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In summer, many people travel south in search of sun, taking with them everything but the kitchen sink - including the dog. Dogs prefer to travel to their holiday destination by car as owners can stop wherever and whenever they want for "walkies" breaks during long trips. Dogs are the most "holiday friendly" pet as Rover and friends are usually keen or at least patient passengers to take on a car trip. So there’s no reason not to take your four-legged friend with you on holiday. The veterinary team from specialty chain Fressnapf has put together the most important ground rules to make the journey to your summer holiday destination as comfortable as possible for your dog:

• Only give your dog a little to eat the day before departure, and the last meal at least four hours before setting off to prevent nausea and car sickness. Do not feed your dog during the trip itself.



• Take plenty of breaks, ideally every two hours to allow your dog to stretch his legs and to give him something to drink.



• Make sure that your dog does not sit next to an open window or directly in the wind as this can easily give him conjunctivitis.



• Give your dog a chewing bone if he yawns or pants a lot on mountainous routes. Chewing relieves the pressure on his ears.



• Always keep your dog on the line when taking a break and affix an address tag to his collar. If you haven’t done so already, register your dog with a service such as the German animal welfare association’s pet register (www.tierschutzbund.de) before going away on holiday. Your pet must be tagged with a tattoo or chip for this. This increases your chances of finding your pet quickly in the worst case scenario, at least in Germany.



• Never leave your dog unattended in a parked car. Temperatures can easily reach well over 30 degrees Celsius inside cars in summer. This kind of heat can be fatal for dogs, even after 15 minutes. Our tail-wagging friends quickly suffer from dehydration, which can lead to heatstroke or circulatory failure. If you have no choice but to leave your dog to wait in the car, ensure that it is parked in the shade for the duration of the time that you are away. Use a window grill to ensure that your pet gets some air - it is not enough just to open the window a crack.

Summer 2010: comfortable travel with your dog RGB – JPG Dogs are the most “holiday friendly” pet to take with you on car trips. To ensure that the journey to your holiday destination is as comfortable as possible, it is important to take regular breaks. Photo: Fressnapf/Ulrike Schanz Download (805KB)