Pets

Travels with my pet

With the arrival of summer, thoughts turn to holidays. But what about your pet and their holidays? For some pets, getting away on holiday with their owners can be a joy – but only if handled correctly. Best Friends Veterinary Group offers expert advice on keeping your pet comfortable in hot weather, dealing with pet travel sickness, and how to take your pet abroad using a pet passport

Travel sickness
Most of us have experienced travel sickness at some point in our lives, but it’s not widely know that pets suffer from it too. If you’re thinking of taking your dog on a long car journey, it is best to be prepared for this eventuality. As with humans, young dogs and puppies tend to suffer from this more, and many of the measures you can take to help them are much the same as with children – have fresh air coming into the car, keep them distracted and entertained, or drive along a more visually interesting route that encourages them to look out of the window. It’s also a good idea to have frequent stops to break the journey, giving your dog the chance for a run, a bathroom break and some fresh air. This is not only important for the dog’s general comfort during the journey; travel sickness in dogs is mostly caused by stress, so the more relaxed your dog is to begin with, the more likely it is to be fine on the journey. Making travel a fun and positive experience can really help. Travel sickness is also less likely to occur when your dog’s stomach is empty, so if possible, avoid travel soon after eating. Whilst you can do your best to help prevent travel sickness, sometimes these measures may not be enough stop it. Symptoms of travel sickness in in a dog include lethargy, excessive drooling and/or yawning and general unease. We stock a range of medications to help prevent or counteract travel sickness pets, so if your dog suffers on long car journeys, please ask what else we can do to help.

Hot cars
Each year, as the temperature increases, pet owners are reminded not to leave pets in hot cars. Heatstroke can kill a dog in a matter of minutes and every year dogs die in cars as a result. Keep this in mind at all points of your journey; dogs feel the heat far more than humans, and it is far harder for them to cool down. Rapid panting is a clear sign that your dog is hot. To help, keep air flowing (though make sure it is not blowing in the animal’s face), make sure plenty of drinking water is available and if possible, avoid travel during the hottest part of the day. Sunscreens can also be fitted to windows to cut down the direct heating effects of the sun, and when the heat is on, use a misting spray to cool your dog down (again, avoiding the face).

Pet Passports
As with passports for their human owners, a pet passport is an official document that is unique to the individual pet which contains data about the pet itself. This includes details of permanent identification, the registered owner, and also covers a number of health-related issues. It always includes, for example, a certification of rabies vaccination, but there are other items (ie. tick and worm treatments) that may only be required in specific circumstances. Although pet passports can be used for various animals, including cats and ferrets, they are most commonly used for dogs accompanying owners. The format of the passport is the same in all European countries, but the use of the passport is slightly different in mainland Europe compared to the UK – and as requirements for re-entry to the UK are more stringent than those required to leave, it is essential that all documentation is completely in order before going abroad.

To obtain a UK pet passport, the dog must be:
● At least three months of age
● Permanently identified by implantation of a microchip (to the approved ISO Standard) under the skin.
● Vaccinated against rabies. There may also be other treatments your pet may need before the passport can be issued and they can travel with you.

At Best Friends Veterinary Group we provide a complete pet passport service which takes the hassle out of getting your pet ready for travelling abroad, as well as ensuring all necessary requirements are covered, including rabies vaccination, microchipping, up-to-date vaccinations for other diseases and worming and flea treatments. We can provide all of these when needed, and pet passports are normally available to take away the same day.

Broadway Veterinary Hospital
158 Broadway, Peterborough
01733 562904
 

bestfriendsgroup.com

 

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