It is not an easy task to travel with your pet. This becomes more difficult if you are not a conscious owner. If you would like to travel with your pets abroad, you need to bear certain things in mind in order to have stress-free travel - especially if you are traveling to Africa. This article will help you become aware of all the things that matter when your pet is your travel companion.
You should visit the vet’s office as soon as your plans to travel abroad get finalized. Each country has different requirements which you need to bear in mind when travelling with your pet. You need to do all the necessary paperwork and there are certain other requirements that your pet needs to meet before traveling. For example, pets should be healthy enough, so you need to take care of requirements like blood tests, vaccinations etc.
Your pet should be clean enough. This does not only include bathing your pet before you leave on your travels and during your travels. You also need to make sure that your pet is comfortable in its skin. In Africa, the year is usually divided between dry and rainy seasons. In such cases, your furry companion needs proper nourishment of its hair. For example, you need to ensure that you buy the best dog shampoo to prevent your dog’s hair from drying out in the dry weather of Africa.
Your pet’s bathing shampoo should contain ingredients that are safe for your pet. Not only the odour matters when it comes to buying an appropriate shampoo but you need to consider other things as well. Grime and dirt, skin sensitiveness, genes and breed, medical and diet issues are the major reasons behind the foul odour of your pet.
You can buy the right shampoo for your pet depending on the condition it is suffering with. For example, if your pet is allergic to something, has skin sensitivity or parasites you need to be really careful while buying a shampoo.
Always carry a first aid kit along with you. The first aid kit will help take care of the bruises, bumps, and scratches that might happen. You should never forget it especially when going for outdoor adventure activities or any camping trip. You can buy a new one from a store or assemble the separate items into a kit. The kit should include bandages, eyewash, styptic powder which stops the bleeding of a toenail, antiseptic wipes, scissors, etc. Carry tweezers in order to remove splinters and ticks.
You should do thorough research on airlines before travelling with your pet. Each airline has different rules for allowing you to travel with your pets on a flight and there are certain guidelines that you should read before finalizing your airline choice.
You cannot compromise the comfort of your pet while taking it on the flight. Follow these tips to ensure their comfort.
1. Avoid flights with many layovers or connections.
2. Make sure to walk your pet before you check-in.
3. Check in to the cabin last if you are allowed to take your pet in the cabin.
4. Your arrival and departure times should be scheduled around extreme cold or hot conditions if possible.
We tried to make your work easier by mentioning the essential tips that will make your pet’s travel comfortable and fun. Here is a summary.
• You should be conscious of your pet while travelling.
• Visit the vet before leaving on your travels.
• Traveling to Africa will bring changes in the environment for your dog and it can get irritated with discomforting skin sensitiveness. You should ask the pet dermatologist about the best shampoo that would be gentle and safe for your pet. This becomes imperative if your pet suffers from some disease.
• You need to take care of the weather conditions of the country you are traveling in for assuring your pet’s well-being. Do your own research and check the weather conditions that your pet will be exposed to.
• We take care of our skin sensitivities while traveling outside, so we need to make sure that our pets are comfortable in their skin as well.
• You should be patient enough with your pet. Your pet is not familiar with the place you are taking them to. This could cause issues while traveling as well. Pets generally need some stretching and they might act different and uncomfortable when exposed to such environments and situations. In such cases, you should handle your pet with the utmost love and patience.
Do you have any tips for travelling with your pet ?
Happy travels...
This is a guest post.
Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 50 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.
