
Ridgeway, recommend using a
harness for your dog (or crating it)
while traveling in the car.
“A dog is more comfortable if
it’s restrained because it doesn’t
get slammed into corners every
time you go around a curve,” he
said.
Don’t let your dog sit in the
passenger seat or on your lap. In a
collision, the air bag can injure or
kill your pet, according to the
American Veterinary Medical
Assn.
Other possible problems:
Small dogs may jump into the
driver’s footwell, interfering with
braking and acceleration; big dogs
may lean across the driver, block-
ing the view of the highway.
Take regular breaks on the
road, stopping for 15 to 30 minutes
CATS can be great travel companions, but first get them accustomed to the car on short trips.
lodgings and make reservations.
Check with border agencies
and airlines well ahead of time to
learn about international travel
regulations. It may take months to
prepare, said Dr. Brian Collins of
Cornell University’s College of
Veterinary Medicine.
Visit the vet. Discuss vaccina-
tions and travel requirements,
especially if you’re planning foreign
travel. Mexico, for instance, re-
quires treatment for ticks before
entry and treatment for parasites
within six months of entry, Stelow
said.
Discuss anti-nausea medica-
tions as well as calmatives. Pre-
scription products may be more
effective than some over-the-
counter drugs, Stelow said.
Get documentation. Ask the
vet for a current health certificate,
which usually is required to cross
every three to four hours. Allow
enough time for your pet to ex-
plore the unfamiliar territory. If
possible, find a dog park or other
pet-friendly attraction.
Remember your dog is wear-
ing a fur coat. Don’t ever leave it in
a parked car in the heat for even a
few minutes. Hundreds of dogs die
each year in parked cars despite
open windows. Temperatures can
climb 20 degrees in the first 10
minutes. Your dog could suffer
heatstroke and die.
When you pack for your trip,
don’t forget to pack for your four-
legged pal. Take rabies vaccina-
tion records, if you’re crossing
state lines, and other vaccination
records if you plan to board it
along the route (while you visit a
no-dogs attraction for a day, for
instance).
Carry your vet’s contact infor-
mation.
Other doggy necessities: ID
tags with your mobile number, pet
food (you may not be able to buy
the type his digestive system is
familiar with), a bowl, leash, doggy
pickup bags, medications, a favor-
ite toy and bed or blanket for
sleeping.
Apply flea medications before
leaving home.
state lines and national borders.
This should be done no sooner
than a week before departure.
Carry copies of all health records.
Make sure you can get your cat
back if it goes astray. Kitty should
wear a collar and tag with your
phone number. Microchip infor-
mation should be up to date. Carry
a current photo for posters.
If you’re camping, ask park
rangers or camp managers about
predators and take precautions.
Secure Kitty in a crate when
you’re driving. Buckle the con-
tainer into the middle of the back
seat so your cat sees you (and
some scenery) but is away from
the loudest engine noise. Or you
can pack around the crate to hold
it in place, but make sure the vents
are clear.
A hard-shell case that offers
room for your pet to sit up and
S U N DAY, J U N E 11, 2 017
Stephanie Hager HagerPhoto/Getty Images
Consider the climate where
you’re traveling. Some dogs don’t
cope well with heat, especially
short-nosed breeds. Others can
get sunburned.
Check ahead to make sure you
can find good accommodations
that will accept a dog. Also con-
sider whether you’ll have time to
spend with your dog. If not, it
might be better to leave it at home.
Remember, most hotels won’t
allow you to leave a dog in yorr
room while you’re gone. You’ll
need to take him with you or ar-
range for a pet sitter, whether
that’s someone you hire or a family
member.
Camping trips may seem ideal,
but keep in mind that some na-
tional park sites don’t allow dogs;
many don’t allow them on trails.
Call or check websites using our
national parks list of the West
(www.latimes.com/nationalparks
ofthewest).
Once you arrive, try to main-
tain a similar schedule to the one
you have at home, feeding and
walking your dog at consistent
times.
