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Senior Horse Winter Care

With Winter fast approaching and the temperatures dropping, we feel this is the perfect time to remind all horse owners of the special precautions they need to be aware of during this cold season, this time with a particular emphasis on the older horse.

Horses are sturdy animals that cope really well in cold temperatures – the real enemies during this season are the wind and the rain! However, there are some basic things you need to do to keep your horses protected, such as:

– Access to a waterproof and windproof shelter where your horses can seek protection from the elements.

– Access to fresh, unfrozen water at all times.

Water consumption in Winter is usually decreased in all species, but this is particularly dangerous for horses as it can lead to impaction colic or other gastrointestinal problems.

– Maintain an appropriate exercise routine.

Sometimes temperatures will drop to negative numbers, and no one really wants to go riding when it’s raining or snowing outside. However, exercise should be an integral part of a horse’s daily life as it helps maintain their physical health and keeps them mentally stimulated.

Just be extra careful riding in Winter, as it is more likely your horses can slip and fall.

They can also easily get chilled after a workout, so it is a good idea to spend some time walking your horses after exercise to allow them to cool down gradually.

– Pay particular attention to the hooves.

Besides regular maintenance, it’s also very important to check your horses’ hooves daily for snowballs, moisture and mud as these can cause foot problems such as flares, bruises and abscesses.

Consult with your farrier to decide if it’s best to keep your horse shod or barefoot during this season.

 

If your horse is on his or her golden years, there are some things you should consider more carefully to prepare for the cold season.

#1: Nutrition

Thoroughly assess and meet your horses’ nutritional needs: as a horse owner, you know how difficult it is to find the right nutritional balance to feed your horse and during Winter is no exception.

Calories that are not immediately converted to energy and used for physiological functions will be stored as fat, which helps to insulate the horse against the cold. In wild horses, fat reserves usually build up during Summer when forage is abundant, and they will naturally be consumed over Winter when food is sparse. This weight fluctuation is normal if within reasonable limits.

However, the modern horse lifestyle usually doesn’t compare to the wild horses’. Their life is not as harsh, and weather conditions are not as extreme if there is an appropriate shelter. Knowing this, alterations to your horse’s diet should be done accordingly.

Some horses, depending on their body condition score (BCS), will benefit from increased caloric intake to help them maintain their body temperature, as the digestive process is an excellent source of body heat. Pastures will also not be as available, and this will need to be compensated. To ensure your horses’ BCS stays at a healthy level and that they can fend off the cold, it’s a good idea to keep forage accessible at all times.

However, you should try to keep your horses’ weight stable as overweight horses are susceptible to laminitis, and other health problems. Make the necessary adjustments to your horses’ diet considering how much they are eating as well as what factors might be increasing or decreasing their needs.

Also, keep in mind that older horses aren’t able to digest food as efficiently as younger horses and a proper nutritional balance can be tricky to achieve.

 

#2: Rugs

Putting a rug on your horses should be carefully considered. On the one hand, it can provide extra warmth to keep them comfortable but on the other hand, horses’ have their own physiological, anatomical and behavioural mechanisms that regulate their body temperature which we might not want to interfere with.

Senior horses tend to have less muscle mass and fat to act as insulation and can have concurrent diseases that will hinder them from coping with the cold so they might benefit from this extra protection.

There are different types of rugs you can use on your horse, from simple rain sheets to heavier, warmer blankets. You should choose one that meets your horses’ needs and keep in mind that these may vary according to their environment and activities.

Don’t forget to check if it’s fitted correctly and inspect it daily so your horses don’t have wet or poorly fitting rugs on them. If you spot any issues, change the rug as soon as possible.

 

#3: Health check

If you have an older horse, you’re probably already familiar with all these extra precautions that we’re covering!

However, each horse has different requirements, and it’s always advisable to talk to your vet when preparing for the cold season. They can tell you what factors and issues might be influencing your horses’ capacity to deal with the cold and advise you on how to best prepare.

 

We hope you find this helpful, if you’d like to know more about caring for the older horse we can help!

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Basic care for kittens – part II

Last blog post we covered everything you can do to make sure your kittens feel welcome, comfortable, secure and loved in their new home. Today we’ll be focusing on other needs that should be addressed and that will become a part of your everyday life.

 

APPROPRIATE PLAY

Playing and exploring are essential activities for mental and physical development. From stalking, pouncing, striking, grabbing and climbing kittens learn and practice behaviours that would be vital for their survival if they were living in the wild.

