Take your pet on holiday
Pets are broadly accepted as family members, so more accommodation options are pet friendly. Taking your pet on holiday can pose some small challenges that are easy to prepare for. We’ve put together our tips for the best planned holiday with your pet.
How to prepare before you go
Holidays with pets do require some preparation and including your pet in those plans is one of the most fun parts. We’ve got some considerations for choosing accommodation to suit you and your pet, a checklist of everything your pet might need and other helpful advice.
Tips for choosing pet-friendly holiday accommodation
We’re so spoilt for choice now and incredibly fortunate to be able to view almost every inch of our accommodation options before we book. This is extremely helpful when planning a holiday that includes your pet. Many holiday homes may be listed as pet-friendly, but they may not have a fully fenced yard. This can cause some issues if you need to keep your dog on a leash or keep all the doors closed (include windows for cats) – and it makes it hard to relax if you’re worried that someone might accidentally let your pet out in an unfamiliar neighbourhood. It’s best to check your pet-friendly holiday accommodation is fully fenced before you book, if this is something you require.
Regardless of whether your accommodation has a fence or not, you need to consider what your pet will do if you’re out sightseeing and you’re not there to entertain them. This might be easy enough to plan for with toys and puzzles, or perhaps they’ll be happy enough to snooze in a nice sunny spot. It’s good to do a quick assessment of the accommodation from your pet’s perspective and make sure it will keep them happy and safe while you’re out so that you can enjoy your holiday.
Is your pet ready for their holiday?
Before heading off on your adventure, we recommend that you make sure their preventative medicines for fleas, ticks and worms are up to date. They might not be at high risk of fleas in the comfort of their home but a new environment and neighbourhood may have hosted the odd flea or two.
If you don’t usually treat for ticks, it would be good to do a check of the likelihood of ticks in the area, especially if you’ll be taking your dog on adventures. Lots of city dogs may not be treated for ticks regularly but if they’re heading off for an adventure in nature, then it would be wise to treat them for ticks before your trip.
Slightly less important but good manners, is to have your dog fresh and clean with a nice bath so they aren’t stinking out the holiday accommodation.
Are your details up to date?
If your pet does wander off on their own solo holiday adventure, you’ll want them back in your care as quickly as possible. Make sure their microchip details are up to date, and their collar has an ID tag with your phone number. This can make for a much quicker reunion if someone can call you straight away.
We probably don’t need to tell you to take photos of your pet for ID purposes because, no doubt, your phone is probably full of them. It’s good to have a recent photo handy if your pet does go for a wander. This is particularly helpful for dogs and cats that aren’t likely to approach a stranger and you need to go door knocking. Hopefully you won’t have to deal with this situation but it is best to be prepared.
Plan your stay
Check out the dog-friendly activities in the area - are there plenty of beaches or trail walks that allow dogs? Do any of these beaches have an off-leash area (if that suits you and your dog). Check out cafes and restaurants that allow dogs, never assume that every laid-back beach town café accommodates dogs.
How to feed raw on holiday
Frozen food isn’t impossible if you want to continue to feed Big Dog on holidays. We have plenty of stockists around the country, a simple check of our Where to buy page will find your nearest supplier while on holiday.
Have fun and make lots of memories
It’s so much easier to travel with your pet, with more pet-friendly accommodation and activities available. We have a checklist for you to consider when packing for your pet, to make the holiday planning process as smooth as possible so you can get on with making fun, lasting memories with your furbaby.
What to bring with you
A holiday checklist for your furry family members
- Food (or nearest pet store)
- Number and address for closest vet
- Bowls and utensils (container for defrosting patties)
- Furniture – bedding, scratch post
- Toys
- Poo bags
- Medications, supplements
- Lint brush/roller
- Sheet to cover furniture
- Brush
- Shampoo
- Towels
- Mosquito repellent
- Pet sunscreen
- Torch
- Recent photo for ID
If you liked this article, sign up to our Big Dog Fam Mail to receive more great pet health and happiness advice.
If you liked this article, please share on Facebook.