Most of all, have a good time.
And keep track of your key fob.
travel@latimes.com
Arseniy45 Getty Images/iStockphoto
turn around works best. Don’t
forget a cozy blanket and small toy.
Stop for breaks so your cat can
stretch its legs and be reassured, if
necessary, with some affection and
attention.
Feed at the correct times.
Some cats do suffer motion sick-
ness. I fed Michelle after we ar-
rived at the lodging or an hour or
two before we left for the day.
Use an enclosed litter box. A
file folder box with a lid is an inex-
pensive option.
Take toys. Just because you’re
traveling doesn’t mean Kitty
doesn’t need to be amused or
entertained.
Besides breaks while driving,
consider breaks in your journey to
give yourself and your cat days off.
It’s good for both of you.
travel@latimes.com
S11
IF THE
PET IS
BEST
LEFT
HOME
By Karen Schwartz
Everything was set for my
vacation when I realized my aging
dog had too many medical issues
to be boarded, sending me on a
frantic search for a pet sitter.
My dog and home survived my
eleventh-hour hire, but I wish I
knew then what I know now.
“I’ve hired pet sitters, and I’ve
hired a nanny. It’s the same pro-
cess for me,” said Dr. Tim Hackett,
an emergency and critical care vet
and director of the James L. Voss
Veterinary Teaching Hospital in
Fort Collins, Colo. “Make sure they
have good training, references and
know what to do in a crisis.”
To begin the search, ask for
recommendations from your vet,
dog trainer or local Humane Soci-
ety office or check databases for
the National Assn. of Professional
Pet Sitters (www.lat.ms/propetsit
ters) or Pet Sitters International
(www.petsit.com/locate).
You can find other options by
searching online or asking friends
and family. To begin, start with a
telephone interview and ask lots of
questions.
“Are they familiar with common
problems that dogs or cats may
run into while their owners are
away?” Hackett said.
Determine whether the sitter
will stay overnight or stop by once
or twice a day, and discuss specif-
Steven Senne Associated Press
A COCKATOO needs care too.
Find a sitter who’s qualified.
ics such as the frequency and
duration of walks.
“I know people who, as they’ve
grown their dog-sitting business,
they watch two or three [homes] at
a time,” said Jennifer Holmes of
Fort Collins, a pet sitter and vet
technician who is trained in animal
CPR. “I do one at a time, because I
think the quality of care is better;
they can have my full attention.”
Invite the sitter to meet your
pet and study how they interact.
Discuss expectations, such as
whether the sitter will get your
mail, and your house rules, includ-
ing whether the caregiver can
partake of your food or drink.
I learned an important lesson
when our return flight was delayed
and the sitter replied to my text by
saying she had left my house.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” she said
of my dog.
“Fine” was a relative term.
Besides the accident he had while
being cooped up, he was hungry
when I finally got home.
It’s imperative to have a friend
as backup. Make sure your sitter
has the number and that both
have keys to your house.
Include these details in a con-
tract. Samples can be downloaded
from the Internet (Google “pet
sitter contract”), but customize it
with clear instructions, adding
contact information for you, your
vet and the emergency clinic.
Finally, leave a medical direc-
tive with the caregiver that out-
lines how much treatment you
want for your dog or cat if it were
injured or ill and how much you
would be willing to spend.
I first heard about pet medical
directives when I hired Holmes as
a dog sitter after my initial less-
than-satisfying experience with
someone else.
She insisted we draft one before
leaving town, explaining that her
12-year-old dog died the day after
she flew to the West Indies. She
had the foresight to leave a direc-
tive with the vet and had told the
couple watching her dog what to
do.
It made it easier on the sitters,
and Holmes said that having her
wishes carried out helped her find
closure.
I now have a network of experi-
enced pet sitters whom I trust, and
we all have the same expectations.
That makes going on vacation and
coming home that much more
relaxing.
travel@latimes.com