If you travel with your dog, it is useful to make a checklist of the things you should not forget for your four-legged friend. This way, his or her suitcase is also packed well! To help you, we have listed a few important things for you.
Import requirements for dogs in holiday countries
If you travel abroad with your dog, it is mandatory that your dog has a passport, chip and vaccination against Rabies. This vaccination must be given by the vet at least three weeks before departure. In addition, countries may have additional regulations, such as mandatory deworming or a ban on certain breeds. We advise you to inquire in advance about the import requirements for the countries you will visit. Your vet can tell you all about this.
Protect your dog against parasites abroad
Whichever country your holiday goes to, good protection against fleas and ticks is important for your dog. Sand flies and heartworm mosquitoes also occur in southern Europe. You can protect your dog with the Seresto collar, Scalibor collar or Advantix spot-on. In this way you prevent your dog from diseases such as Babesia, Ehrlichia and Leishmania abroad. To prevent problems caused by heartworms, it is important to deworm your dog when coming home and one month later with a deworming agent that is effective against heartworms, such as Milpro dog. If you are staying abroad for a longer period of time, we advise you to treat your dog every month against heartworms.
To transport your dog comfortably by car
Of course you want to make the trip as pleasant as possible for your dog. A number of things can help with this:
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If your dog hardly ever travels by car, it is useful to take a longer drive in advance to see how your dog experiences this.
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Your dog may find the (car) trip exciting or less pleasant. To relieve stress during the journey, you can give your dog a soothing food supplement, for example Zylkène, Telizen or Adaptil. This will make your dog calmer, without becoming drowsy.
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Maybe your dog gets car sick. Car or motion sickness is caused by a disturbance of the vestibular system while driving, which manifests in nausea, drooling and vomiting. Car sickness in dogs can be prevented with the anti-vomiting agent Cerenia. Please notice that Cerenia requires a prescription, ask your vet for this.
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During the journey, it is important to let your dog drink regularly and to stop every now and then for a break. Never leave your pet alone in the car, not even for a moment. A car heats up quickly, with a great risk of overheating your dog.
What else to bring when you travel with your dog?
Is your dog on medication or supplements for a condition? In that case, be sure to bring more than enough for the entire period that you are travelling. And of course your dog needs enough food so you don't have to change food unexpectedly. Finally, it can happen that your four-legged friend becomes ill while on holiday. Therefore it is good to find out beforehand which veterinarians are working in the vicinity of your holiday address. It is also useful to bring some first aid items for your dog. For example Betadine and honey ointment to treat a wound. In addition, a product such as Iso-Gel is good to take with you, this can quickly provide relief for both diarrhea and constipation.
We wish you and your dog (s) a good trip!
