It’s that time of the year that many of us pack our shorts, bikinis and sun screen and head off for a short break. For us dog owners, jumping on a plane is not usually an option with our canine pals in tow and a short break in the UK or Europe is opted for.

Below is a short list of things to consider so your pet has a safe journey and you don’t run into trouble on your journey.

1. Make sure your dog has a ventilated area to travel in and is restrained by using a car harness, travel crate or a dog guard.

2. Ensure fresh water is packed and can be given to your dog at regular intervals or even made available throughout the journey with a Non spill bowl. Make plenty of stops for your dog to relieve itself and stretch its legs. Never exercise on a hard shoulder of a motorway – wait for a service station.

3. Don’t feed your dog directly before a long journey particularly if it suffers from travel sickness. If your dog has/does suffer from motion sickness, use a suitable product such as Dorwest Digestive Tablets given an hour or so before setting off. This will help settle the stomach before travelling. In cases where travel sickness is anxiety based Dorwest Scullcap & Valerian Tablets can be used in two doses in the 12 hours prior to travelling. In many cases its best to work on anxiety based problems several months before travelling to help build confidence and this is especially useful with dogs which have had a problem for a while.

4. Check that your vehicle recovery service will allow your dog to travel in the cab with you if necessary. As it may not be safe for your dog to travel in your towed vehicle.

5. If you are travelling abroad and are concerned about the pet passport/ pet travel scheme or quarantine please follow this link to the Defra web site. https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad