Taking your furry friend along on your RVing adventures can enrich your journey. A pet also adds one more level of responsibility for RVers. That’s why these five quick tips for RVing with dogs can help!
Tick tips
If you are camping in a tick-infested area, be sure to use a dryer sheet to wipe down your pet’s feet and legs before embarking on a hike. And if your hike will take you to an area with overhanging trees, rub your dog’s back with the dryer sheet, too, to discourage ticks that may fall from trees. Yes, unscented sheets will work as well as scented ones.
If your dog does pick up a tick, use this small gadget to remove it. Always check your pet for ticks!
Pet records
Ask your hometown veterinarian for a copy of your pet’s health records, including all vaccinations, treatments, medications, and more. If your pet gets sick or injured while you’re on the road, you’ll be able to provide up-to-date information to a pet hospital as an aid in diagnosis and treatment. Having this before you begin your trip will save you time, especially if you were to need to access this information after hours or on a weekend when your vet’s office may be closed.
Recent photo
Before embarking on your next RV trip, pause long enough to take a photo of your pet(s). Make sure the photo shows your entire dog (head to tail) along with any identifying markings. Make a copy of the photo and take it along in the RV. You never know when your pooch may be spooked in an unfamiliar environment and run away. A recent photo may help you retrieve her quickly.
Pest removal
Before welcoming your pet back inside your RV, use a lint roller to remove any creepy crawlies or other nuisances from your pooch. You might be surprised at what the roller picks up!
Research
Do a bit of research before your next RV trip. Find out about the areas you plan to visit. What predators may be present? What weeds or noxious plants grow in the region? Preparing ahead of time and knowing potential threats to your pet will help you better protect them. This interactive map of the United States will show you the top toxins in each state, and you can check out potential pet predators here. You can also call the local park rangers for information.
I hope these five quick tips for RVing with pets will help. If you’ve gone RVing with pets, please add your own favorite tip to the list. Use the comments to do so.
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I would also highly recommend that your pet be microchipped and the microchip information be checked for accuracy and that it has been updated as needed. I can’t tell you how many found pets have microchips but the information has not been registered or is out of date! Another good tip I have seen is people putting their campground and site number on a temporary tag on their pet’s collar.
Thank you, Janet! 🙂 I very much appreciate the suggestion to use temporary tags to identify the “home” location when RVing with a pet. Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
Thank you, Gail! 🙂 Great advice and extremely helpful whether as news or reminders. Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
There’s a book out that has every veterinarian hospital in each state and towns. Very helpful book. It tell hours, emergency, if they can keep overnight. Etc..
I’ve mentioned chips and temporary tags before, but my dog also takes Bravecto which kills fleas and ticks should they bite the dog. It is usually a prescription from the vet. I’ve never been where there were lots of ticks and prefer not to get them on me either.