Leaving your reptile home can be quite worrisome. Here is a guide that will help you care for it while you’re away.
A lot of effort goes into caring for your pets. Without a doubt, we all treat our pets like a part of our family and will do anything to ensure their well-being. However, caring for them becomes a lot more stressful when it’s time for you to go on a vacation, especially when it comes to reptiles.
You can’t always travel with reptiles as it stresses them out and you can’t leave them home alone, either. So what do you do in this situation? Keep reading to learn more about how you can care for your reptilian friend while you’re away.
Stock up on Food
Stocking up on food is always a good idea. For example, if you own a bearded dragon, try looking for dubia roaches for sale before leaving. This is especially important to consider if you’re taking your reptile with you or if you’re planning on leaving them with a friend.
Firstly, you need to make sure it is getting the proper nutrition. Traveling with them is especially troublesome because you can’t always find the right food. Secondly, not all food will be appropriate for them. They might get a bad reaction from the food provided to them by their caretakers or from the food you buy on your trip.
Taking Your Reptile with You
The easiest way to work around this problem is to simply take your reptile with you while you’re traveling. However, even though this is quite straightforward, it’s not the most convenient.
If you’re taking a plane, then it’s highly likely that you won’t be able to fly with your pet. Moreover, flying for long hours can cause a lot of stress to your reptile, to a point where they might stop eating and drinking properly. If you’re traveling by car, you won’t have to face this issue—but it will still be stressful for them, and you can also run into the problem of not being able to take them into the hotel room.
Here are some things you can do, in case taking them with you is the only option you have.
Take a Visit to the Vet
Before you begin your journey, you need to make sure that your reptile is well enough to take the trip. Book an appointment with your vet a week before you travel and have an extensive discussion with them.
While the vet is checking the health of your pet, tell them the details of your vacation. Where are you going? How long do you intend to stay, and what’s the weather like at your destination? Hopefully, your vet will be able to give you some valuable tips to reduce the stress on your reptile.
You should also ask your vet about everything you need to know regarding COVID-19 and your pet. The pandemic is still ongoing, so it’s best to keep yourself updated with things needed to ensure the health of your pet.
Find Airlines That Allow Reptiles
If you are flying with your pet, then you’re in luck! There are, fortunately, a few pet-friendly airlines that will most likely allow you to fly with your reptile. Before booking any flights, be sure to do your research. Thoroughly go through their pet policies, especially ones for people traveling with reptiles.
It’s important to note that most airlines will insist that your pet travels in cargo, and not in the cabin. You should take extra precautions in this case to make sure they are comfortable all throughout the flight.
Put them in a small yet cozy travel carrier. Put a blanket over the carrier. This will help them stay calm. You can also line the bottom of the carrier and add some bedding to it as well. Lastly, you will need to keep your reptile’s carrier warm. The safest way to do that is to leave a heating pack in it. You can also use a hot water bottle, but you don’t want to risk it burning or injuring your pet.
Carry Medicine and Other First Aid Materials
As I’ve said before, traveling can cause a lot of stress to your reptile. It’s only natural for them to get sick at some point during your journey. To handle those situations (should they arise), be sure to carry medicines and first aid kits that will help you tend to your reptiles.
Look Into Hotel Policies Regarding Pets
Not all hotels will allow you to keep pets, even a reptile. The last thing you want is to take your pet to an animal boarding facility in an unknown area. Therefore, when booking hotels, call them and ask them about their pet policies. You should specifically mention that you will be bringing in a reptile and ask them if their environment is safe enough to host exotic pets like them.
Leave Them in Someone Else’s Care
Ideally, you should find a way to leave your reptile in someone else’s care while you’re gone. Arranging a flight and accommodation can be a hassle; furthermore, there’s always the possibility that you won’t be able to find flights or hotels that will allow you to take them.
Here are a few arrangements you can make if you are thinking of leaving your pet home.
Leave Them with Friends, Relatives, or Pet Sitters
A great idea is to give your pet to a friend or family member who you can trust. Before you do that, though, be sure to give it to someone who has a lot of experience with raising reptiles. Of course, this might be a little difficult to find, as reptiles are exotic pets, and a lot of people may have never owned one. If you absolutely can’t trust anyone else, then take a day to thoroughly explain everything your friend or relative needs to know in order to provide proper care to your reptile.
If you can’t find a friend or family member who can care for your reptile, consider looking online to find experienced pet sitters in your area. Since you will be leaving your pet with a stranger, pay a visit to the sitter before committing to anything. Only after inspecting the accommodations should you think about leaving your reptile with them.
Boarding Services
Taking your reptile to a local animal boarding facility is one of the best things you can do for your reptile while you’re gone. Pet boarding services will usually have trained professionals; if you’re lucky, you will find one that specializes in caring for reptiles.
However, you don’t need to worry in the event that you can’t find someone like that. You can always explain how you usually care for your reptile to them before leaving. You might also need to bring in an enclosure for your reptile, in case the facility doesn’t have any.
As with pet sitters, you should visit the boarding facilities of your choice. Once you’re done inspecting, you can pick the one you think will best home your reptile.
Conclusion
Since reptiles are exotic pets, they do need special care—UV lighting, misting, and soaking are only a portion of the things that need to be done. This is especially why it’s hard to travel with them and complicated to leave them in someone else’s care.
If you happen to find a friend or a boarding service that can be trusted, then you can relax during your vacation without worrying about your pet. Now that you know how to care for your reptile while you are on vacation, may your travels be happy and carefree.
