How do I prepare my pet for holidays?

Going away for the Christmas holidays? Woohoo, after all of this lockdown business – if anybody deserves it, it’s you! Whether you’re taking your pet on your Christmas adventures with you, or they’re staying put at home, here’s some things that you should start considering.  

Pet’s who are traveling with you:

Make sure your tick and heartworm prevention is on-point
Your pet needs to be on these preventatives regardless of traveling. But, if you’re traveling to rural Victoria these become even more critical. Deadly heartworm & paralysis tick are no boogeyman, these guys are real. Worse yet, we are currently managing a national shortage of tick antivenin. 
So many products, which do you choose? If you’ve recently bathed your dog, or you’re intending on some swimming whilst on vacay, then avoid topical preventatives and stick with an oral preventative.
Remember to check daily for ticks especially on the face, lips, ears and toes. And finally, if you have any concerns your pet may have been in contact with a paralysis tick – go to the vet, quick.

Local veterinary clinics
Take note of local veterinary clinics in the area and whether they offer after-hours or emergency services, just in case you get caught in a bind, you know where you need to go.

Car travel
Does your pet enjoy car travel? Are they anxious, or do they suffer from car sickness? Now is the time to find out, before you’re pulling out the driveway for a four-hour cruise. Take your dog on some practice drives and watch them carefully for drooling,  nausea, fear or anxiety. Travel sickness and anxiety is definitely something we can assist you with before your journey. 

Pets who are boarding at the kennels or cattery:

Parasite control!
Get your flea preventatives up to scratch with a high-quality product. If they don’t go in with fleas, there is a good chance they’re coming home with them. It’s not that I have anything against boarding facilities, it’s just that fleas are opportunistic nasties that easily spread through articles of clothing between handling animals and are inevitable.

Is your pet a stress head?
Is your pet likely to suffer stress and anxiety in an environment like this? Absolutely research and do your due diligence into how your chosen boarding facility manages anxiety and stress, there are a lot of them doing great work, including daily playtime and even in-room television! If you’re concerned about your dog’s stress, calming pheromones, such as those in the ADAPTIL collar are my faves.

Vaccinations
Are they up to date? Are they overdue? How long have they been overdue? If you’re more than a little bit overdue, get them booked in to be done now. Vaccines can take some time to become effective, don’t risk your pet’s health or the health of other pets in the facility. Vaccination appointments can be difficult to come by in December so book now to avoid getting caught short.

And last, of all, enjoy your holiday! Damnit, you’ve earned it! 

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If you have an emergency, we urge you not to book a vet appointment using this booking form and instead contact us at (03) 8595 6655 so that we can organise to see you as soon as possible.

Dr. Vicky Wade

Veterinarian