Don´t Leave Spike Nor Fluffy At Home! – Travel Tips

Lets say you are thinking about your family summer vacations in Paradise, you could either just cross the border and enjoy Margaritas at a mexican beach or travel further south to experience Panama or you are just in the mood for learning to dance merengue in the Dominican Republic.

And by family vacation we mean a full family vacation and that obviously includes your fur babies, duh! There are ways to bring your pet to Paradise and we think you should know them, so we did our homework and gathered up what you need to bring your beloved pets with you to Mexico, The Dominican Republic and Panama.

Here are the results of our search and recommendations:

• Microchip: It is not necessarily required in any of the countries mentiones above but if your pet already has it, it can be of tremendous help. Update your pet´s microchip information before your tip and be sure that if you are separated from your fur baby there will be an easy and secure way to get back to you.
• ID Tags: The same ID Tags your dogo r cat would have attached to their collar at home. It would be also useful to make a provisionary name tag with the address of your hotel, your name, pone number and email just in case (it may look funny, but why not use the same name tags you´d use for your luggage?).
• Vaccines: Most cats and dogs need to be vaccinated against rabies within 6 months prior to traveling. The information on the vaccines and parasite control should be written down a health certificate or card containing the pet´s medical history.
• Health Certificate: As mentioned above, take your pet to a certificated veterinarian for a full health check-up betweet 5 to 7 days prior to your trip. Tell the vet where are you traveling to and they should know which examinations, vaccines and medicines your cat or dog (or both, why not) may need for the before, during and after the flight. This certificate should also contain the veterinaian name, signature and profesional number.
• Transportation: Most pets under 10 lbs. or 5 kgs. Are able to travel with you in the cabin inside an appropiate carrier. But if your dog or cat are rather large they are most likely going to travel cargo in a crate that meets airline cargo requirements, has proper ventilation, waterproof bottom and so on.
• Quarantine: In Panama´s case, pet owners should file an application for home quarantine at least 3 days before their flight. If you miss this step, this will translate into your pet being put in quaratine in a panamanian government facility or pay $130 USD for home quarantine per pet in cash.
• Food & Hydration: It mostly depends on how long you will be flying but it is usually recommended to not feed or hydrate your pet some 8 hours before the flight. Also carry a sealed bag of dried food with you to feed your pet once you land and they are safe with you.

Keep in mind how long you will stay away from home to see if its cost-effective to bring your pets with you and also if the hotel you will be staying is pet friendly or if pets are allowed in the vacation property you will be renting.

We hope these travel tips will come in handy for the entire family and the beloved furry members of the family are not left behind. Do you have any travel tips you would like to share with us? We will love to know about your own experience!