Extra Costs of Road Tripping With Your Dog
This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, The News Wheel may earn a small commission when you click on links and complete qualifying purchases. You can read our full disclaimer here.
If you’re planning a summer road trip with your furry family member, it’s important to factor their needs into your budget. Whether it’s special travel gear, treats and toys, or higher costs at pet-friendly lodging, you might have to spend more than you thought in order to keep Scruffy happy, healthy, and safe on the road.
Customize Your Ride: With GM accessories
Pet-friendly travel essentials
If this is your first time traveling with your pet, you’ll want to make sure they are as comfortable and safe as possible. To help protect your pup in the event of a collision, Business Insider writer Shoshi Parks recommends investing in a crash-tested kennel. If your pup will be riding in the backseat, you will want a crash-tested harness that attaches to your car’s seat belts.
You can find recommendations on crash-tested dog safety equipment by visiting the Center for Pet Safety’s website.
Pet-friendly accommodations
Thankfully, there are plenty of pet-friendly hotels, motels, and places to stay that will welcome your family with joy and canine-designed amenities. These accommodations may cost extra, though. Be sure to do your research on places to stay that cater to your pets and your budget.
Check out BringFido.com to search for pet-friendly lodgings for your road trip.
Food, treats, toys, and medications
You want your pup to love the open road because if he is not happy, no one will be happy. So, everything (or at least most) of what makes him happy at home has to come along for the ride. That means toys, food, treats, and his medications.
You can find a huge range of dog food, treats, meds, and fun toys at Chewy.com (and they have free 1-3-day shipping on orders over $49).
Car care items
Do your road trip stops include hiking or swimming? If so, you know all that sand, water, and mud will stick to your pup and make your car’s interior dirty. Even without outdoor adventures, your pup is sure to make a mess just by being themself. A car seat cover that is waterproof can help protect your upholstery and make clean-up a little easier during and after your road trip, according to Rover.com writer Nia Martin.
This cover from Active Pets is waterproof and scratchproof and can protect your car’s upholstery from pet hair and dirt.
Truck Care: Best accessories for your Chevrolet Silverado
Traveling with pets can be a fun and fulfilling experience if you are prepared with the right equipment and plan ahead.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.