RVing with Your Furry Friends

Traveling in your RV with one (or more!) animals can be just as challenging as traveling with young children. They can’t tell you everything they need, they may have health challenges, they need play to distract them from the boredom of time on the road, and sooner or later, they can get sick or hurt.

Even the best five-star RV parks, such as Woodland Creek RV Park in Tyler, Texas, can’t keep up with your animals; that’s your job as their pet parent. However, we can offer you these suggestions:

Loss Prevention Tips from Woodland Creek RV Park

Any pet can get lost in a strange area, and some (especially cats) are agile enough to get through openings you would never expect. What can you do?

Try to keep your motorhome’s screen door closed at all times. Let’s face it: your dog loves you, but there’s a big tempting world out there. Forgetting to leave the door open spells trouble, and you may find your tail-wagger racing through the woods. Who knows what exciting things await? Please don’t allow it. Keep your furry buddy contained and out of harm’s way. It’s that simple.
Let’s say you’re staying in an RV park, sitting on the patio, and a strange dog walks around the corner of your motorhome. To your surprise, it’s a beautiful pure white Afghan hound with no leash, collar, or tags – how long would it be before this dog disappeared permanently? Put collars with your information on every pet. Yes, there are good collars and harnesses for cats and other small animals. Put the collar and leash on your pet before you open the door.
Nothing’s worse than a missing pet. But what if someone finds your best friend and has no idea how to find you? There’s a solution: a microchip (see https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/high-tech-identifying-lost-pets-microchips). Note: Take along a paper copy of your microchip registration.

Safety While Driving

A well-secured crate may be the best solution, while letting your dog or cat ride on your lap is probably the worst. Sources like www.chewy.com and www.Amazon.com have seat belts and harnesses especially made for animals. Your critters may not like this unfamiliar restraint, so it’s wise to get them used to traveling by taking short trips in your car before setting out on the open road.

Of course, never let your pet ride in a trailer under tow – it’s illegal in many states and a bad idea.

Security in Your RV

Cats and small animals don’t mix well with RV slide mechanisms, and they will find the most amazing places to hide. Make it a rule to have every animal in sight before opening or closing slides. Here are some ideas: https://www.rvforum.net/threads/cats-and-slideouts.1514/. Help your dog understand that it doesn’t need to bark at everyone and everything. Training at home pays off on the road.

Planning for an Enjoyable Trip to Woodland Creek RV Park

Food and water. How long will you be gone from home? Even if it’s a short trip, take two weeks’ worth of food. Emergencies happen. If you feed canned food, take a manual can opener! Some pets can drink any water that you can drink, but some have picky digestive systems. You’ll already know about your pets’ needs; don’t neglect them when you travel.

RV temperature. Many RV parks don’t allow you to leave your pet in your RV while you’re gone. One big reason for this is summer weather. If you lose power, your pet can bake in a hot RV. Some generators have “auto on” capability – they will turn on within a minute of power loss. Of course, they usually run on gas or diesel fuel, so make sure you have enough.

Checkups. Give the key to a campground employee and make sure they know you have a pet. This is good practice whether hiking or heading to town for groceries.

In Sickness and in Health

It’s easy to remember the medical needs of human family members, but what about your pets?

Just in case, take a copy of your pet’s medical record, pet health insurance, and registration information.
Make a little pet first aid kit to carry with the kit you’ve built for humans. It should include non-stick bandages, a pet thermometer, an antibiotic spray, hydrogen peroxide, a tick tweezer, and a towel or small blanket.
If you have an elderly or ill pet, it’s a good idea to know where the local veterinarian’s office is. If your pet is on a medication, take a two-week supply and one month’s reserve of flea, tick, and heartworm preventives.
Remember, as unpleasant as it is, all living things have bowel movements. Don’t forget to bring supplies, including poop bags for dogs and a litter box, litter, a scoop, and bags for the “products” of cats and other small pets. One of the most frequent complaints of RV travelers is pet owners who don’t care for their pet’s bodily needs. No one wants their campsite pooped on!

What If Your Pet Protests?

Some people wouldn’t dream of traveling without their beloved pet, but make other arrangements if you fear your pet will hate traveling. You may have a neighbor who can check on your cat a few times a day or someone who loves your dog enough to offer to dog-sit. Most towns have boarding options. RV travel is not for everyone.

Traveling with your furry friends should be fun, not traumatic. As a human, you are in charge of your pet. As an RV park, Woodland Creek loves animals. We are here to help you with resources should you need anything while caring for your traveling companion. In the meantime, you can create your list, and add to it.

When you book your reservation, don’t forget to ask about our pet policies and how we can help. Tyler, Texas, is a fantastic place to visit, especially if you stay at the right place. Woodland Creek RV Park staff is always willing to assist, and what could be better than a staff that loves four-legged friends? Call us today; we’ll help you book your stay before you can say woof!