Do you have a dog with a handicap and plan to travel in your car with them? Dogs with handicaps can travel just as well as those without a handicap, but it does tend to take more time to practice and plan your trip. First, you need to take into consideration what their handicap is: are they lame in one of more limbs? Is your dog blind or deaf? Handicapped dogs can travel just as well as handicapped people but often special provisions need to be made. For instance, if your dog is blind, you will need to keep him or her close to you in the car so that he or she can smell your scent since that is how they "see" their world through scent and sound.

Consider Crate Usage

When you have a handicapped dog, you may want to consider a crate inside the vehicle because if they are blind or lame in one or more of their legs, they may attempt to move about the car and injure themselves, which is the last thing you want when traveling. Moreover, make some practice runs around town with your pooch before the big day of the trip to see how he or she responds. If he acts especially anxious, you may need to speak to your veterinarian to see if they suggest a mild tranquilizer to help your dog cope with the trip better.

Keep in mind that just like people with a handicap, dogs will use their other senses to compensate for the one they cannot use. For instance, if your dog is deaf, he or she will rely on sight and smell more, therefore those senses become much keener than they normally are in dogs that can hear. This is why you need to practice your car ride beforehand to see how your furry friend reacts in the car.

Make sure your dog has any medications that they take on a daily basis with you so that you can continue administering this while on the road. If you have a very large dog and traveling in a van, you can buy a rail that slides out and allows your dog to walk down easier than you attempting to pick him up. Also, make sure your dog is wearing her collar along with their tags and contact information just in case they were lost. It may be a good time to get them micro-chipped, which causes very little discomfort to your dog, but if they are picked up or dropped off at an animal shelter, they scan the animal for the presence of a micro-chip, which instantly gives them the owner's contact information.

Final Thoughts

If you have every wondered if you could safely travel with your handicapped dog, the answer is yes, but you must make some provisions and prepare a bit more than you would with a dog that does not have a handicap. However, this does not mean that your dog should be housebound because of the handicap anymore than a person with a handicap or disability should be, but planning is key.

Information provided by Lisa Kuback of ohmydogsupplies.com, the top ranked shop to purchase designer dog beds online.