Initially, kittens will engage in social play with their mum and siblings. However, by the time they come to our homes, usually after 8 weeks of age, they’ll be more interested in prey-oriented play. This type of play should always be directed at objects (toys) and it will help them develop their balance and eye-paw coordination.

Please do not engage in playing activities using your hands and feet as predatory behaviours will be inadvertently directed at the owner and this can cause aggressive behaviour towards people in the future.

Make sure the toys you provide are appropriate: kittens usually love toys that will involve some interaction from your end, such as fishing rods but are also easily entertained with a simple crumpled paper ball. To keep things exciting and fun you should alternate your kittens’ toys and provide places to hide, like a cardboard box.

It is also advisable to supervise your kittens while they’re playing. Kittens, just like babies, love to explore with their mouths so it is very important that tiny objects they may find interesting such as strings and hair ties are not left in their reach as they can cause gastrointestinal obstructions if ingested.

 

TRAINING

If you’ve never had a kitten, this might come as a surprise for you, but litter training a kitten takes zero effort. For most kittens, you just need to show them where the litter tray is and they will use it out of instinct.

You may also be wondering ‘Why would I want to train my cat?’.

If we were talking about dogs, we would immediately associate training with commands like ‘sit’ or ‘stay’. But when it comes to cats, even though they are just as capable (although probably not as willing!) of learning and performing commands as dogs, when we say training what we usually mean is other important things like how do I get my cat to not scratch the furniture or how do I keep my cat off the kitchen surfaces.

The first thing we need to acknowledge is that for cats to be happy and healthy, they need to be able to display their natural behaviour. Clawing and scratching are instinctive for cats and so is climbing to access higher grounds. If you don’t want your kittens to claw on your sofa, what you need to do is provide an alternative structure where they can redirect this behaviour.

If you want to teach your kittens to do something start rewarding the behaviours that you want them to develop by offering praise or small treats, for example, and remember that punishing can make them anxious, fearful and consequently aggressive.

 

HYGIENE

Proper hygiene, as well as adequate nutrition, are essential for good health. A standard hygienic routine should include grooming to keep your kittens’ coat and skin healthy, eye/ear cleaning, nail trimming if your kitten is an indoor cat, and dental hygiene at regular intervals. If you get your kittens used to being handled at a young age, they can learn to enjoy it, which will also make your visits to the vet easier.

 

HEALTH

Since you have the opportunity to start fresh, make sure you make preventative care a priority for your kittens. Take your kitten to the vet as soon as possible for a health check and take your notebook with you as your vet will be giving you lots of information and advise you on many important issues, such as microchip identification, worming and flea/tick treatments, vaccination, spaying/neutering, insurance options, nutrition, and they will be able to clarify any questions that you may have.

Regular visits to the vet are essential to make sure your kitten grows up healthy and protected!

 

Now that you have all this information, we hope you enjoy your new adventure!

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Cats, The Pet Professionals

Basic care for kittens – part I

Getting a kitten is a time of joy and excitement, but it also comes with great responsibility! With that in mind, we have put together some information to help you prepare for the new arrival!

Choosing a kitten

Kittens have different characters: some are quiet and enjoy napping on your lap, others are more extroverted and love the animation of a busy household. If possible, choose a kitten with a personality that will fit your lifestyle and that you think will feel comfortable in your usual home environment.

Home preparations

Before you bring your kitten home, there are some things that you must prepare in advance. And if you have or are planning to have more than one cat, make sure each cat has their own resources to avoid conflicts between them.

Step #1: Kitten-proofing

Yes, you read correctly, kitten-proofing exists. It is pretty much the same as baby-proofing but adapted for kittens! Without going into too much detail on this topic, we leave you a few examples:

  • All medication must be safely put away so that the kittens can’t get to it;
  • Tiny spaces where the kittens can get stuck while exploring should be sealed;
  • Windows should remain closed or adequately fenced with wire mesh to avoid accidental falls and getaways.

Step #2: Make them a place of their own

Make sure you prepare a space that feels comfortable and secure for your kittens. Even though they will probably want to hang out with you most of the time, they should have a special place of their own to go when they feel like being alone or want to rest undisturbed. Remember that a sound sleep is vital for growth and proper development! You should also provide places to hide in case they ever feel scared and need a secure place to escape and to make playtime even more fun!

Step #3: Feeding area

Cats are well known for being picky when it comes to… Well, basically everything, but this becomes even more evident when it comes to eating.

