Ask The Vet: Summer means vacation for pets, too. Here’s what you need to know.

If you’re a pet owner, leaving your pet behind can be stressful so here are a few tips to help make things as seamless as possible.

School is out and summer is officially upon us and that means it’s vacation season.

If you’re a pet owner, leaving your pet behind can be stressful so here are a few ideas to help make things as seamless as possible.

Vaccines: For those who plan on boarding a pet, be sure to determine what vaccines are required by the facility and ensure that your critter is up to date. Try and do this as soon as possible so that you’re not struggling to get in to see your vet to get things updated at the last minute — it happens all the time, believe me.

Boarding: On that note, be sure to book your pet into the boarding facility of your choice ASAP so that you’re not stuck looking for pet care last minute during peak vacation season as boarding facilities tend to book quickly. For pets with special needs, like a diabetic for example, it may be worth looking into a facility that accommodates medical boarding, which can be a challenge to find. Some veterinary offices offer medical boarding services so it’s a good idea to speak to your veterinary office if your pet has medical needs that might make routine boarding a challenge.

Medications: If you do have a pet that relies on daily medications, plan to provide enough days supply to the boarding facility or pet sitter to cover the days that you plan to be away. With some medications, it is absolutely vital that doses are taken at regular intervals and not skipped, so having an adequate supply is always important.

Food: As with having an adequate supply of any medications, providing your boarding facility with an appropriate quantity of your pet’s food is important. Boarding can be stressful and adding a diet change to that could spell disaster for your pets stomach.

Travel: Now, if you’re planning on taking your pet with you on vacation, my recommendations regarding medications, food and ensuring that vaccines are up to date are no different than if you were to board your pet. The biggest thing to research when traveling with your pet is to be aware of veterinary clinics at your destination so that in the event of something happening that requires medical attention, you’ve already figured out which clinic to use. It’ll be one less thing to worry about.

Whether your boarding your pet or your pet is joining a vacation, these tips will help ensure that everyone gets the chance to kick back and relax!

Ask The Vet is a weekly series by Dr. Devon B. Smith, a Baltimore veterinarian who is an associate at Madonna Veterinary Clinic in White Hall. Send your pet questions or photos via the forms below.

Ask a question

Submit a photo