Camping with Your Family Pet

Kids and pets go together like peas and carrots. Many families camping with kids bring along their pets. Dogs are very popular at family campgrounds, and should follow the campground rules set for pets.

But first of all you need to prepare for a camping trip with you pet:

-Make sure you will have enough room for your pet in your tent or RV

-Purchase a pet carrier and let your pet adjust to it before travel

-Visit your vet for the shot updates. Get some medicine for your pet, as you would for your kids, before going on a road. Bring first aid kit for the per including flea and anti-worm medication.

-Pack pet food, toys, bowl, leash and bedding. Bring extra rugs for clean-ups. If you are planning to drink bottled water, bring extra for your pet.

-Make sure your pet has a travel tag on its collar with its name and contact information. Many pet owners go for a microchip locator for their pets.

-When you arrive at your destination make sure that your campsite has a shaded area for your dog, far away from mud and puddles, potentially poisonous plants, such as poison ivy, and away from the power cords and electrical hook-ups.

-Most campgrounds require pets to stay on the leash. You have to be able to control your dog’s behaviour: it should not be barking all day and night at other dogs, children playing around or wild animals moving at night in the woods. Do not let your dog chase kids, other pets or get into anyone’s trash.

Health and safety precautions applicable to your family members also apply to your pet, so remember to watch out for dehydration, heat exhaustion, bug bites, ticks, food poisoning, poisonous plants and wildlife encounters.

It is important that your pet remains healthy and has a good time, so that everyone else can have a good time as well.