If you are planning to travel with your dog outside of the UK, it is important to be aware of potential health risks that your dog may not encounter at home. There are many serious diseases that are endemic in mainland Europe but are rarely seen in the UK, such as Brucella canis and Leishmaniasis. However, with careful management of your dog and appropriate parasite prevention, your pet can be kept safe on holiday.
Parasite prevention
As at home in the UK, we recommend your dog is protected from fleas, ticks and intestinal worms. Tick protection is especially important as there are some tick borne diseases prevalent in mainland Europe, such as Erlichia, which can lead to serious illness. In order to prevent diseases from being transmitted to your dog, the protection must either repel the ticks or kill ticks within 24 hours; speak to your vet to ensure your dog is getting the correct prevention product. We also recommend avoiding tick prone areas such as long grass and checking your dog daily for ticks. Ticks should be removed with a special ‘tick remover’ tool which carefully twists the tick free. Never crush, squeeze or pull out a tick with tweezers as you’re likely to leave some parts behind (and cause them to regurgitate the blood they’ve eaten in the mean time, increasing the risk of transmitting disease)!
Sand fly repellent is vital if you are travelling to mainland Europe, particularly Southern France, Spain, Portugal, Italy or Greece. Sand flies transmit a disease called Leishmaniasis, a chronic condition which can cause skin lesions, lethargy, weight loss and kidney failure. Leishmaniasis is an incredibly difficult and costly disease to manage that could potentially shorten your dog’s life expectancy. We recommend protection from sand flies with a collar or a spot on treatment, speak to your vet about the product that would be most suitable for your dog. As with any medication, we recommend obtaining products from your vet or a reputable, licenced pharmacy; unfortunately there are many fake versions of parasite collars on eBay or other selling sites which look identical to the real thing but will be ineffective and potentially harmful to your pet. Sand flies are not just found on the beach as the name suggests, these are found in urban and rural areas too and are most active at dusk.
Tapeworm treatment is required prior to travel for certain countries (Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland and Norway) as well as for your return to the UK. The treatment must be approved for use in the country it’s being given in and contain praziquantel or an equivalent proven to be effective against the Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm. The treatment must be given between 24-120 hours prior to entry into the UK (or the other countries listed), if you are planning a long trip, you will need to find a vet abroad who can administer the treatment and sign your dog’s animal health certificate.
Brucella canis
Brucella canis is a disease spread through contact with an infected animal (via contaminated bodily fluids). In dogs, brucellosis may not result in any obvious symptoms but causes reproductive issues such as infertility and abortions as well as muscle weakness, lethargy and premature aging. The biggest concern is that Brucella canis is a zoonotic pathogen and can be passed to humans, leaving owners and veterinary professionals at risk of infection. More can be read about the impact of Brucella canis on humans here. Brucella in endemic in many eastern European countries, particularly in populations of homeless street dogs. Whilst the risk of infection is low if travelling to popular holiday destinations such as France, Spain or Italy, it is still recommended to manage your dogs movements whilst travelling, especially as the freedom of movement in Europe means the dogs you are coming into contact with abroad could be from one of the high-risk countries. Ensure dogs are kept on a lead and do not interact with native, unknown canines.
Contact details
If your dog does go stray, the easiest way for a finder to contact you is if they have a contact number on your dog’s collar. Make sure the number on your dog’s tag includes the correct country code and a mobile number for while you are travelling, together with meeting any of the requirements of the country or countries you are travelling in.
Dogs with chronic conditions
If your dog has a long term chronic condition (such as allergies, arthritis or heart disease) make sure you have enough medication for your trip. It is also a good idea to ask your vet for a copy of your dog’s medical history (this can be emailed to you) so that you have it to hand should your dog need veterinary care while you are away.
Call us on 01435 864422 if you would like to book a pre-travel advice consult with one of our vets.
