# pets



## gnixon (Nov 3, 2003)

Any suggestions or do's and don'ts for travelling with large dogs.


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## ARCHER (Nov 4, 2003)

pets

Gary,  Welcome to the forum.  Not sure what you mean by "Large Dogs".  I've got this dog (Brandy/mix Golden Retriever) that weighs around 80-85lbs.  We drive a Class A.  She does really good while traveling by just laying near the front seats and waiting on the next stop to go potty.  We usually put out a small container for water but don't fill it too full.  Keep a leash/choker near the door and make sure you use it when you stop at rest areas or at gas stations and of course, at campgrounds. Don't forget to pick up the droppings.  We also keep a long plastic covered cable for tying her out.  Take a picture of your dog and keep it in the camper/motorhome so that if you ever need to show someone what he/she looks like should he/she wander off or otherwise.  Make sure your door latches properly (the outside door) so he/she won't bump it and out he/she goes.  We love taken her with us and the cat also (Rascal).  Both of them are over 10 years old, but all that really means is they fit right in with the two of us.....    :approve:  :laugh:   Enjoy!


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## gnixon (Nov 5, 2003)

pets

Thanks for the pet advice. We have two rottweilers that are two year olds and  litter mates,both are fixed, they are very loving but they are rottweilers. My wife and I just celebrated our 36 year anniversary. We have lived in Hawaii for the last 33 years,and have just relocated to Tucson and are trying to decide about the RV and the dogs. I have recently retired and my wife is  a R.N. who may work . any way thanks again     Gary Nixon


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## ARCHER (Nov 6, 2003)

pets

Gary,
forgot one of the most important things..... SHOT RECORD (don't forget vets telephone number). Also, don't forget dog food, dog shampoo, pooper scooper, plastic bags (small ones) for poop, hair brush ( :approve: ) AND ANY MEDICINE THEY MAY BE ON LIKE VITIMINS, ETC.
 :laugh:


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## Ojai (Jul 7, 2004)

pets

Another thing, be sure your dog has the injected identification implant just in case it gets lost.  Also a doggie first aid kit.  Along with the obvious ointments and bandages, you should include a bootie that velcros on in case there's a paw cut and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to make them vomit any nasties they've ingested.  A seat belt is also a very good idea so they're not thrown through the windshield, taking your head with them.


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## windridge (Jul 26, 2004)

pets

I travel in a 24 Ft. Class C and I have one dog, a German Short-Haired pointer who is 70 pounds, and two very crazy cats.  

The advice from ARCHER about keeping a picture of your pets on hand is very good advice and I will add that to my packing list before I go away this winter.

One thing that I did specifically for my cats was to have a fully-enclosed, screened-in "Add-a-Room" made.  It has turned out to be great for me, as well as the cats.  My cats are indoor cats but they feel like they are outside while in the room that is attached to my awning as well as the RV around the wheels to the ground.  With a 24 Ft motorhome, it helps to give us all a little more space.  People showed a great deal of interest while I was down in Arizona and California last winter.  A lot more people are bringing their cats so they were fascinated to see my room.  I had it custom made because I had not been able to find any "off-the-shelf" rooms that had attached floors.  

Also, I would say that having both truck and coach air-conditioning is essential if you are travelling in hot places with your pets.  When I dry camping, I used my "smart fan" in the coach and it managed to keep the temperature in the motorhome from getting dangerously hot.  I use solar panels and I found I was able to use the smart fan when needed and still didn't run out of DC power.  If it is really hot and sunny you should ensure that you get an electical hookup that supports your air conditioner because it just gets too hot in the motorhome for both me and my animals.  When it is really hot try to get a shadier campsite if you can, especially if you are dry camping.  I make sure that there is plenty of water for my animals to drink and I wet down my dog when she gets too hot.  If you hiking in hot and sunny places like Arizona, make sure to bring lots of water for both you and your dog.  Also, the sun is extremely hot in places like Arizona so I would suggest that if you take your dog out for any outdoor exercise, just work up slowly in both distance and speed.  While you may have an idea of your dog's fitness at home in colder conditions, you won't automatically know what the impact of the heat is on your own dog.  Remember that it is pretty difficult to carry back a 70 pound dog that is in distress.

I understand that if your dog gets a rattesnake bite, the best thing is to immediately calm down the dog and keep the dog cool and calm for several hours.  Also, as with people you should bandage the area in an attempt to reduce the swelling caused by the snake bite.  When I hike, I bring my whistle and a bear bell on my backpack to ensure that I can make a lot of noise.  This is to protect both me and my dog in the event that a pack of coyotes get serious.  

Never leave your cats unattended outside while they are tethered to your campsite area.  While this is common sense anywhere, remember that cats are an excellent meal for coyotes.  Never, never let you cat go outside unleashed.  I have heard some terrible horror stories about the injuries that have been inflicted a cat by a coyote(s) and the cost to sew the cat up.  Usually the cats don't survive an attack. I have one cat who is a great escape artist so I make sure I can account for both cats before I leave anywhere including gas stations, etc.  My cat is so fast that she can sneek past my feet without me noticing and she has a huge orange tail. This accounting of your cats is essential if you lose them because then you can go back to identify where you probably lost them.   

Try to make sure that your cats have their own safe place within the motorhome to ensure so they can get out of the way when they feel threatened or ticked off with the dog.  Since my motorhome is quite small, I have had to use the shower for their litter box, allowing the bathroom to be on of my cats' safe places.  I had the bathroom door cut at the bottom  so they could get in and out when they pleased.  

Cate
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada


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## Cryzmath (Jul 28, 2004)

pets

Sounds like a cool idea to cut the bottom of the door for the bathroom -- as a cat's safe place.  I plan to travel with my pets also.  Some friends of mine had at one time cut out a space in one of their closets and placed a litter pan in there to keep the dogs out of it.  I thought it was interesting.  Has anyone tried to use the space under the bench seat (for the dinnette)?  Has anyone tried to travel with ferrets?  :clown:  :bleh:


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## windridge (Jul 30, 2004)

pets

When my ex & I were planning on travelling with our former cat who was older and was not as easy going as my current cats, my ex cut a circle out of the bunk below one of our slide out beds.  It was the bunk that had the fresh water tank in it and there was just a little perfect space for our cat.  Unfortunately, we did not end up bringing the cat in the end.  The space that we created ended up being a great spot for our dirty laundry.  Since our bathroom was very small, we thought that our cat should have a safe place away from her litter box.  

Cate


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