Do you want to bring your pet abroad on holidays (or permanently)? No problem! Just don't leave the preparations until the last minute!
Dogs, cats and ferrets can easily travel between all EU countries, as long as they are microchipped/have a valid rabies vaccination/have a pet passport (you can even have a photo of your furry family member in the passport!). The first time your pet receives a rabies vaccination he must wait 21 days before he can leave Ireland to ensure he has adequate immunity against rabies. Coming back into Ireland from the EU is easy too, you just need to attend a local vet at your holiday destination for your pet to be given a tablet medication against a spectacularly nasty and dangerous tapeworm called Echinococcus Multilocularis, and have his passport stamped to that effect, between 1 and 5 days prior to arrival back in Ireland. Ireland is free of that tapeworm, and we want to keep it that way, as humans can also be affected and it is often fatal. But regular worming of your pet while he is abroad will protect him from infestation with that tapeworm.
If you are travelling to more exotic locations. please ring us 4-6 months in advance so we can research current legal requirements for travel to the individual country in question. Each country has its own legislation for importing pets from Ireland, and some countries require blood tests/specific paperwork/quarantine etc, so plan well in advance.
We can also advise you on how to protect your pet from exotic diseases and parasites while off soaking up the sun. Some of those diseases such as leishmaniasis are truly horrible, and can be passed to people, so best be careful and keep everyone safe. And speaking of the sun, we will also advise you how to protect your Irish complexioned pet from the adverse effects of heatstroke/sunburn etc.
