So, you want to go on a trip, do you? Maybe you’ve been cooped up too long since COVID started and your wanderlust is pushing you to get out and explore, and maybe even travel abroad….and you want to bring your dog with you…. Or maybe you’re moving to a different city or state or even a different country. Of course your pet would need to move too.
Whatever the reason for your trip, however long you will be there, you need to prepare ahead of time! Read along to find out WHAT you need to do and WHY to avoid aggravation and frustration at your veterinary clinic and even worse consequences when you get to your destination with your fur baby.
Do Your Research
Did you know that every country has their own requirements for allowing animals to enter, and that if your pet does not meet those requirements they can be denied entry to the country after you’ve already flown them over? That means they get shipped back at your expense, or they get quarantined (again at your expense) potentially for months, or in the worst case scenario they could even be euthanized. That’s why we have to get it right. Veterinarians do not have any control over other countries’ entry requirements. But we do have to abide by them.
Depending on the country (or state), you may need to start 6 months ahead of time or longer to ensure that you can meet all the requirements (such as repeated rabies vaccination and checking titers) in time for your trip. How would you possibly know that’s what you need to do? I’m so glad you asked!
There’s an awesome website run by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) that will tell you what you need to know and what you need to do to prepare to travel with your pet. This includes traveling internationally and traveling from state to state:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel
You can search by country or state and see what the location requires (for example, Puerto Rico requires a microchip for all dogs and cats, and Japan requires a rabies titer to be measured after rabies vaccination). Different countries will require different forms, and they have to be completed by a USDA-Accredited veterinarian (not all veterinarians are accredited to do this, so make sure you ask if your vet is) and in some cases endorsed by a USDA Official veterinarian. All of these steps take time and cost money, but they are required to prevent you and your pet from facing those dire consequences once you have already traveled. This website also has contact information for your local USDA APHIS office. If you are going somewhere that requires endorsement of your health certificate, you may wish to call the USDA office to inquire about their processing times and whether you need to provide an envelope for return of your signed certificate.
Plan Ahead
As soon as you know you will travel, look up your destination, review the requirements and gather your documents and call to make an appointment with your vet. Tell them when you make the appointment that you are planning to travel so that they can set aside an appropriate amount of time for the vet to review the requirements and what your pet needs to help you meet your timeline. Keep in mind that it is likely that you will have to return for another visit to complete any additional steps such as follow up vaccines or testing or to have the health certificate completed in the appropriate window for travel. Bring ALL your records with you, including vaccines, any health problems your pet has, and any medications or preventions they take.
Be Patient
Your vet and their team will need to review all the requirements for your destination location and advise you what your pet needs. They will also need to know when you are traveling to be able to advise you when you should return to have the health certificate completed. Keep in mind that your vet must do an exam on the day the health certificate is signed, even if their last exam was not that long ago. Also remember that your vet is certifying that your pet is free of infectious diseases and parasites and healthy for travel when they sign the health certificate. If they cannot determine that this is true, they cannot sign a certificate saying that it is.
If records of previous vaccines are not present or if things have not been done in the right order, the process may be delayed. If your destination location requires endorsement by a USDA Official Veterinarian, there will also be processing time involved with this. All of this is out of your vet and their staff’s hands.
What about domestic travel?
While it’s always worth checking the website to make sure nothing else is needed, most interstate travel (apart from Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska) may not have many specific requirements. But what you need depends on your mode of transportation. Many airlines still require a health certificate for travel even for domestic flights. You will need to check with your airline about their rules and requirements, particularly how soon before travel the health certificate needs to be made. Health certificates are never good for more than 30 days, but many airlines and destinations want them to be no more than 10 days old. For domestic travel, airlines are mainly looking to see that your pet’s rabies vaccine is up to date and that your vet has signed off that they are not contagious and otherwise healthy for travel. Even if you find you don’t need a health certificate, you should always travel with your pet’s rabies vaccine certificate. Traveling between states by car typically does not require any type of health certificate, but again, you should have your pet’s rabies vaccine certificate with you.
Preparing your pet for travel
As soon as you get those suitcases out and start packing, your pet will know something is up. Their anxiety may start building long before you leave the house. You can be proactive by slowly acclimating them to the presence of a cat carrier, suitcase or box even before you really need it. Just leaving it out in the house can help to desensitize them to it. You can reward and reassure your pet with treats and praise when they investigate the items you have brought out. Also consider using pheromone products to help reduce stress in cats and dogs. Your vet can recommend an appropriate product. For dogs and cats who are really anxious, it may be more helpful to keep them away from all the commotion of packing by giving them a safe, quiet secluded space in the house, boarding them (If they do well with boarding) or having them stay at a friend or relative’s house if that is something they are used to doing.
If your veterinarian has prescribed medication for calming and anxiety in association with your trip, follow all instructions carefully about how much and when to administer it. Consider feeding your pet only a light meal before travel so that they are less likely to vomit their food back up due to motion sickness or anxiety while they are traveling. (Motion sickness in animals can also be treated and prevented with medication, so talk to your vet about that too if it’s an issue.)
On the day of travel, make sure your cat is in a secure carrier and your dog is on a leash or in a carrier. Position the carrier so that it is secure in case of a car accident, and consider using a seat belt for your dog. Allow potty breaks every few hours for dogs if you are driving. Use caution taking cats out of carriers either on road trips or in airports as they tend to bolt when they are scared. For some cats it can be helpful to also use a harness and leash as a back up to prevent them from getting lost.
What if my pet can’t travel?
There are sometimes situations where it is not in the pet’s best interest to travel. In some cases the requirements for entrance into another country cannot be met in time for your trip. Other pets suffer too much anxiety with travel that it is better to keep them at home or with a friend or family member, especially if you are going on a short trip and then returning. Some pets have an underlying health condition that makes travel unsafe. This can include some brachycephalic (flat faced) pets that suffer from difficulty breathing due to the shape of their skull and the narrowness of their airways. Since these animals have trouble breathing even on a good day, the stress of traveling in combination with their breathing difficulties can sometimes prove to be too much. See here for just one example of a brachycephalic dog who suffered from breathing difficulty while on a flight.
As sad as it may feel to leave your beloved pet behind while you travel, consider that it may be safer and much less stressful for them. Especially if you are traveling and returning, consider leaving your pet at home in the care of a family member, friend, or trusted pet sitter or boarding facility. This may sometimes be necessary just for a short period of time to help you finish all the requirements for your pet to join you abroad.
One last thought….
If you are traveling internationally with your pet and then returning to the United States, keep in mind that the U.S. DOES require a health certificate for your pet to cross back into the country. So depending on how long you are out of the country, you may need to have a new health certificate generated abroad by a veterinarian for reentry into the U.S. Dogs now also need to meet certain requirements put in place by the CDC to enter (or reenter) the US, and these vary depending on where they have been outside the US and where they were last vaccinated for rabies. Check here for more details.
Traveling with your pet can be very rewarding, but it does require some planning and foresight, and it may not always be the best option for your pet. Check with your vet early and often to help keep your trip on schedule if your pet is going to join you.
Bon Voyage!