Cats don’t like to eat and drink at the same place. It goes against their instinct as in the wild, food is usually a decomposing carcass that would contaminate nearby water.

Cats also don’t have a natural tendency for drinking much water. You can encourage their drinking behaviour by having multiple sources of fresh water throughout the house.

If possible, their food and water bowls should be made of glass or metal, as plastic keeps unwanted scents even after thoroughly washed, and wide so that the edges won’t touch the whiskers.

Some people also tend to have the toileting area near the feeding area to keep everything close together and easily accessible for their cats. But if you were going out to eat at a restaurant, you wouldn’t like to seat at the table next to the restroom, and neither does your cat!

Who would have thought so much science was behind a simple meal?

Step #4: Toileting area

Keep it simple, clean and away from the food, and you won’t have problems!

The toileting area should be placed in a secluded, quiet corner where your kittens can do their business without being startled or interrupted.

Studies have shown that cats prefer open litter trays with plain, unscented litter. Faeces and urine should be removed daily, and you should replace all the litter, clean and disinfect the tray at least once a week.

If you have more than one cat in your household, the golden rule is that you should have a litter tray for each cat and an additional one just in case.

Step #5: Environmental enrichment

Try to make your kittens’ new environment as close as you can to their life in the wild, and they’ll grow into happy, healthy, confident cats.

  • Provide toys and encourage playing to simulate hunting.
  • Cat trees and other tall structures they can climb and perch on are a great way of giving them vertical territory to observe prey.
  • And don’t forget to add some scratching poles for claw maintenance and territory marking, otherwise, your furniture and curtains will be the things that suffer!

Taking your kitten home

Keep in mind that you’re taking the kittens from the place where they’ve probably been their whole life and, as you can imagine, this can be a cause of great distress. To try to minimise this stress, you can put a familiar smelling item in the carrier or use a pheromone spray to help create a feeling of calm and security for your kittens.

First impressions

They’re finally home!

To make your kittens’ transition to their new home go as smoothly as possible make sure you let them do things at their own pace. Start by showing the kittens the room you’ve prepared for them. Let them explore freely. If they feel like hiding, be patient and don’t force them to come out. They will, eventually, when they feel ready. Make sure they know where the feeding, drinking and toileting areas are placed. When they feel comfortable, let them get acquainted with the rest of the house.

It is essential to remember that all introductions must be done gradually, with patience, and preferably one thing at a time, whether it’s an object, another pet, or other people.

 

Stay tuned for part II, where we’ll cover health, hygiene, socialisation, playing, training and more!

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Dogs, The Pet Professionals

Firework Season

With the firework season fast approaching we’re getting excited about the festivities; however, many dogs are terrified of the zips, whizzes, bangs and other loud noises.
Noise phobia can manifest in different ways, and the signs usually progress over time unless action is taken. But how can you tell if your dog is stressed? As an owner and everyday companion, you’ll probably know even if you can’t explain precisely why.
For some dogs, it’s very easy to notice when they’re stressed as you’ll see them drooling, trembling, putting their tail between their legs, vocalising, pacing around, trying to hide, acting destructively (digging, chewing, breaking things) or attempting to escape. Other dogs show more subtle signs of stress such as panting and yawning that can sometimes be missed.
Even though they may be doing things that they shouldn’t like pawing at the doors or evacuating indoors, you should never reprimand your dogs for displaying fear, as this will cause them even more distress and have adverse long-term consequences.
With that in mind, we prepared this post with some tips to help you prepare for the upcoming days so you can try to minimise your dogs’ stress.
BEFORE THE EVENT
– Talk to your vet
There are medications and pheromone diffusers available that may help instil a feeling of calm for your dog. Your vet will be able to indicate what’s best suited to your dog’s case.
– Create a safe area for your dog
This should not be done on the day of the event. You can prepare a space for your dog in advance and let him or her get to know it before anything happens so that it feels familiar and safe when the fireworks start to pop. This can be in a separate, quiet room, or can just be a bed/crate, a place where you know your dog feels secure. Add some toys, a favourite blanket or even some of your clothes to reinforce this feeling and make it even cosier.
– Walk your dog earlier
Fireworks are usually let off in the evening or at night so make sure you’ve walked your dog earlier to avoid being outside when they start.
Also, a tired dog is a more relaxed dog, so make sure you allow lots of play time to get the desired effect!
Keep your dog on a lead while you’re walking and make sure the identification tag and microchip information are up to date in case he or she gets spooked and runs off.
– Bring your dog indoors before fireworks are let off
This will prevent your dog from escaping in fear and inadvertently getting lost.
The sounds produced by the fireworks will also be less audible inside. To further muffle the sounds or distract your dog from them, you can switch the tv/radio on. Closing the curtains can also block the flashing lights going on outside.
– Did someone say treats?
If your dog is food-motivated, having some treats to hand out before all the noise starts might be a good way to distract and keep your pet entertained throughout all of the commotion. Chews, activity feeders and toys stuffed with food make excellent, long-lasting treat options.
THROUGH THE EVENT
You should stay calm and act normally as dogs react strongly to our emotions and behaviours. If you are behaving differently, your dog will assume things are quite bad!
If your dog is relaxed, give lots of praise for calm behaviour. Petting and cuddling can be an option if you feel it might help your dog settle, but if he or she would rather hide in the safe area you prepared or under your bed, then let your dog do this instead and try to keep disturbances to a minimum.
It is very important that your dog has choices available during times of stress or fear as most dogs will naturally find their own safe place.
WELL IN ADVANCE
We’ve covered some short-term options for you to help your dog through the fireworks; however, prevention is always the best approach.
If you have a puppy, teach him or her to accept a wide range of noises from an early age. Just like socialisation, this will help your puppy grow into a balanced, happy, confident dog.
As for adult dogs, you can also train them to accept different noises, it will just take a bit more time and patience as they may already have fearful experiences associated with them. This type of training is known as desensitisation and counter-conditioning and should be done with the assistance of your vet or a qualified behaviourist. Just keep in mind that this is going to be a gradual process, so you should seek help at least 3 to 6 months in advance.
We hope you find this helpful and wish that you have a great time during the firework season!

