Chad, for that pup you might want to take along a collapsable kennel for motels and staying with friends etc. I took one with me to Montana last year. Collapsed it and stuck it up between the two clothes hanging poles in the cargo area. Secure well with bungee cords. They are sure a lot handier than lugging one of those airline type kennels back and forth from vehicle to house. And the kennel can be collapsed and stored in the residence much easier too.

Sayfu, for your information porcupine quills contain an antibiotic (although hedgehog quills do not). Possibly evolved as a reproductive safety item. You really only need to pull them out. A leatherman and well-disciplined dog are all that's needed. Severl years ago one of my labs got a mouthful while we were fishing the Little Blackfoot in Montana. I was trail crew boss and we were about fifty miles in the backcountry and I had no pliers. I sat Ethyl in the middle of thr trail and started pulling them out of her nose and gums with my teeth. One of the crew came looking for me and about passed out when he came around the corner and saw me all bloody faced apparently chewing on my dog's mouth while she just sat there. "I have no idea why that dog just doesn't bite your face off." I grumbled, "She wouldn't DARE!" He meekly agreed and quickly disappeared. THAT was a well-controlled dog.

For those of you thinking of crossing the international border make sure you have your dog's up-to-date rabies vaccination papers. Also, if it's a valuable dog, especially a young one, you may need proof of ownership. I don't have to tell you to do your homework re moving guns or even parts of guns across the border! Ugh!

As to dog food, I buy small bags as I go along. It's easier to stash these where the dogs can't get at them. Fairly good varieties are usually available even at the country mom & pop grocery stores. We have already debated the pros and cons of fussy fancy souped up dog food brands. You can always find reasonable alternatives even shopping in out of the way places. Just pay attention to the nutritional contents published on the bag ... somewhere. Seems the manufacturers try to make this info as discreet as possible. I can usually hunt my dogs on cheaper dogfood till their feet have worn out and they still seem to have plenty of gas left.

For those hunting the heavy cactus country don't forget to pick up some protectivve footwear for your dogs. I have never used these (except for road salt situations here during the winter) because I tend to stay on ground that's not quite dry enough for the prickly pears. However, that usually means dealing with russian olive which is mostly the pits for me and less so for the dogs.

And for those guys who hunt harvested corn fields, pick up some protective chest wear for your dogs! That stuff can literally be murder for a dog running through it to retrieve a downed bird.

Opal gets the red eye quite a bit but I presumed it was dust related and just use saline drops from over the counter. I don't recall seeing any seeds in their eyes but labs don't have notoriously droopy lower eyelids like some breeds (e.g. cocker spaniels).

Now that you mention Q-tips, having some first aid stuff along for their ears is always a good idea, particularly for retrievers who are in the water a lot. And, as Chad noted in a recent thread, weed seeds can be very problematic for dogs, some breeds worse than others.

Pearl is on prednisone as part of her cancer treatment plan. It's a steroid for shrinking tumors. Can't be bought over the counter up here.

When I was a kid we had a lab that could be a bit finicky about dry dog food and we'd suppliment with some canned stuff. Forgot about that. However, dry dogfood has come a long ways since those days. My Britt for whatever reason sometimes requires encouragement to get going eating her dry dogfood. She always insists on saying thank you quite emphatically (weird, eh) but sometimes that's not enough and I have to hand feed her a kibble or two to get her going (so the other two pigs don't steal her rations). I would only start using canned dogfood as a last resort encouragement because it works too well and dogs develop a bad habit of demanding it or they won't eat. Among other things, the stuff is awful hard on their teeth! Also, I can't imagine travelling with an opened can of that goop somewhere in the car. Pew! I find if my labs aren't feeling well and off their grub for more than a feeding, I'll add just a bit of milk over the dry dogfood and that usually gets them going. On the road you might want to try picking up some dried milk and mix up a bit of that to put over the dry dogfood and see if doesn't work.

I have an old cattle syringe that would work great for flushing Opal's eyes. Hmmm. On second thought I think I'll leave it home when I go to Montana next month for pheasants. If on the odd chance the border guys decide to search my vehicle, a syringe in there might lead to a more thorough examination. I enjoy sitting on my upholstery as opposed to bare springs!

After a few torn pads on my golden, I keep Nuskin in my kit. Super Glue works too.