Have you decided to enjoy your vacation in nature and your vacation destination is camping with your dog? Here’s how to plan a “green” vacation that is dog-friendly.
If you are a lover of green vacations and seek relaxation in close contact with nature, camping is the ideal solution.
But how do you organize camping with your four-legged companion?
The first thing you need to do is to make sure that the facility you have chosen not only allows your furry friend to enter but also, and more importantly, that the spaces within and reserved for it respect the safety standards and are properly equipped in order to ensure their welfare and protection.
When in Rome: risks and pathologies you find
First, ask your veterinarian if, in addition to the mandatory vaccine prophylaxis, it is also appropriate or necessary to vaccinate your dog against specific diseases it may incur in particular areas and especially in summer:
- rabies (the vaccine is mandatory in some regions of Italy and abroad)
- parainfluences
- herpes virus
- filaria
Equally important is to protect your pet from fleas, ticks and phlebotomists.
Your veterinarian will be able to recommend the most effective repellents.
Wherever you go, remember to take your dog’s health book let with you: the booklet should always be shown at the entrance of any facility where animals are allowed.
The importance of finding a dog-friendly campsite
A self-respecting “dog-friendly” campground must meet the following requirements:
- Veterinarian available on-site or on call H24
- Qualified dog sitters or dog educators
- Private dog beach equipped with umbrellas and sunbeds, watering troughs or drinking fountains, showers or tubs, and hygienic bag dispensers
- Shaded and fenced walking area
- Possibility of free access and stay in areas not reserved for dogs as long as they are kept on a leash
Where to sleep: bungalow, tent, camper
The solutions offered by campgrounds are many.
Dogs are often allowed to stay overnight only in tents.
Some facilities allow overnight stays with dogs even inside bungalows while others allow dogs to stay overnight at campgrounds only inside owned RVs.
Whatever space is set aside for the dog, since it is still a new environment that could cause him stress, remember to take something with you to remind him of his daily routine: his blanket, his toys, a pillow, the basket or the kennel where he usually sleeps.
Familiar smells will calm him and minimize his anxiety.
Sleeping as close to you as possible will help him to calm down.
Your presence will reassure him and most importantly, you will have the opportunity to keep an eye on him at all times.
The dog should never be left unattended. He could get lost, put himself in a dangerous situation or create it, or worse, be stolen. No precaution is ever too much.
The necessary equipment for the dog in camping
Necessary and indispensable, when you go camping with your dog, your adventure companion’s suitcase cannot be without these items:
- Bibs (at least two, including a spare)
- Collar with dog ID tag and your contact phone numbers
- Leash (at least three, including a spare and a bright one for the evening)
- Muzzle
- Food and water bowls, food and snacks
- Kennel or cot
- Emergency first aid kit
Arriving at your destination and departing while traveling safely
Camping and RVs are usually an established pair.
But do you know what tricks to use that will ensure you and your dog travel safely?
The specific provisions set forth generally in the Highway Code, which apply to all other motor vehicles, apply to the transport of pets in these vehicles.
Art. 169 stipulates that pets (dog or cat indifferently) must not occupy the driver’s cabin, i.e. stationed on the front seats.
The reason is easy to guess: an animal in the cockpit can be a nuisance but also a potential danger.
Sudden braking, for example, could cause unexpected and uncontrolled reactions on the part of the animal, thus interfering with your driving behavior and vehicle control.
Pay attention! It is irresponsible to put your safety, your four-legged friend’s safety and the safety of others at risk.
Without underestimating the fact that violation of these regulations requires the payment of hefty fines.
The pet, if it is only one, should be placed exclusively in the rear seats or in the trunk, which in a motorhome basically corresponds to the living cell.
If the pets to be transported are more than one, however, the Highway Code requires that they travel inside special carriers and that the carriers be placed in the back seats.
Alternatively, you can carve out a space in the rear compartment of the RV reserved for the pet as long as it is bounded by a divider or net.
All that remains is for us to wish you and your dog happy camping or rather can…worse.
For preventive checkups, vaccine prophylaxis and anti-parasite treatments you can book an appointment with our Staff veterinary doctors who are always available to you.
We would also like to remind you that Clinica la Veterinaria does not go on vacation and is open daily h24 including holidays and with Emergency Service from 8 pm to 8 am.
For the joy of seeing them HAPPY.
