3 Tips for Successful Road Trips with Pets

Taking your pets on road trips is a fun summer pastime! And preparing for such trips can help them be more of a pleasant activity than a chore. Follow these tips for fun and safe summer road trips with your pets.

Tip #1: Make sure your pets are ready. Acclimate your pets to car rides ahead of time to make long road trips go much easier. Take short trips around town to help them get used to–and look forward to–longer trips.

Tip #2: Make pets comfy. Place a sunshade on your car windows to reduce heat for your furry, feathered or scaly friends. Choose travel crates that are ventilated and keep your pets cool, placing ice packs around or in their travel crates if needed. Spritz them periodically with water from a spray bottle as needed to keep their temperatures low and their spirits high.

Tip #3: Plan ahead to stop frequently. Dogs and cats need frequent bio breaks and time to stretch their legs, so make sure to plan time to stop at rest stops. Bring along fresh water and a bowl, and keep a tarp handy if you need to create a shady area for these stops.

Following these tips will help your road trip with pets go smoothly! For more great tips, visit the WebMD Pets site.

Care Tips for Senior Pets

Senior pets make excellent companions and deserve special care. Photo by Bark Magazine.

At Merry Pets, we know that senior pets often need extra TLC and care than their spry young counterparts. That’s why we tailor our pet sitting, walks and other services to fit their needs. To meet your senior pet’s needs, follow these helpful tips.

Provide regular exercise. Just because your pet is older doesn’t mean that he doesn’t need to keep active. Providing play and exercise time to keep your pet active–even at a slower pace to match his needs–will keep his joints healthy and help him maintain a healthy weight.

Get regular vet checks. Checking your pet’s dental and physical health yearly can help you stay informed about developing health issues, enabling you to head them off at the pass. Senior pets often have different health challenges as their bodies get older, so regular vet checks are an important part of their care.

Accommodate their needs. Whether it’s special pet food for a temperamental stomach, softer bedding for sore joints or something else, sometimes older pets require special accommodations to meet their aging needs. Plan to provide for them to keep them healthy and happy.

For more tips to keep senior pets healthy, visit Pet MD.