Should You Travel With Your Senior Dog?

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     Many people who have senior dogs often wonder if a road trip is too traumatizing for their elderly friend, but if your dog is used to being in the car with you and is otherwise healthy, there is no reason why you should not travel with him or her. The key of course is whether your dog has gone with you in the car to run errands or otherwise been in the car with you throughout their lives. If yes, then there is no reason he or she should not travel with you. If no, then you may want to discuss this with their veterinarian to see if special provisions need to be made.

First How's Their Health?

The first aspect of traveling with your senior dog is how is their health, which is something your veterinarian needs to check. If your dog is healthy, happy, and otherwise gets around fine, traveling shouldn't be a problem. However, if your dog has serious health conditions such as those that the stress of a car trip would make worse, then you probably will want to have a pet-sitter watch your dog while you are away.

Keep in mind that ever senior dog is different and one may be very active while another could have severe arthritis, which makes getting around the home very difficult, and therefore navigating in a car would be hard. However, you can also look into getting a crate, which can help tremendously so that your senior dog feels safe and secure and does not have to move about. On the other hand, if your dog does not have a lot of arthritis and is just hard of hearing or has a difficult time seeing, there is no reason you should not travel with them.

Make Sure You Bring Everything Your Need

Many senior dogs like senior people are on a variety of medications, and therefore, you want to make sure you bring all their medication that they will need. Moreover, make sure you bring a water-drinker that is designed for dogs that are traveling to keep your little one well-hydrated. If you plan to use a crate, make sure it is lined with something soft and cuddly along with a shirt that you have worn so the dog has your scent with them at all times, which calms them during the trip.

If your senior dog is really nervous in the car, you may need to have your veterinarian give you a mild tranquilizer, which can make all the difference in the world. As long as it is mild, it just makes your dog calm, but he or she is still alert and attentive. This is often needed with anxiety-prone dogs.

Final Thoughts

No one can tell you if you should or should not travel with your senior dog, but keep in mind there are challenges and if your dog becomes too nervous, it could lead to more medical problems and you do not want to have to visit a new veterinarian on the roadside somewhere along your trip.