Guest Author - Dennise Ziaja

I wrote last week about getting a new puppy. A lot of folks, including the one I live within the motorhome think I am crazy. Traveling full time in a RV and trying to train a new puppy are not really very conducive; or the best kind of circumstances …however, I am successfully training my little Yorkiepoo, Mack. Actually, it is going quite well since there is less room for the little guy to roam around and get into trouble like he can and does do in a regular house. (We have stayed with Paul’s dad in the mobile home in Weslaco…way to many rooms to run around in and find things to get in trouble with is what Mack has discovered). The first thing I did when getting Mack home was to get him to the vet. One of the reasons we paid very little for our pup was that the seller was not providing any shots or deworming like a breeder would do. We were working in Branson Missouri and would be there for a few months. We asked our employers, the campground owners, the other campground hosts, campground guests and even new folks we met on a daily basis….”Know a good vet? We are getting a new puppy and need a reference”. We got a few names, and we decided to go with the vet that everyone seemed to agree was the best in the area, and had a top notch operation and state of the art equipment. Our first visit was just a general check-up, and the doc thought at 6 weeks and only 13 ounces, Mack should wait another week or so for his first shot. After a physical exam, and a fecal specimen was taken, checked and determined to be parvovirus free, we were done and scheduled the first shot appointment the following week. But, only a few days later, Mack suddenly was lethargic, would not eat or drink and began to vomit. He quickly became dehydrated and would only sleep. I called the vet office and was instructed to bring the puppy in ASAP; they would fit Mack in to see the doc right away. When we arrived, they were waiting for us with an exam room ready. The doc did another fecal test for parvovirus and gave our little guy a shot to help stop the vomiting. The test results were again negative, and the doc felt Mack had a tummy problem. Being so small, it came on quickly and could have been tragic. We left armed with Pedialite, an antibiotic and a couple of eye droppers to feed Mack with. Within a few hours, Mack was his old puppy self. Our experience told us we had made a good choice with the vet, we were grateful we were taken right away in an emergency.

RVer’s who travel with pets should ask around for a good vet when they arrive in a new area. The worst possible scenario would be to have a sick furkid or one that needs emergency medical attention and not know where to turn. Most campground office’s can refer pet parents to local vets, pet supply stores and even groomers and boarding. RVer’s traveling pets should have their medical records and any vaccination information at the ready and available for quick access in the case of an emergency. Most boarding facilities will not accept pets without current shots. If you will be traveling to Canada or Mexico, you must have your pet’s papers in order, just as you would have your RV insurance, drivers’ licenses and passports.

Some words of advice…from a couple of perspectives. We have been campground guests as well as hosts. All campgrounds have information sheets which are given upon check in. Make sure to read the “rules”. I can safely say that all campgrounds require your pet to be on a leash at all times, that you pick up any “stuff” the pet leaves, and will list quiet hours. Some campgrounds provide a “oops” bag and many now even have pet walk areas and exercise areas. If you plan on doing some sightseeing in the area and will be leaving the furkids in the rig…make sure your pet is capable of spending hours alone without barking or being taken out to relieve himself. Many crate trained pets are fine for many hours…but think about boarding your furkid if you will be out all day. It may cost a few dollars, but your pet will benefit. Nothing is more irritating in a campground setting than a dog that continually barks or whines inside a locked rig. And nothing will honk off your fellow campers more than allowing your dog to use their campsite as a bathroom. Dogs must be leashed to avoid any potential danger to themselves or others, no matter HOW will trained your dog is. Not all people in campgrounds are animal lovers and I can assure you that even a happy, slobbering lover of a dog can terrify some people. And kids, they don’t know that sticking their face in the dog’s face is not a good idea! You don’t want to have to deal with a biting incident…it is costly and potentially tragic. Use common sense and protect not only you and your furkid, but other folks who may appear to be utterly dumb when it comes to animals.