How to travel with pets: Useful tips
Alexandra Savina
SUMMER PASSED, BUT TRADITION TO TRAVELING DOES NOT WEAK.We have already told what to look for when traveling with parents and company, and now we share tips for those who are going to travel with pets. Whether you are going on a trip for the weekend or decided to move to another country, taking a pet with you - these are life hacking, which will help make any trip more comfortable.
Consider whether your pet is able to travel.
The first and most important thing you need to think about before you go is whether the condition of your animal allows you to travel: if the pet is very young or, on the contrary, elderly, or has serious health problems, it is better to leave it at home. For some breeds with flat faces (such as Persian cats, bulldogs or pugs), air travel can be completely deadly - they suffer oxygen deficiency and high temperatures more heavily. If you are in doubt whether you can take the animal with you on a trip, consult your veterinarian - especially if you are traveling this way for the first time.
You should also take into account that such trips are never spontaneous: you have to collect documents and prepare your pet in advance. It is still more difficult to transport exotic animals: in order to take a turtle, snake, monkey or other unusual animal out of the country, you need to obtain a special permit in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In Russia, their issuance is handled by the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources - at the same time, you first have to prove that the animal was acquired legally.
Learn the rules of transporting animals
If you are traveling abroad, find out the rules for bringing animals into the country to avoid unpleasant surprises. It is forbidden to take animals to some of them - for example, you cannot bring chickens, pigeons and parrots to Saudi Arabia, and you cannot bring animals to France under three months old. In some places to go on a short trip with pets and completely pointless - animals imported into the country are placed in quarantine. For example, in the UK, if the conditions are not met, the pet may spend up to 4 months in quarantine.
If you are going to fly by plane, learn the rules of a particular airline; rules for the transport of animals most often can be found on the website. Transportation of the animal is paid separately, at the airport, the amount depends on the weight of the pet along with the container - only guide dogs go free. Animals weighing up to 5-8 kilograms (depending on the rules of a particular airline) can be carried with you in the cabin in the carrying; animals weighing from 8 to 50 kilograms (some airlines do not take pets weighing more than 32 kilograms) are transported in a heated luggage compartment. It is better to make a request to transport an animal right away when buying a ticket or soon after it: airlines have restrictions and, for example, if the plane already approved a place for a small dog, another passenger will not be allowed to take a cat to the salon.
Although most animals quietly carry the trip in the baggage compartment, accidents and injuries in animals are not uncommon in this case, so before buying a ticket, it is worthwhile to find out how animals are transported on specific airlines. In addition, there are several measures that will help ease the animal trip in the luggage compartment. It is not necessary to travel with a pet during the holidays and the high tourist season - at this time, due to the influx of tourists with a carry, they are likely to be treated less carefully. When traveling in the summer, it is worth choosing morning or evening flights, and in winter - day flights: it will be easier to avoid extreme temperatures. In addition, you should not choose flights with a transfer - the risk of losing an animal in this case is higher.
Traveling by train is simpler: the animal can travel in the same compartment with the owner, if other passengers do not mind. Otherwise, the owner will need to buy the entire compartment and purchase a special ticket for the animal. Small pets can be carried in carrying carry-on luggage. If you are traveling with a dog on an electric train, put a muzzle and a leash on a furry friend. In addition, before the trip you should also familiarize yourself with the rules of the railway carrier - some of them may enter their own.
Prepare documents, vaccinations and chip
Another important point in preparing for the trip with the animals is the documents and the necessary vaccinations. About a month and a half before the trip, you need to visit a veterinary clinic, where the animal will be given the necessary injections, chip and will be given a veterinary passport (if it is not already). Animals should be vaccinated no earlier than 12 months and no later than 30 days before the trip; The chip also needs to be implanted for at least a month. When traveling abroad, it is necessary to take into account the requirements of the country where you are going: it is possible that the animal will need a vaccine for the trip, which is not done in all health centers. Also, the pet must be a few days before the trip to handle the parasites.
Three days before departure, you need to obtain a certificate at the state veterinary clinic that allows you to take the animal abroad - you should be patient and know in advance what test results are needed and what documents you need to take with you. The certificate is really only three days, during which the animal must be taken out. At the airport, on the basis of all documents collected in advance, you need to obtain an international veterinary certificate.
Come to the airport in advance
It is necessary to arrive at the airport with an animal in advance, especially during the high tourist season: registration of a pet and veterinary control may take several hours. Carry the animal to be carried. Requirements for it may differ from different airlines, so you should find them out in advance: if they allow one flight with an animal in a soft basket, they can refuse the other. As a rule, airlines require transporting the animal in a carrier, in which the pet can safely stand to its full height and turn 360 degrees. At the bottom of the cage you need to put an absorbent diaper. Carrying can be warmed, but here it is important not to overdo it and not to block the air access to the animal. On the collar of the animal and the carrier is better to attach your contact information in case the pet is lost. A month before the trip it is worth gradually starting to teach the animal to carry.
If you take the animal with you to the salon, when you pass through the framework of metal detectors, you will have to take it out of the carrying and carry it on your hands. If the animal behaves calmly, it is better to wear it during inspections, and not to get it several times. If the pet travels in the luggage compartment, it is better to inform staff that there is a pet on board. Knowing this, the captain and the team can take additional measures to make the beast more comfortable.
Pets are not recommended to feed 4-6 hours before the trip - but you can give water. You should not give the animal a sedative before the trip, without consulting a veterinarian, because of this, the pet may feel worse. It is also better to learn from a specialist about how to feed and water a dog on a trip.
Collect for the animal first aid kit
In the trip the animal must necessarily collect a first aid kit. At the same time, one should be guided by the age and state of health of the pet: if he has chronic diseases, then in addition to standard preparations, it is worth taking the medicines recommended by the veterinarian. As in the case of people, you should not try to cure a pet by yourself - when planning a trip, you should know in advance the addresses of the veterinary clinics where the animal can be helped. It is also worth taking care of food: if the food you used to give to an animal is not sold in another country, you should take it with you with a small margin.
Do not let the animal run through the cabin
If you are traveling by car, do not allow your pet to move freely around the cabin - animals often cause accidents. It is better to fasten the dog with a special belt, and place the cat in the carrier (it is better to secure the carrier so that it does not fall and the cat does not get hurt). Cages with small animals (hamsters, rabbits, birds) are best kept in their hands or fastened on the seat so that the animal is not in a draft.
Pets should not be transported in the front seat, where they may be injured by the airbag. In addition, you can not give dogs to stick out of the windows - this picture is often found in the movies, but in reality the animal can get hurt, hitting something with his head, or get sick because of the cold air. If you have a long trip, you need to walk a dog at stops - it is advisable to do it every 5-6 hours. Do not leave the animal in a closed car unattended - especially on a hot day.
Think of animal comfort
When planning a trip, think about the comfort of an animal: it only makes sense to take it with you if you can give it enough attention. It should be borne in mind that not everyone is allowed with pets - think about where your faithful friend will be waiting for you while you are busy with your business, and whether you can leave him alone in an unfamiliar room. In some countries with pets are not allowed on the beach - except for specialized places. Consider the breed and pet - for example, fluffy will be hard in hot countries.
When booking a hotel room, find out if you can stay in it with animals. It is better to clarify the requirements: often in hotels where it is allowed to take pets with you, they still will not allow animals larger than five kilograms. Find out what special conditions the hotel has - for example, whether a paddock is provided. If you are going to another country with a dog, specify the rules of pet walking - is it necessary to put a muzzle on the animal, is it possible to let him off the leash, and so on.