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Horses, The Pet Professionals

Horses’ Digestive Process


Horses are herbivorous animals that have a very complex and sensitive digestive system. As with all animals, proper nutrition is vital for their wellness and health.

Let’s do a simple overview of the horses’ digestive process!

There are some things in common between horses’ and our digestion: it will start in the mouth, where food is grabbed, chewed and then off it goes into the stomach lubricated with salivary digestive enzymes to help the digestive process. In the stomach, the process continues with other enzymes, acid and lots of mixing so food can now reach the small intestine in bits tiny enough to be broken down into usable nutrients like fats, glucose and amino acids.

So far, so good! This process is familiar to all of us.

But it’s when the food particles reach the large intestine that things get a lot different. Horses, unlike us, have the ability to digest cellulose from plants. But actually, even though they get all the credit for it, they are not the ones doing it! Cellulose (fibre) is digested by microorganisms, bacteria and protozoa, present in the caecum, a 30 litre intestinal fermentation chamber, where all the magic happens. The fibre is then transformed into volatile fatty acids which are absorbed and provide an important source of energy for horses.

What this means is, when we’re feeding our horses we have to make the horses happy and the fermenting microorganisms happy as well! Otherwise, we will start seeing problems like poor performance and even severe health issues, such as weight loss or obesity, colic, founder, osteoarticular issues, gastrointestinal ulcers, among others.

Here is an example: before domestication, horses pretty much spent their whole day eating the same thing. It would be either that or roaming to find a new place to eat! So over time, their digestive systems evolved to perfectly deal with the naturally available food. With domestication, horses are usually enclosed in pastures, paddocks and barns which keeps them from roaming and grazing. Also, their caloric needs are different. Some days horses will need more calories as they spend more because they are working or performing; other days they’ll need less as they’re stabled and won’t burn as many. As a result, concentrate feed has been introduced in horses’ diets to meet their daily caloric intake requirements. However, as concentrate is not a natural food for horses, sometimes gastrointestinal problems may occur.

As you’ve figured out by now, the number of things that influence the horses’ digestive process is pretty big and finding the correct nutritional balance to keep your horses happy and healthy is not easy.

If you need help or if you’d like to know more about equine nutrition, please talk to us!

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Cats

Could you please stop that?!

Cats are loving animals that utterly captivate us and, let’s face it, we couldn’t live without them! But have you ever thought about the number of things they seem to come up with just to annoy us? We’ve put together a list of the ‘Top 4 Most Annoying Cat Behaviours’, and are going to take a moment to try to figure out if our cats are deliberately trying to make us crazy.

#1: Scratching

If you have a cat and a sofa, you know what we’re talking about. Usually, we scold them and shoo them away to stop. But we shouldn’t be reprimanding them for doing something that comes naturally to them.

