Travelling with your pet
Travelling with your pet
Under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) it is now easier to travel with your pets. It is a great idea to take your four-legged friend for some holiday fun, but it is important to be aware of the increased health risks.
A microchip, rabies vaccination and pet passport are all legal requirements and there are a few other things to be considered. You may be responsible for fines if you don’t follow the pet travel guidelines outlined by the government – https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad/pet-passport
Many diseases that occur abroad are not seen here and several are transmitted by insects. UK pets are highly susceptible, so we recommend tick treatment and protection against mosquitos and sand flies. A number of diseases can be easily spread by these pests but these can easily be prevented by appropriate use of treatments or collars.
You need to consider the potential stress on your pet from the long distance travel and increased heat they will experience abroad.
- Get your vet to ensure your pet is fit and well to travel
- You must wait 21 days after a rabies vaccination before you travel
- medication for the prevention of other diseases should be administered a few days before travelling
- Dogs must be treated by a vet for tapeworm between one to five days before returning to the UK and the pet’s passport must be certified
When travelling to or from countries not included in the Pet Travel Scheme you should contact the country’s embassy for advice.