Summer School Holiday tips from an Inner West Vet.

Summer School Holiday tips from an Inner West Vet.

With the school holidays on currently, it’s a great time for Inner West families to take both our four and two legged members out for a long drive, a day trip or even a couple of days in regional NSW. While it can be fun for everyone, there are a couple of things to keep mindful of to ensure your pet is kept safe and content.
Familiarity
The car can be a little claustrophobic and can cause motion sickness in those pets not familiar with the ambiance. Before bundling up your pet into the car, first allow them to spend some time in the vehicle. Feed them in the car the day before to make them realise the car is a good place to be.
Entertainment
Make sure you bring something for your pet to chew on or play with to distract them and provide some comfort to them .
Microchip
Update your pet’s microchip details with your local council and fix an ID badge to their collar, so that in the event that your pet escapes while in a foreign place, you two can be reunited quickly.
Water
Take along a collapsible water bowl to avoid dehydration – all that sniffing of moving air out the car window can dry out your pet’s mucous membranes.
Motion Sickness
Just like us, pets can suffer from motion sickness and dizziness. There are very effective medications nowadays that you can talk to your vet about, that will prevent a big cleanup effort of the car.
Ticks
If travelling down to a coastal part of NSW, ticks are especially prevalent. Ensure you apply high quality tick preventative medications to protect your pet against the lethal disease – tick paralysis.
Finally, remember to never leave them unattended in the car even for a quick dart to the shops – the internal temperature of the car soars this time of year even with the windows open a little.