Pets on vacation

Watch out for parasites!

Cats

First of you all, it’s important to realize that cats are sensitive to stress, so our advice is to let your sleeping beauty at home. If you do wish to bring your cat with you, be sure to take these things in account:

• Your cat needs to be chipped
• Your cat needs an (valid) European passport
• Your cat needs to be vaccinated (the vaccination is effectual after 3 weeks, be sure take this into account)

Our recommendation is to leave your cat at home, with someone that keeps an eye on him/her. If you bring your cat to a pet hotel, we advise you to bring it to one that doesn’t keep dogs, to prevent your cat from experiencing stress. Also, keep in mind that for many pet hotels it is mandatory to first treat your pet against worms, fleas and ticks.

Dogs

Dogs love vacation, we all know the lovely pictures with dogs hanging out the window sniffing new, fresh air. But please be careful, foreign countries may have bigger risks then your local park. This means that your dog may need more vaccinations than you’re used to. When you leave your dog at home or bring him to a pension, there are multiple things to take into account.

• Vaccination is mandatory
• Vaccination is effectual after 3-4 weeks
• An European passport is needed to travel with your dog
• Just like cats, most pet hotels require dogs to be treated against worms, fleas and ticks before you check them in.

Different types of parasites

There are multiple types of parasites to watch out for, especially during the summer months. Here are the most important ones:

Fleas

Fleas are active all year round, but especially in the warmer months (April to October). So it’s important to be extra cautious during the summer months. But, since fleas don’t have calendars, it’s recommended to protect your pet year round, especially during warmer winters. For protection against fleas we recommend products like Advantage, Bolfo and Seresto.

Ticks

Just like fleas, ticks get more active when the weather gets warmer. Especially when you have an outdoor pet it is wise to check him or her for ticks every several days. Unlike fleas, ticks are not only dangerous for your loyal companion, but also for you as owner. We recommend products like Seresto, Advantix and Scalibor. A lot of products that offer protection against fleas also provide protection against ticks.

Sandflies (dogs only)

Sandflies are active during the night and can carry diseases. This diseases can develop into serious illnesses. Luckily the products Scalibor and Advantix offer excellent protection against sandflies.

Heartworm mosquitos (dogs only)

Heartworm mosquitos can cause heartworm disease. This happens when the female mosquito transfers her eggs into the dog and these larvae nest themselves round the major blood vessels near the heart. This can lead to serious repercussions if the dog doesn’t receive treatment. Advantix is a great product to protect your dog against heartworm mosquitos.