In preparation for our world travel with Gaia, we want to ensure that the trip will also be enjoyable and safe for her. Gaia is an explorer by nature, she takes to new things quickly, loves a good challenge and generally loves any outdoor environment that comes her way. The only outside thing she is not very fond of is water, swimming is something she may do – in the heat of summer for a lot of treats but she won’t enjoy it. Which seeing that we are not the biggest fans of a wet dog in a small van is perfectly fine with us. That being said, she LOVES the beach.

When embarking on a big adventure like this a main preparation item on our list is to ensure her safety. We want to make sure we carry everything with us that would be necessary to help her out if she happens to get hurt or sick, at least until we manage to find a vet. Next to this we also make sure all her vaccinations are up to date before the trip, as well as doing a titer test. 

Thankfully Gaia is a dog who loves her vet and the veterinary clinic seems to love her back. The folks were nice enough to support us massively by supporting us in putting together a medicine travel pack for Gaia and agreeing to give us a dog first aid course in the weeks before our departure. 

Next to medicines and our first aid skills the main component of Gaia’s medical travel pack is her first aid kit! There are specialized dog first aid kits and we went with this one from TraumaPet.

This first aid kit from TraumaPet is very extended and even includes a small collapsible water bowl, a nail cutter, emergency warmth blanket and all the things you would expect to need in a first aid situation such as band aids, safety pins and antiseptic wipes. As the kit is small we can take it with us on hikes and any other adventures we may fancy. 

Medicine

Next to the Kit and a thermometer we also carry a bunch of medicine and creams for Gaia:

• • Betadine – to disinfect wounds it can be brewed up similar to a tea 
  • Cerenia – for nausea or sickness 
  • Bronchofort – for caughing or any kennelcough like symptoms 
  • Deworming Tablets – To be used on a monthly base as precaution 
  • TraumaPet Ear Drops – To prevent and help cure ear infections
  • Vetramil – A honey cream that supports the faster healing of wounds 
  • plantago ovata – Against diarrhea
  • Adaptil  – Calming pills
  • PUUR Hotspot – To use against hotspots  (a scratching spot of skin)
  • PUUR Tour – To help with anxiety or restless
  • Active Charcoal and Probiotics (for belly issues)

Of course it is important to note that this is what we carry and to no means should function as a universal overview of medicine necessary for an overland trip with a dog. It’s simply an overview of what we carry and it might help you make up your mind on what to take for your adventures with your dog. Every dog is different, so your needs might vary greatly from ours, consult your vet if possible. 

Certain products of the first aid kit and some medicine such as Vetramil can safely be used for dogs and humans, make sure to know these if you are tight on packing space.

At the point of writing this post I sincerely hope we will not need to use most of the things above, but we hope to be prepared if it should be the case.

Do you take something else for your dog or spot something on our list you would recommend? We are happy to hear your thoughts in the comments!