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Santa Clarita Veterinarian Offers Tips On Traveling With Pets
Dr. Jaimie Ronchetto, DVM. Photo courtesy of Cinema Veterinary Centre.

Santa Clarita Veterinarian Gives Tips On Traveling With Pets

A Santa Clarita veterinarian is offering tips to the community about traveling safely with pets by car.


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First, Dr. Jaimie Ronchetto of Cinema Veterinary Centre said that it’s helpful to get the pet used to car rides before any long journeys.

“Maybe they don’t go a lot of places, they only go to the vet when they’re in the car so they’re going to associate that,” Ronchetto said. “To help sort of desensitize them, if you have time you can start taking them on little jaunts around town and take them right back home. That might help them to not be so fearful.”

Related: Santa Clarita Veterinarian Offers Advice On What To Consider Before Getting A Dog

For extreme cases of fear, a Santa Clarita veterinarian like Ronchetto can prescribe or recommend a sedative, medication or natural remedy.

Ronchetto noted that “the only safe way” to travel with a dog in the back of a pickup truck is to have them inside a crate that has been tied down, and advises crating or alternatively restraining dogs inside cars as well.

“The best would be to be in a crate in the car; otherwise they do have special seatbelts to clamp to their harness or their leash somehow so that they’re still restrained,” Ronchetto said. “That’s the safest for them.”

While it can be “fun” for a dog to stick its head out the window during a car ride, Ronchetto advises against this because of the risk of getting dust or debri in the dog’s eyes or damaging their face, or an increased risk of injury during a car crash.

Even having a small dog or cat in someone’s lap in the car is dangerous in the case of a car crash if the airbags deploy, Ronchetto added.

“Should your airbag deploy, they’re going to get smushed,” Ronchetto said. “Airbags are not meant to save animals, so a lot of the time they can cause more damage than anything else from them, so again, being restrained somewhere in a different area would be safer for them.”

A driver with a small dog or cat in their lap can also become distracted, or the pet could interfere with their ability to safely drive the vehicle.

“You need to concentrate on driving,” Ronchetto said. “If they’re moving all over the place, they could get underfoot and get in your way and then you could get into an accident. You need to do the responsible thing and think about safety.”

Ed. Note: This article is a KHTS Feature story based on a recent radio interview with Cinema Veterinary Centre.

Dr. Jaimie Ronchetto, DVM, is a Santa Clarita veterinarian who opened her own veterinary hospital in Valencia after spending several years in private practice as an associate veterinarian at other SCV hospitals. Ronchetto and the staff at Cinema Veterinary Centre strive to give every dog, cat and pocket pet outstanding quality care in the areas of medicine and surgery. A Hart High School graduate, Ronchetto earned her BS degree from UC Davis and graduated with Honors from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.

Cinema Veterinary Centre

23460 Cinema Drive

Valencia, CA 91355

(661) 253-9300

Cinema Veterinary Centre – Valencia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tpt8J8yrjQ

Santa Clarita Veterinarian / Veterinarian in Santa Clarita / Cinema Vet / Cinema Veterinary Centre / Dr. Jaimie Ronchetto

KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220 - Santa Clarita News - Santa Clarita Radio

Santa Clarita Veterinarian Gives Tips On Traveling With Pets

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