Feeding Cats and Dogs While Travelling: A Plan That Prevents Stomach Trouble
Travel unsettles an animal more than we assume: a new place, water that tastes different, and a changed routine. Most digestive trouble on trips comes from food rather than illness. Here is a practical plan for before, during and after.
The week before travel
Preparation saves you half the problems.
Do not change the food before travelling
This is the most common mistake. If you plan to change formula, do it a month before or after the trip, not days before.
Prepare enough for the trip plus a margin
Multiply the days by the daily amount and add two days spare. If unsure of the daily amount: petzybites.com/pets-calculator
Pack the food in sealed bags
One sealed bag per day. It keeps humidity out and makes measuring away from home easy.
Take water from home
A change in water taste is a common reason for refusing to drink. Start with your own water and blend in the local water gradually.
On the day itself
Timing matters here.
A light meal two hours before setting off
A full stomach in a moving car raises the risk of vomiting, and a completely empty one is not ideal either.
Small, frequent amounts of water
Instead of a large bowl that spills, offer water roughly every hour.
Do not feed a frightened animal
A stressed animal does not digest well. Wait until it settles in the new place.
At the destination
The first two days are the sensitive ones.
Keep the same food and the same timings
Consistency here is what reassures both the animal and its stomach.
Expect reduced intake for a day or two
That is normal from stress. What matters is that it drinks.
Do not compensate with treats
Many of us make up for reduced meals with treats, which unsettles the stomach further.
Same feeding spot where possible
Place the bowl in a quiet corner away from traffic, and use the same bowl if you can.
If the animal stays with someone else
Set things up so nothing changes for it.
Leave the food pre-portioned
Each meal in its own bag with the day written on it. This prevents over- or underfeeding.
Write an instruction note
Amounts, timings, prohibitions, your number and the vet's number.
Declare any allergy
If there is a sensitivity to an ingredient, write it clearly.
No unfamiliar food
Agree explicitly that nobody offers scraps, milk or chocolate.
After returning
Coming home is also a change.
Return to the routine immediately
Same timings and same amount from the first day.
Watch the stools for two days
Mild softness resolves itself. Diarrhoea lasting more than two days, or any blood, needs a vet.
Check the weight
If it dropped noticeably on a long trip, return to the normal amount gradually rather than by sudden increase.
Absolute prohibitions when travelling
Whatever the circumstances.
Never leave the animal in a parked car
Interior temperature reaches fatal levels within minutes.
Do not give sedatives on your own initiative
Any sedative requires a veterinary prescription, and some carry cardiac risk.
Roadside scraps
Salt, spices, onion, garlic and chocolate are all harmful and some are toxic.
Our brands, made in Egypt
Petzy Bites is an Egyptian factory in the industrial zone of Banha. We produce our own brands with consistent quality, and that consistency matters particularly when travelling, so you need not change your animal's food when you move to another governorate.
Where to buy
In our store at 101bite.com/store, priced in Egyptian pounds with delivery inside Egypt, or through the retail points we serve in Cairo, Giza and other governorates.
Thinking of manufacturing your own brand
We manufacture for third parties with a minimum order of three tons. Request a quote at petzybites.com/private-label
