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Spring is when the calendar starts filling up again – a trip to see the grandchildren interstate, a few weeks away with the caravan, or simply a getaway that means someone else takes over the dog’s routine for a while. Before any of that happens, there is one quiet job worth doing early: working out who looks after the dog, and what they will need while you are gone.
Whether that carer is a family member, a neighbour who pops in twice a day or a boarding kennel, the lead-up to a trip is the easiest time to get everything sorted. Scrambling the night before departure is how important details get missed, and a dog’s comfort – and health – depends on getting them right.
Fleas and ticks are the ones to sort early
Fleas and ticks are picked up outdoors, in grass, leaf litter or under decking, and neither always announces itself straight away. A dog can be carrying fleas with no visible sign, and it is often only once the dog goes into boarding, or the household routine changes, that an existing problem becomes obvious to everyone.
Fleas can cause anaemia in puppies, tapeworm infections and skin allergies. Ticks are a separate worry again, since some carry diseases including Lyme disease, and it can take a day or two after attachment for transmission to occur. That is the reason vets recommend checking your dog’s cover is current and suited to wherever the dog is actually headed, not just the backyard it knows best – and doing daily skin checks if the destination is a known high-risk tick area.
Different products do different jobs
There is more than one way to protect against fleas and ticks. Collars, spot-on topical treatments and oral chews all work differently, with kill times and durations that vary from product to product, and some depend on skin contact to work properly. The right choice comes down to the dog, the season and how comfortable the owner is giving each type, which makes it worth deciding well ahead rather than grabbing whatever is on the shelf on the way out the door.
What a carer actually needs on hand
Beyond parasite prevention, a carer or kennel needs the basics laid out clearly: enough food for the whole stay, any medication clearly labelled, a collar with an ID tag carrying a current mobile number, and ideally a copy of vaccination records in case of an emergency vet visit. Treats help too – something familiar and easy to give makes it simpler for a carer to reward good behaviour and settle a dog into an unfamiliar routine, particularly in the first day or two away from home.
Food is the one people underestimate
Running short of food mid-trip, or leaving a carer to switch brands suddenly, can upset a dog’s stomach at exactly the moment owners are trying to make life easier for everyone involved. Stocking up before departure, in the exact food the dog already eats, avoids that altogether and leaves the carer with one less thing to manage while you are away.
Where to sort the supplies
VetSupply stocks the parasite preventatives, natural treats and everyday food that make this kind of handover easier, including K9 Natural and Zeal air-dried treats for keeping a dog settled with a carer or in boarding. The site currently lists a 20% discount off selected Royal Canin packs with the code RCSEP20 (*offer duration: 1st-Sep to 30th-Sep-2026), useful for owners topping up before a trip rather than mid-way through one.
Before ordering, it is worth confirming on the VetSupply site that your dog’s particular Royal Canin formula and pack size fall within the current promotion, then getting the order in with enough lead time to have it in the cupboard before the bags are packed.