Scratching is used for claw maintenance and communication. Cats have special scent glands in their paws, so besides creating a visual mark that identifies the scratched object as their own, they’ll also leave their distinctive scent that reinforces this message.

The best approach to scratching is not to stop them from doing it, but to provide appropriate alternative structures that they can scratch.

#2: Running around at 3 am

Sleeping all day, running around all night; this is the one that might actually make us go insane.!

Again, cats are naturally more active at night. It’s just how they’re biologically designed. But you can teach your cats to be active at different, more convenient hours by feeding them and encouraging them to play during the morning and earlier evening hours.

#3: Dead – or worse, dying – presents

Cats are brilliant hunters. Even when they are properly fed, they still hunt out of instinct. In the wild, cat mothers bring home dead, injured and even live prey to progressively teach kittens how to eat, kill and hunt themselves. Male cats do this too, and it has been theorised that there might also be an element of bonding in this behaviour as well.

The ideal outcome in this situation is if the ‘teaching experience’ doesn’t get dropped on our face!

#4: Always on top…

… Of our heads, if we’re sleeping and miss breakfast time. Well, this one is on us, we can’t blame the cats.

… Of whatever we’re trying to do: this one has a simple explanation. Even though they might not overtly admit it, our cats love us and are just trying to get our attention. Either that or the laptop is feeling warm and cosy, and it is obviously the best place for our fluffy sovereigns to sit on.

… Of the kitchen counters: cats like vertical territory and the kitchen counters/table/bookcase/refrigerator just happen to be higher than the floor. This also comes out of instinct, since cats are both predator and prey and being on higher ground will give them access to a wider visual field.

… Of wherever, knocking things over – specialists haven’t gotten to a consensus on this one, so we guess this is the one that has got to be on purpose! (Or well, maybe they just want our attention and don’t realise how pricey that vase was…)

The bottom line is: no, our cats are not trying to annoy us, these behaviours are deeply rooted in cats’ natural survival instincts and come out naturally for them. We just have to find alternative ways for our cats to express them. If we’re being honest, this is what makes us love them so much anyway.

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Cats, Dogs, Horses

Reward-based training

Training is an activity that can not only be useful in your daily life, but it can also be gratifying for both you and your dogs. By spending quality time together, you’ll strengthen the bond between you and your dog, keeping your pet mentally stimulated. It will take some time, patience, and lots of treats, but soon you’ll start seeing results!

In this post, we’ll focus on reward-based training though there are a number of different methods for training your dog.

To keep it simple, reward-based training consists of rewarding your dogs when they do something that you want them to do.

A reward doesn’t necessarily mean a treat (surprisingly, some dogs are not very food-motivated!). It can be anything from verbal praise to fuss or cuddles, whatever you feel your dogs will enjoy the most.

As for unwanted behaviours, just choose to ignore them! That way, they will not lead to the desired reward, and your dogs will soon learn that there is really no point in keeping up with them. They will be much more interested in performing the desired, rewarded behaviour instead.

Here is an example: when they sit on command, they get a reward. Soon, your dogs will start sitting more readily and voluntarily in anticipation, as they have learned that following the desired behaviour of sitting, there will be a reward.

This learning process happens by making positive associations between a behaviour and a reward. At the same time, your dogs will be making positive associations with training and you, the provider of rewards!

If you want everything to go smoothly, there are two things that you should keep in mind: timing and consistency. For your dogs to make the correct association between the behaviour you want them to do and the reward, your timing must be spot on. As for consistency, it will help your dogs learn much faster and with fewer mistakes, as you’ll be giving them clear directions on what you want them to do.

Even though dogs have been mentioned throughout this post, training is not only for them! The learning process is very similar across species so virtually every pet can be trained. You can even make training a family activity and get your children involved with pet care.

Why not take advantage of these last summer days, go outside and start training your dog today? If you need any help, we’re here for you!

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Horses

Equine Therapy

Animal-assisted activities and therapies have benefits that have been recognised for a long time, and equine therapy is no exception.

As the name indicates, this type of therapy makes use of horses to help people who are dealing with physical, emotional and mental problems, such as attention deficit disorder, autism, Down syndrome, depression, motor skill problems, and many others.

Even though horses are very large animals, it is their gentle nature that makes equine therapy so successful. Horses are great at reflecting people’s emotions, as they are very perceptive and pick up and respond to minimal sensory information. This and the fact that horses have some response and social behaviours that are like our own make it natural for people to establish a connection with them.

