Six rules. The first explains half the digestive upsets blamed on the local food.
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Water is the most overlooked variable of any trip with an animal, and the one that causes the most trouble. These six rules apply in a car, in a campervan and in holiday accommodation.
It is the most common cause of diarrhoea on holiday, and it is almost always blamed on the food. Water that is harder, more chlorinated, or simply of a different mineral composition is enough to do it.
Taking a few litres of the usual water for the first two days, then mixing it in thirds, settles the question without changing anything else about the stay.
An unfamiliar metal bowl, a dish that echoes, a different height: many refusals put down to the water come from the object. Cats are particularly sensitive to this.
Bringing the usual bowl costs a little space and settles the matter. It is the same principle as with bedding: the familiar object is what carries the reassurance.
A campervan tank left full for several days in hot weather develops a biofilm. What is acceptable for washing up is not acceptable for a bowl left out all day.
Draining before a trip, disinfecting according to the manufacturer's instructions, and not filling the bowl for the whole day are three separate actions, and all three count.
An animal drinks noticeably more in a room at 26°C than at 20°C, and a holiday let or a vehicle is rarely kept at the same temperature as home. Before worrying, measure.
If the temperature does not explain the difference, or if consumption stays high once things are back to normal, that is grounds for a consultation — lasting polydipsia is never trivial.
A 30 kg dog drinks 1 to 2 litres a day, more in strong heat or after exercise. Over a week with no resupply, that is a quantity to plan for.
In a campervan, that volume adds to the occupants' own; on-board water tanks and equipment are sized accordingly. A container dedicated to the animal avoids having to make trade-offs at the end of the stay.
On the move, an animal drinks badly because it is offered water at the wrong moment — in the car, in the noise, in the middle of a service area. Small amounts offered at every stop go down better than a full bowl on arrival.
This is especially true after exercise: a dog that drinks in one go after a hike risks an upset, whereas the same amount split up causes none.