Planning a road trip with your best furnugget? Then you’ll want to make sure you bring along these next 10 essential items. Getting out on the road with your dog can be a blast, but if you don’t prepare, you can quickly find yourself in a mess that steals all the joys of traveling with your pet. 

Ensuring your dog has their identification on hand in case they escape on your travels is critical since you’ll most likely be in an unfamiliar area. Physical dog tags that hook on their collar are great, but even better is getting your dog microchipped in case their collar ever comes off. 

There are two big reasons you may want to consider mediation for your dog when traveling. If you plan to travel mostly by car, then bringing along medication for motion/car sickness like Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is a great idea. Benadryl can also help with the second issue many dogs face when traveling and that’s anxiety. 

We mentioned above that while traveling can be a lot of fun for your dog, it can be equally nerve-racking. You can talk to your vet about getting your dog on a temporary anxiety aid for their travels.

It’s common to let our dogs freely roam our vehicles when driving, but this really isn’t safe for them or others. If you’re in an accident, they can easily fly out the window into upcoming and busy traffic or into another car. This is why a safety harness that can be plugged into a seatbelt buckle is a great thing to get your dog. 

Instead of a safety harness, you can go for the carrier route, which is a great idea if your dog gets nervous in the car. As well, bringing along a carrier is just a great idea because you never know if you’ll need it during other parts of your travels. 

Traveling can be a blast for our pups, but all the new smells, places, and people can cause them a lot of anxiety. That’s why bringing along their favorite toy and blanket can be incredibly helpful for reducing travel anxiety. 

Besides giving them something that reminds them of home, a toy can help keep your dog from getting too bored while out on the road. 

You should never leave the house for a long trip without a first aid kit, both for you and your pupper. In fact, putting together a first aid kit for your dog is a smart thing to have just lying around in your house for any emergency occasions.  

Great things to include in your dog’s first aid kit include gauze, non-stick bandages, cotton balls, hydrogen peroxide, safety syringes, antibiotic ointment, and an extra lesh and collar.  

With a much shorter digestive tract than ours, dogs need to go to the bathroom more frequently than we do on average. That makes poop bags or a portable litter box a must when traveling for more than a few hours. 

The last thing you want to waste time on during your vacation is trying to find a pet store for dog food. So make sure to pack more than enough food for your dog before leaving. 

As well, make sure to bring their bowls along with a water bottle. Treats are essential and really handy for when your dog starts getting bored or nervous when out on your travels.

You can take ChefPaw personalized dog food maker that helps you to keep your dog strong and healthy during travel.

Messes happen, and while never fun, they are a whole lot worse when you don’t have anything to clean them up. So make sure you’re prepared for the stinkiest of messes by bringing along a towel, wipes, and a spray for getting rid of foul odors. 

When our dogs get stressed, they often “blow out their coats” by rapidly shedding. You may have noticed this before when you take your dog to the vet thinking their coat is under control, only to see them excessively shed when they are there. 

This makes bringing along a brush for your travels a great idea. And while you’re at it, bringing along dog-friendly shampoo or pet cleaning wipes is a great idea for any unexpected messes they might get into. 

While it’s never fun to think about, there is always the chance you’ll need to take your dog to an emergency veterinarian when out on your travels. 

That alone is incredibly stressful, and it will only be worse when you’re asked what vaccinations your dog has had, but you can’t answer them. That’s why having your dog's medical records on hand when traveling is a must. 

Thankfully, it is very easy to get their health records when you're at your regular veterinarian. 

Speaking of them, before going on a big trip, a mini trip to the vet is truly a great idea to check your pet’s health, get them any medication they need for their travels, get a copy of their vaccination records, and have their microchipped implanted, updated, or just checked to make sure it’s still working and in the proper place.