When you travel by motorhome with your dog, you're often far from your usual vet, in places where getting care can take time. That's why carrying a first aid kit tailored to them and knowing how to handle the most common emergencies can make all the difference. Here's the essentials. (This doesn't replace veterinary care: for any emergency, see a professional.)
Your dog's first aid kit
- Their documents and vaccination record, and your vet's phone number.
- Their regular medication (if they take any) in sufficient quantity.
- Up-to-date parasite prevention, internal and external (ticks and fleas are common in the countryside).
- Dressing supplies: gauze, bandages, saline solution, dog-safe antiseptic, tweezers (for ticks/grass awns), scissors.
- Cold/hot packs and a blanket.
- A muzzle (a dog in pain can bite, even its owner).
Common travel emergencies
- Heatstroke: the biggest danger in summer. Never leave them in a closed camper in the sun. If you see symptoms (extreme panting, weakness), cool them with lukewarm water and get to a vet urgently (see protecting them from the heat).
- Grass awns: those seeds that get stuck in paws, ears and noses; check after walks through fields.
- Ticks: remove them promptly with tweezers; they transmit disease.
- Cuts and wounds, travel sickness (see motion sickness), or having eaten something they shouldn't have.
Before you set off
- A vet check-up and up-to-date vaccinations.
- Locate vets along your area or route just in case.
- Identification: microchip and a tag with your phone number.
- Pet insurance if you have it, with travel cover.
In summary
Travelling with a first aid kit for your dog and knowing how to handle emergencies (heatstroke, grass awns, ticks) is essential when you're far from your usual vet. The step to take today: put together a kit specifically for them, keep your vet's phone number to hand, and locate clinics along your route; and never leave them in a closed camper in the sun, as heatstroke is the most dangerous emergency of all. Pair it with the guide to travelling with a dog.