8 Maddening RV Pet Myths

Blog copyright 2024 Janet Groene. This blog has had more than 234,000 views. To ask about placing your ad on ALL SIX Groene sites for one year, one low rate, email janetgroene@yahoo.com

 

My precious Gypsy loved the RV

 

 
8 MADDENING MYTHS ABOUT
RV TRAVEL WITH PETS

1. Pets don’t get motion sickness. 

    Yes, they do, according to WebMD. Just as in  children, motion sickness is more common in puppies and young dogs. The pet may drool, vomit or lick its jowls, or it may show its discomfort by whining, yawning or being extra active or extra lethargic. 

    Stress adds to chances of a pet getting car sick, so make the whole experience as comfortable as possible. My late dog Gypsy loved being in the camper, so she joined me there when I was working inside even if we were not going anywhere. This makes a pet feel more at home when you are underway. 

    A crate is a good idea, both to contain the pet and any vomit or diarrhea resulting from motion sickness. See your veterinarian about car sick and nausea relief drops.

 

No kidding, pets need restraints

2. Pets don’t need restraints
    Pets have incredibly fast reaction time but no pet is quick enough or strong enough to withstand  the G forces in a panic stop or crash. It isn’t just the pet’s safety at stake. Even a small cat or dog could be turned into a cannonball in a crash, slamming into humans.

 

 

 

 Even birds aren't immune. I know a man who always drove with his beloved pet parrot on his shoulder. In a minor crash, the bird was thrown into the windshield and killed.

3. Pets don’t need special food, water or medication
    Depending on the trip and destination, your vet may recommend shots or pills for snake bite, “kennel cough”, fleas, ticks, anxiety  or other problems. I once found a stray cat that was seriously dehydrated from licking its salt-crusted fur in a mangrove swamp. It was getting too much salt and too little fresh water. 

    Some pet owners carry bottled water, or water from home, to avoid upsets from drinking different water in every campground. And it’s always wise to keep a pet on the same food or to gradually introduce a new one. 

    Abrupt changes in diet gave my Gypsy stomach trouble and a skin rash. Because her food brand isn’t available everywhere, I got  it delivered by mail order no matter where we were.

4. It’s OK to let the dog piddle
    Most RV travelers are meticulous about cleaning up dog poop but many will just stand there uncaring  when the same dog wets a neighbor's tires, hose or tent ropes.  It’s very hard to keep the dog from marking its territory and impossible to keep a male cat from squirting, but please don’t let another “No Pets Allowed” sign go up in another campground due to your pet’s bad manners.

5. Campground showers are a great place to wash the dog
    Not! Some people go bonkers if they see or smell a wet dog in the showers. They go straight to the manager to complain and another 'No Pets Allowed" sign goes up at another campground entrance.  If you have to bathe Bowser on the road, see a groomer or buy a small, inflatable swimming pool and bathe it at your campsite. 

6. My Dog Doesn’t Bark
    I once parked next to a couple whose dog began barking as soon as they left and didn’t stop until they returned. They were gone, of course, so they didn’t know that the nonstop barking was driving everyone crazy.  It might take a tranquilizer, or a bark collar, or just playing the radio or TV while you are away but please make sure your dog isn’t a pest. YOU may be the reason some campgrounds don’t allow pets.  

 

  7. It’s a Cool Day, So Rover is OK Inside the RV
    Even with windows open on a 70-degree day, a pet can suffer heat exhaustion in as little as 30 minutes. According to the Humane Society, signs of heatstroke are heavy panting, glazed eyes,  rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizure, and unconsciousness.

    Animals are at special risk for heat stroke, says the Humane Society,  if they are very old, very young, overweight, not conditioned to prolonged exercise, or have heart or respiratory disease. Some breeds of dogs—like boxers, pugs, shihtzus, and other dogs and cats with short muzzles—will have a much harder time breathing in extreme heat.

 

8. My Dog Obeys Voice Commands, so Leash Laws Don’t Apply to Me

 
    Dogs can bolt or disobey out of instinct, fear or need of romance. I once stopped to rescue  a beautiful, unleashed German shepherd that had apparently wandered off when the owners stopped at a rest stop. Probably on a schedule, they had to move on without the dog. 

The heartbroken dog was desperately running up and down a busy highway, looking for its family. You could lose a cherished pet, or be evicted from a campground for ignoring leash laws. 

 

 
 
           CAMPGROUND GOOD NEWS/ BAD NEWS

 This news may be tentative, premature or incomplete. It's reported without endorsement of any service or site.  Follow up and verify for yourself as the news develops. 

    * The new  Camp Margaritaville RV Resort Lake Lanier is making waves in Buford, Georgia. (470) 323-3440. A premier resort with wowsome water features, it’s also a luxury, big rig friendly  RV park with large concrete RV pads, upscale laundry and shower rooms, dog park, kids’ activities, free Wi-Fi, cable TV, boat ramp and much more. Go to margaritavilleresorts.com to see rafts of specials, perks, events and packages.

* Coming soon  to Hartsville, South Carolina, Standing Pines RV Resort will have RV sites, cabins and glamping sites on 80 forested acres. Features will include hiking trails,  a clubhouse, large resort-style pool, recreation courts, dog parks, fishing pond and playgrounds. Get in early at info@standing-pines.com/ Download the brochure at (www.) Campstandingpines.com/

 * In Rock Island, Illinois there’s talk of adding 200 RV campsites to 200-acre  Sunset Park and Marina. Additions to the popular rec site on Lake Potter  may also be treehouses, rental boats and other overnight facilities. Stay tuned.

    * For now the Ace of Diamonds Mine & Campground in Middleville, New York remains closed. The gift shop will also stay closed until ongoing litigation is resolved.

 * South of Columbus, Ohio, Echo Lake Park will add 27 RV campsites plus other improvements while 50 new RV sites are slated for Muscatatuck Park in North Vernon, Ohio. Grammar Park off CR 550E will get a new playground. Other county parks that will benefit from new funding for improvements include Anderson Falls,  Clifford, Dunn, Elizabethtown, Heflen, Mt. Healthy, Owens Bend, Rock Creek and Wayne (but not all of them have camping) .

    * Commissioners in Graham, Texas have been presented with plans for a new RV park. Will this addition survive the approval process? Stay tuned.

* According to the Durango, Colorado Herald, a  major developer of RV parks has proposed a 137-site RV park on the Animas River. Plans  also call for fixed and mobile home sites. A traffic study will be made. Stay tuned.  

    * What’s not to Love? According to WNWS, the Love’s Travel Stop that is coming to Jackson, Tennessee will have 37 RV spaces plus a playground and dog park. Parking spaces will also be provided for 16 cars. 

   SCROLL DOWN TO SEE SAMPLES OF PAST POSTS

See 16 fun and informative RV features by author Janet Groene, covering topics from campground crime to stains and spices,  at https://www.rvtravel.com/author/janet