When I was young and my family had a pet dog, car travel arrangements mostly focused on us and not the dog. I think my mother used to bring water in a thermos for the dog (bottled water was not ubiquitous at the time), but beyond that, the dog and I were simply placed in the car, neither of us with any kinds of restraints. When it comes to human babies, children, and even adults, we all know better now and proper restraints are put in place, for humans and canines. But what about general preparedness for safety?
I find that there is a big gap between the average pet dog owner and those who are involved in Conformation or Performance events when it comes to safety precautions. And it goes way beyond being safely restrained in the vehicle. We’re talking about always having a canine first-aid kit and a first-aid mindset.
Let me tell you a story.
Several years ago, we were coming home from a dog show weekend, so I had the car packed with all of our dog paraphernalia. We pulled into a New Jersey rest area, and I drove around to find a parking spot in the shade near a grassy area where I could take my dog, Nora, out quickly for a pee break. As I pulled into the spot, directly in front of me was a tree offering shade, and beneath the tree was a woman and child with a dog laying down in front of them. I didn’t have to ask any questions. I knew immediately what was going on.
I jumped out of the car and yelled over to the woman, “Is your dog suffering from heat stroke?” She said, “Yes.” I am good in an emergency; I went into action.
I grabbed a cool mat. I grabbed a cooler filled with icy water and a cooling coat. I grabbed fans, towels, cold bottles of water, and potable water in a squirt bottle. I ran over to her, and she looked bewildered as well as thankful, and was willing to receive any help and guidance.
We put the dog on top of the cooling mat. My dog’s cool coat was way too small for her dog; I took it out of the cold water in the cooler, opened it up, and laid it flat on top of her dog, who at this point was just lying there. I turned on a fan in front of the dog. I showed her child how to wring out the towels in the cold water and showed him how to place them on the dog’s paws. We nestled cold bottles under the dog’s arms and in its groin area.
She had been offering the dog water, but the dog wasn’t drinking. So, we gave the dog some water directly from my squirt bottle.
I had gone into emergency mode; I was on auto pilot. After the fact, I realized that it must’ve looked like we were some kind of miracle dog triage unit that just happened to pull up exactly where she was sitting at the moment when she needed us. I sat with her for a while; the dog improved.
She told me that the dog was riding in the back of their car, and even though they had the air conditioning on, cooling the people up front, the sun was streaming through the window directly onto the dog in the rear. They had no idea the dog was becoming overheated. I was so thankful that we were able to help, and I feel like the universe brought me to that parking spot for a reason.
I couldn’t leave my durable equipment with her, but told her I would leave the towels. We dunked them in the ice water one more time, and it looked to me like the dog was ready to walk around and was almost ready to go.
When your car breaks down unexpectedly, it is never an opportune time. And what if you have your dog with you? What if it is a very hot day? Are you prepared for the safety of you and your dog?
I’ve experienced two unfortunate car mishaps that could’ve been far worse if I had not been prepared. And the fact that we are dog show people is why we were prepared in the first place.
For the average dog owner, there is a lot to glean from here. What if you are traveling and your dog cuts its paw, or has a severe bout of diarrhea? Read on.
By the way, right now I am “writing” this as spoken-to-text on my phone. I am sitting at a gas station parking lot several hours away from home, my broken-down car having just been towed by AAA; I am waiting for my husband to come pick up me and Nora.
I had taken off for a weekend trip to a friend’s home, and at the very last moment, something told me to take the collapsible wire crate. I have learned to listen to my instincts; I put it in the car.
Nora’s East Coast show crate does not fit in my husband’s car. It stayed with the car being towed, and thankfully, I had the folding crate, fans, and all the hot weather accoutrements to aid us as we waited for about an hour, in the heat, with little shelter.
Just as you should have a first-aid kit for humans when traveling, so too should you have a first-aid kit geared towards your dogs. For pet owners, this might seem like a lot, but it has saved many a dog’s life, or at least provided comfort and first aid before being able to get to a veterinarian. Here’s some items to consider having on hand:
Keep a waterproof, labeled box with:
Check monthly for expired or missing items, and keep a travel-size version in your car or bag.
Many of us involved in dog sports also keep these on hand. Some will require your vet to give you a prescription. Not all are willing to, but you can always ask:
Many Conformation shows and canine Performance sports happen during the warmer months, and pet families often travel with their dog(s) during this time as well. As you learned from my stories, I believe these are essential items that you should consider having on hand:
Today’s experience was not as dire for Nora and me as it might’ve been. The temperature was in the high 80s, but I had all my hot weather tools with me.
We all hope that vehicles are not going to break down, or encounter any kind of emergency, but we all experience them at one time or another. If we have our dogs with us, it is good to know that we can handle the situation safely.
For the Conformation and Performance people reading this, I know I’m preaching to the choir. If you’re a pet person and haven’t really thought about emergency preparedness before, hopefully my story will inspire you to create a safety kit for your dog. If I can help even one more person through this article, I will be grateful and know that taking the time to write this (while I’m sitting roadside on a curb) was worth it!