With the assistance of certified professionals and through interaction with horses, people learn to cope with their disabilities and associated hurdles. They learn how to deal with specific situations, overcome difficulties and achieve emotional growth, as well as developing their communication and socialisation skills.

This is accomplished through activities that fit each individual’s character and preferences such as horseback riding, horse care, horse grooming, saddling and basic equestrian lessons.

If you have a horse, you’re probably familiar with the sense of calm and freedom that they can instill in us, but it is great to know that they can also help people who are struggling as well. As Churchill once put it “There’s something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man”, and horses have been proving him right.

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Cats

‘Purr’fect Summer Body

Even though your cats won’t be self-conscious about exposing their chubby bodies on the beach this summer, you should be concerned because overweight and obesity, for people and for pets, shouldn’t be seen only as an aesthetic problem. Those extra pounds are harmful to your cats’ health and well-being, as overweight cats are more likely to develop heart problems, joint complaints, respiratory issues, and diabetes among others.

So, what can you do to help your feline friends shed those extra pounds?

There are many approaches to weight loss, and you should always seek veterinary assistance before you start your cat on a weight loss journey. One of these approaches is through taking advantage of a cat’s natural behaviour. If you try to create an environment as close as possible to a cat’s life in the wild, not only will they start to lose weight but they will also be happier.

The first thing you’ll need to address is their food intake. Are your cats eating the right amount of food? How many times a day are they being fed? Is the food you’re feeding them appropriate to their life stage? Are you giving them extra treats? A cat’s natural instinct is to eat small amounts of food, several times a day so try distributing their allowed food into several small portions throughout the day.

The other significant component of virtually every weight loss strategy is an increased activity level.

If your cats are severely overweight, a gentle, gradual start in increasing their activity level is needed. You can do this by making their feeding area a little more difficult to access (e.g. placing their eating bowl in a higher platform), or using a puzzle feeder, adding an extra challenge to an every-day routine.

You can engage in playful activities with your cats by tapping into their predatorial instincts simulating moving prey with different kinds of toys, which will encourage chasing and pouncing and will increase their activity overall.

Having a cat tree or a tall structure that your cats can climb onto is another great way to encourage them to play and stay active, as cats are naturally drawn to higher places which enhance their field of vision significantly.

As cat owners, you’ve probably been awoken several times by strenuous running around at 5 a.m. This is because cats are naturally more active at dusk and dawn and that’s when they’ll be more motivated to play. But don’t let this stop you! You can teach your cats to be more active at more convenient hours.

You’re probably also used to seeing your cat run like crazy for five minutes and then lose complete interest in playing with you or even moving at all. Cats have evolved to move around a lot for short periods of time and then rest for a good while, so don’t be surprised if they don’t care much for playing with you for longer than 10 minutes.

The bottom line is really to get your cat moving, so if you find an effective way of doing so, you’re doing it right!

Keep in mind that weight loss is a challenging, sometimes frustrating journey, but if you keep at it and be patient, you’ll soon see results!

<a href=”https://www.thepetprofessionals.co.uk/courses/feline-courses.php”>Would you like to know more about cats? Check our Feline Courses:
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Cats, Dogs

Pet Passports

Taking our pets on holiday is a growing trend, and there is nothing like having your furry buddy with you on adventures abroad!

But did you know that your dog, cat or ferret will need a passport if they are going to travel with you outside of the UK?

Owners are responsible for ensuring that their pets are fully compliant with the rules of the EU pet travel scheme and, to do that, you’ll need to schedule an appointment with your Vet so he or she can help you meet the requirements.

To have a passport issued, your pets will need to be microchipped, and before you’re allowed to exit the country with them, there are other requirements they’ll need to meet:

#1: They must be older than 15 weeks of age;

#2: They must have a valid rabies vaccination;

#3: Tapeworm treatment if needed.

While some EU countries will allow young unvaccinated pets to travel (subject to certain conditions), the UK does not permit this.

Tick treatment is no longer a legal requirement to travel; however, regular parasite treatments are usually advised whether your pet is travelling or not.

It is crucial to acknowledge that entry requirements vary according to the country you’ll be travelling to and failure to comply with them can mean your pet will be quarantined or sent back to the country it travelled from at your expense, so make sure that you have everything up to date!

If you have any more questions about travelling abroad with your pet, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad.

Would you like to know more about dogs? Check our Canine Courses:

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