GoRV - Digital Magazine Issue #48 | Page 62

These variations in water quality can have a dramatic effect on the health of your dog . Trust me when I tell you , this is not the sort of thing you want to experience . We strongly recommend you filter all the water you give to your dogs no matter where you are .
SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY
No matter how well prepared you are for life on the road with your dogs , there are going to be times when you will want to do things that cannot involve them .
Many caravan parks do not allow owners to leave their dogs unattended at their sites . It is these times when you will need someone else to look after your dog for you . It pays to make friends with other dog owners and offer to share minding duties with them .
We have found many fellow travellers who love their dogs as much as we do who are only too happy to look after our dogs while we go and do our own thing . Obviously , we offer to do the same thing for them .
Having said that , I wouldn ’ t necessarily trust the care of my dogs to just anyone . It pays to get to know people and observe how they treat their dogs to ensure they have the same or similar standards to yourself .
I don ’ t want to suggest that people are cruel to their dogs , but their standards of care and attention may not be as high as your own .
A DANGEROUS COUNTRY
If you think Australia is a dangerous place for humans , I can assure you , it can be absolutely lethal for dogs .
My wife and I have been travelling with our dogs for over 10 years and we are as careful and fastidious about their care as any owners you will ever meet . Even so , we lost one of our dogs to the hazards of this country and I can tell you this is not a situation you want to be faced with . It is heartbreaking and it can ruin your travelling experience .
I urge all of you considering taking your dogs with you to research the hazards of the areas you ’ re travelling to , take precautions against them and to be prepared to administer first aid to your dog should they be exposed to any of those hazards .
Her are just a few of the dangers to look out for and the emergency first aid you will need to perform .
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