Camping With Your Pets

Camping is an increasingly popular activity for families and their pets. Many dogs and some cats enjoy traveling with their families. Here are a few tips to help make your pet's adventure into the great outdoors a success.

Research the campground or area that you are planning on visiting. Not all campgrounds accept pets and many wilderness areas have leash laws for dogs. It would be better to find out ahead of time if your destination has any restrictions on visiting pets.

Make sure that your pet's vaccines are up to date. Most of your pet's vaccines are to protect him from diseases but a current rabies vaccine is a legal requirement for your pet's safety and yours. Check with your veterinarian for any other vaccines that may be recommended based on the area that you are planning on visiting. For example, Leptospirosis and Lyme vaccines are not given routinely by all veterinarians to all dogs, but protection for these diseases may be a good idea when visiting certain areas. You should carry proof of your pet's vaccinations.

If your pet is on any medications, be sure to bring enough for your trip and maybe a few extra in case some become damaged or lost. If your pet has any chronic medical conditions you might want to bring copies of his medical records. This will help any veterinarian make quicker and more appropriate decisions regarding your pet's medical care.

Plan to bring enough food and water for your pet's entire trip. Changes in diet can cause some pets to have gastrointestinal symptoms. This way you will know that any diarrhea or stomach upset that occurs will not be from a new kind of diet. Don't assume that river, lake or standing water is safe for your pet to drink. There are certain intestinal parasites, for instance, giardia and cryptosporidium, that your pet can get from drinking water in the wilderness.

Make sure that you are using year round flea and tick control on your pets. There are many diseases that are carried by these blood sucking parasites and your pet may encounter more of them out in the great outdoors.

Though not as common as dogs, cats are also joining their families camping. Remember to bring a litter box with your cat's favorite type of litter. Some cats are very particular about their litter and a tent or RV would be unpleasant if your cat decided to find an alternative place for his bathroom. Keep your cat in a carrier when traveling and then always have him on a harness and leash when taking him outside. A frightened cat would be impossible to catch in the wilderness.

With some precautions, your pets can enjoy the outdoors as much as you do!

Location

Find us on the map

Office Hours

We are CLOSED all MAJOR HOLIDAYS

Monday:

7:30 am-6:00 pm

Tuesday:

7:30 am-6:00 pm

Wednesday:

7:30 am-6:00 pm

Thursday:

7:30 am-6:00 pm

Friday:

7:30 am-6:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Testimonial

  • "We bring both our girls Ava and Nellie. Our latest visit was due to a limping issue after a visit to a dog park with Nellie (Greyhound and Healer mix). Staff was very kind and gentle with Nellie who is timid with strangers. In the end Nellie thanked both the vet and tech by licking their hands. Great team go see this vet office."
    Joy M.
  • "Dr. Sutton and the loving staff at Union Animal Hospital are amazing! They've taken wonderful care of my dog's since they were puppies. We've added 2 more dog's to our pack, a rescue and a re-home, after my Springer passed this spring. Dr. Sutton and here staff are so good with dog's they don't even mind going for their visits. Thanks Doc!"
    Mike P.
  • "Every visit has been wonderful. I feel like they pay attention to every detail and always ask if we have any more questions. I feel safe leaving my dogs in their care."
    Lisa S.
  • "Union Animal Hospital is the best place! The first time visit was great even during the Pandemic, the techs are wonderful and friendly. Best of all is that they are definitely affordable compared to the rest of the clinics in Spokane."
    Lori J.
  • "The most caring and compassionate animal hospital and veterinary clinic I've found in Spokane. Everyone is so nice and they are outstanding with my 11 year old Pomeranian. I've been searching for a while to find a new Veterinary clinic to take my Pomeranian. I'm so happy to have finally found a place with such caring people whom I can trust to care for my dog and give me all the information I need. They even gave me a print out estimate for everything. They are a bit more expensive than some other places I've researched but with the quality of care they give in my opinion it's well worth the few extra dollars. Thank you guys for treating us so well."
    Amber M.
  • "Our fist time having a pet emergency and Union Animal Hospital took us in right away and helped our Fur baby get better again. We won't go anywhere else, good prices and amazing staff, this is the spot if you care and love your animals take them here to be treated with the utmost respect and quality. LOTS IF LOVE TO YOU GUYS FOR BEING THERE FOR OUR FAMILY"
    Elizabeth R.
  • "Had a great first experience! Dr Sutton was great!"
    Debra R.