Page 20 - Real Rochdale Issue 22 Summer 2024
P. 20
Pet Travel
With summer holidays in mind, there is
often a decision whether to take our pets
with us or leave them behind.
There are a few options if you decide not to
take your pet with you.
Pet sitters
Either in your house or at someone else’s
home. Make sure that you check insurance
and whether the pet sitter is registered. Ask
for references from previous customers, ABOUT THE WRITER
speak to friends and family and see if they Clare Farnsworth qualified from Liverpool in
can recommend somebody. 2003. She had a brief stint in mixed
practice before settling into her small animal
Kennels/cattery vet career. She has worked locally for the past
There are many excellent kennels and 15 years before opening a new practice in
Milnrow last year.
catteries in the area. Again, do your
research. You should be asked to ensure
that your pets’ vaccinations are up to date date of the previous rabies vaccination).
and sometimes this needs to be completed Your pet will need to have a working
a few weeks prior to their stay. Speak to the microchip at the time of vaccination.
kennels to ensure that you won’t run out of
time. In most cases, the paperwork takes about
an hour for the vet to complete, so please
Taking your pet with you speak to your practice in plenty of time to
There are lots of pet-friendly holiday allow a suitable appointment time.
options in the UK. The main issue people
have is travel sickness in their pets. For most EU countries, you do not need to
Stopping often and allowing your dog to get give dogs a tapeworm treatment before
out and walk for a few minutes can help. If you leave the UK, but you will need to treat
the sickness is quite severe, there are prior to re-entering the UK. This treatment
options to treat with medication. Please needs to be given and certified by a vet on
speak to your vet in plenty of time to allow the continent before you return.
discussion of the options, and perhaps a
trial run. It is also a good idea to research the area
you are travelling to for any other parasites
To travel to the EU with a dog, cat or ferret you should be aware of and take steps to
you will need an Animal Health Certificate prevent infection. For example, sandflies
(AHC) unless you already have a valid EU can be an issue near the Mediterranean;
passport. These AHCs are completed by these parasites can cause diseases in our
your vet up to 10 days before travelling, but pets.
preparations can take several weeks.
If you have any questions, please speak to
Your pet will need to have a rabies your vet. They will be able to advise you on
vaccination at least three weeks prior to the what steps you need to take to allow you
certificate being issued (unless they are to have a fantastic holiday – whether you
having a booster vaccination before the due decide to take your pet with you or not.
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