Holiday Travel Tips for Dogs with Mobility Issues

Firstly, consider where you are staying.  

What type of property should you stay in? Dogs with mobility issues struggle with stairs and may need ramps to get on and off furniture etc. So maybe a bungalow or a hotel with a lift would be more suitable than an apartment or a 2-storey house.  

Do you need a garden? Dogs with mobility issues would benefit from staying somewhere with their own private garden, if possible, to allow them to easily toilet without adding in extra walks, which frees up walk time for some real adventures. 

What is the area like? Is it busy with lots of people walking by? Is it loud? Lots of wildlife? These can all be potential triggers for dogs with reduced mobility or pain.  Dogs who had pain or pain associated with reduced mobility- even if well controlled- can become more noise sensitive and also become easily overwhelmed.  This is especially true of dogs who are elderly or young.  

What are the walks like? Are you staying in a much hillier area than you are used to? What is the terrain like? Changes in terrain can be especially difficult for dogs with reduced proprioception (awareness of where their feet are), such as dogs with spinal issues and OA.  Hill work can be hard for dogs with weaker back legs when going up them and for dogs with forelimb troubles when descending them, particularly when your dog is not used to them. Think going from a walk on the canal to a walk up a mountain very different in terms of effort required. 

What will the temperature be? Are there facilities to alter the temperature? For example if you are camping and you know it’s going to be cool on an evening how will you keep your dog warm? You may need to take an extra dog coat.  Dogs with OA or orthapedic conditions are especially affected by cold damp weather so staying somewhere warmer or with the ability to increase the temperature if needed is helpful.  Conversely, dogs who have reduced sensitivity to the skin such as those with spinal conditions like IVDD can burn easily when near hot objects such as radiators so being able to trun them off is also handy.  If it’s too hot how will you keep your dog cool? Picking somewhere with air conditioning could be beneficial if you are traveling somewhere hotter than your dog is used to.  Dogs with mobility issues are often older and older dogs (along with younger dogs) are more likely to struggle with higher temperatures. 

Now you’ve picked where you are staying, how do you adapt your holiday to your dog's new mobility level? Here are my travel tips:

• Be realistic with what you dog normally does day to day.  Don’t suddenly do more exercise than they are accustomed to this will lead to them becoming sore, painful or extremely tired.  

• Pick walking-free activities like sitting in parks or on the beach- you could even go to a dog friendly pub or cafe

• Pick walks that you can all enjoy or maybe even take a dog buggy so you can do longer routes 

• Consider getting a dog sitter if you know a day will be too long for your dog to manage or accept that you will have to keep activities shorter so that your dog still gets plenty of rest.  Dogs with mobility issues can need more rest than the average dog.  

• If you usually go away with other family/friends dogs consider if your dog can cope with this for the length of the trip.  Often when dogs are in groups, they are more active and often do more than they can actually manage due to arousal taking over and this can be especially true when dog vary greatly in age, fitness or activity level.  

• Take some home comforts with you.  Dogs with mobility issues can struggle to get comfy, especially on harder floors so ensure you take your dogs bedding.  You should also take some rugs to help stop slipping on hard floors.  

• Make sure you have enough medication/supplements etc for your dog. 

• Ensure you pack your dogs towels, coats etc. so they can stay warm and dry in wetter weather.  

Most importantly, have a lovely holiday!

P.S Jack loves to sit and rest in an arcade ;)