Tampa Bay Area Pet Vet Tip - Prepare Pets For Hurricane Season - Use Our Pet Safety Checksheet

People living in Florida, especially along the coastal areas, usually have a list of things to do and protect during hurricane season. Most important is the contents of a hurricane kit, but equally important is to prepare early for protecting your pets.

A good practice is to start with, said Dr. Al Paredes at Day and Evening Pet Clinic, is by calling our veterinarian clinic 727-785-7200 to make sure that your dogs and cats vaccines are up to date. Also, in case of an evacuation order, having a plan for boarding pets that you cannot take with you is essential. We can recommend such a place, as most emergency shelters will not accept pets.



If an evacuation is called for, never leave your pet at home or in a vehicle alone. Even thunderstorms can traumatize your pet, and the risks of flooding, wind damage, and flying debris can threaten your pets. Like humans, your pets need their own storm preparedness kits. This can include:


1 - A comfortable carrier that will allow your pet to stand up, turn around and lay down for extended periods of time. Mark the carrier with your pets name and your contact information. Make sure the carrier is large enough so that being confined to the carrier for a few days is not too uncomfortable for your pet.

2 A blanket or bed for the bottom of the carrier that is not so thick that it restricts air flow through the vents in the carrier..

3 Medical records, medicines and other emergency supplies. For more information on this see our article on Handling Pet Emergencies.

4 Food and water to last several days or a couple of weeks, stored in airtight containers. And dishes for both the food and water. Plastic milk jugs that have been washed well are perfect for carrying water for your pet, and are easy to mark with your pets name.

5 Collars, leashes and harnesses tagged with your pets name and your contact information.

6 A microchip locator on each pet. We do inexpensive and painless insertions of a microchip at our pet clinic in Palm Harbor, and we are offering a special price for this at our clinic for the next several weeks. Call us at 727-785-7200 for pricing and mention you saw this article on our website blog on the internet.

7 A favorite toy or chew bone to make your pet feel more at home in their carrier.

8 A list of hotels/motels that you have called ahead of time to see if they accept pets in carriers in the rooms with hotel guests. Many of the privately owned hotels may make allowances for storm evacuation emergencies if you have a carrier that can confine your pet while in the guest room.

We cant stop Mother Nature, but we can prepare for her worst by getting ready ahead of time, so when a violent storm does occur we are prepared to handle it and keep ourselves and our pets out of harms way. Having your hurricane kit as well as one for each pet will help keep trauma to a minimum and better ensure everyones safety.


Thank you Pet Owners,
Dr. Al Paredes
Veterinarian in Plam Harbor FL
Day and Evening Pet Clinic