As animal lovers, we want to share our vacations with our pets. However, many of the vacation destinations we choose are endemic areas for some diseases.
Furthermore, our dog may not be used to traveling, and our plans may be cut short because, quite often, dogs, and especially puppies, get car sick during trips and suffer from effects such as nausea and vomiting. Nowadays, there are solutions that do not require sedating the animal to avoid these uncomfortable and undesirable symptoms. The veterinarian is the best person to recommend their use.
Unwelcome guests of our pets
The countryside, the beach, the mountains, in short, contact with nature, means that our animals are even more predisposed to parasites.
Parasites are organisms that live at the expense of another animal. The host animal is weakened by blood or nutrient loss, tissue damage, or through the transmission of other diseases. They are classified as endo- or ectoparasites, depending on whether they live inside or outside the host.
The most common ectoparasites in dogs are ticks and fleas, and the severity of their infestation depends on the time of year, the dog's lifestyle, and the geographical region in which the animal is located.
In addition, they can transmit other diseases while feeding on our dog's blood.
Beware of mosquitoes!
There are parasites whose presence may be more frequent in some vacation destinations. This is the case of the worm Dirofilaria immitis, which causes dirofilariasis or, more commonly known as, heartworm disease. The disease is transmitted by the bite of various mosquito species and is considered endemic in the Mediterranean area, southern Spain, and the Canary Islands.
The symptoms of dirofilariasis result from the presence of worms in the animal's heart. The greater the number of worms and the longer the time without treating the disease, the more severe the dog's symptoms: coughing, exercise intolerance, respiratory distress, loss of consciousness...and, sometimes, the animal's death.
It is therefore advisable to apply preventive treatment to dogs and cats that travel to an endemic region, or that live there. Treatment is difficult, but routine prevention in companion animals is simple.
Protect your pet from parasites
It is important to protect our animals from the possible "dangers" they may be exposed to when traveling to areas that are not their usual habitat.
Deworming should be carried out throughout the year, but it becomes even more important during seasons when the incidence of these parasites increases due to warm temperatures, such as spring and summer.
Ideally, your dog should receive regular treatment to prevent infestation with ticks and fleas, and mosquito bites. Your veterinarian will help you find the optimal treatment for your dog depending on its lifestyle and the time of year.
One in six dogs suffers from motion sickness
Sometimes, our vacation plans or short getaways are cut short because our dog gets car sick and we are forced, in order not to suffer and see him suffer, to give up enjoying his company during our trips.
More than 16 percent of dogs suffer from motion sickness, which significantly limits families' freedom to travel and is frustrating for all of them, including the dog itself.
Dog motion sickness due to travel limits many owners to such an extent that they see no other solution than to give up taking their pet on a trip. It can be triggered by any means of transport and often appears from when the animal is a puppy. Excessive drooling, panting, restlessness, and anxiety are some of the indicative symptoms that your dog may get sick when traveling.
Prevent your pet from suffering from vomiting and nausea due to motion sickness and enjoy the trip
Most available products to solve the problem are tranquilizers or antihistamines, which, in addition to being ineffective, cause sedation in the dog and have side effects such as low blood pressure and increased heart rate. Other solutions, such as behavioral therapies, take time, are expensive, and are not always effective.
However, Zoetis offers clinical veterinarians an option to easily prevent vomiting due to pet motion sickness. It is a product specially developed for dogs, which acts effectively and long-lastingly, and does not sedate the animal. With this option, you will enjoy up to 12 hours without vomiting or nausea due to motion sickness.
Consult your usual veterinarian and he will inform you about this product for controlling your dog's motion sickness vomiting.