Always respect the locals

Tips for when pet adventures take you far from home.

The season of adventure is here, and for many of us that means packing up our pets and heading out on hikes, road trips and weekends away from home.

While unusual animal encounters are unusual pet insurance claims (and thus Hambone Award-worthy), any time you bring your pet into a new environment, the potential for surprising situations increases.

Before you hit the trail or check into that pet-friendly cabin, it’s a good idea to know what dangers you might face and have a plan in place if things take a turn for the unexpected.

The mountains are calling

One surefire way to beat the heat is to find a little elevation, which makes the mountains a popular destination for summer hiking, camping, bird watching or just unwinding for the day. Venturing into the great outdoors with your pet is great but also increases the risk of wildlife encounters.

Take for example Rincon, a German shorthaired pointer who was seriously injured by javelinas in the Santa Rita Mountains of Arizona. Dog dad Gregory B. carried his hound back to the car and rushed to the nearest emergency veterinarian where Rincon received the care he needed. Dog mom Rosalind B. says, “As an added precaution, we now have the number of the emergency clinic in our cell phones.”

Before you leave, look up the emergency veterinarian nearest to your location and save the address and phone number, just in case. If traveling off the grid, write down any necessary directions and keep them on your person. And remember, it’s always safest to keep pets on a leash in unfamiliar settings; they may be well-trained, but wildlife isn’t!

At home or on the road, Nationwide VetHelpline® offers veterinary advice regardless of your location—you just need internet and the app, available free to Nationwide pet insurance members from the App Store or Google Play.

Safety in unfamiliar areas

Taking your pet on vacation is a great way to ensure everyone has a good time, but nothing cuts a good vacation short like a pet emergency.

A trip to upstate New York was going to be the perfect birthday weekend getaway for Courtney M. But things took an unexpected turn when Courtney’s Rottie, Frank, encountered a porcupine. “We were just walking around the property, and we have a lot of cats in our house. So, I don’t know if he thought it was a cat, but he sniffed the porcupine,” she recalls. As a result, Frank got a snout full of quills, which required an hour drive south to the nearest 24-hour emergency animal hospital (and the early cancellation of Courtney’s vacation).

But not all wildlife encounters involve porcupines and peccaries; some of the most dangerous creatures in the woods are invisible. For hazards that don’t respect a leash, leptospirosis vaccination is key for pets exposed to puddles, streams or other shared water sources.

Destination unknown

We previously explored some ways to make your travels safer, but even the most pup-pared traveler can be surprised. This is especially true when dogs, overstimulated by unfamiliar surroundings, make a break for it. Like when Husky mix Denali tucked out of a hole in a fence. “She had discovered a weak spot in the enclosure and pushed her way through it,” remembers pet mom, Laura S. “I was super worried and immediately went looking for her.”

Laura finally found her pup, but not before an alligator did, prompting an emergency visit where Denali received the care she needed.

Before you leave for a trip, make sure your pet has up-to-date ID tags and a registered microchip in case they get out. Keep a recent photo on hand to share with people who may help in the search, and consider using a GPS collar so you can track your pet’s location in real time.

Adventure safely with your pet

Travelling with your pet can be a joy, especially when you have protection against the unexpected. Wherever you go, Nationwide pet insurance is effortless to pack and travels with you, so you can visit any vet, anywhere, including emergency hospitals. Get a quote today at petinsurance.com.