Travel

Loyal Family Veterinary Hospital offers Health Certificates for travel within the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii) as well as Canada and Mexico.

As of July 1, 2022, Loyal Family Veterinary Hospital is no longer offering International Health Certificates.

**ATTENTION** International Travel (including Canada & Mexico): Effective August 1, 2024, there will be new CDC requirements for all dogs re-entering the United States. This includes re-entry from Canada and Mexico.

Traveling to and/or from a Rabies Free or LOW-RISK Country - Click HERE to review the new requirements.

- Canada and Mexico are considered Low-Risk Rabies countries.

Traveling to and/or from a HIGH-RISK Rabies Country - Click HERE to review the new requirements.

- For a complete list of High-Risk Rabies countries - Click HERE

Traveling INTERSTATE?

Most states require a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), or also commonly known as a health certificate. Dogs and cats over 3 months of age must have a certificate of a current rabies vaccination. The health certificate paperwork can be filled out by a licensed and accredited veterinarian after a physical exam has been performed. This health certificate is only valid within 10 days (depending on the airline) of importation or arrival at your final destination. Each airline and state may have different requirements, so be sure to check with the airline for specific requirements when making the reservation for travel.

Advanced Arrangements with Airlines

If you are traveling on a commercial flight with your pet in the cabin or in cargo, please contact your airline for the specific requirements. Make sure you call the airline directly to make the reservation and confirm that there is space for your pet on the flight. Airlines can refuse transport of your pet for various reasons such as if there are any signs of illness, aggression/violent behavior, an improper carrier that does not meet the airline's guidelines or if extreme temperatures mandate that it is not safe for your pet to travel.

We recommend getting your pet accustomed to their carrier before travel. Try to make the carrier a safe and positive place. Have the carrier in an area where the pets can go in and out of if they wish. You can try to feed them a meal in their carrier or give them a fun toy or treat.

If you are traveling to or from a destination where the temperature is below 45 degrees Fahrenheit or above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, most health certificates must have a specific statement from the veterinarian that your pet is acclimated to theses extreme temperature for short periods of time. Be aware, if the temperatures are too extreme (cold or hot), the airline will probably deem it unsafe for transport of your pet.

Please note, many pet relocation companies and veterinarians do not recommend sedation when flying pets. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), sedating cats or dogs during air travel may increase the risk of heart and respiratory problems. Except in unusual circumstances, veterinarians should not dispense sedatives for animals that are to be transported.

This is great website that has links to various airlines and their requirements.

https://www.bringfido.com/travel/airline_policies/

If you are planning on traveling interstate, please contact us to schedule a veterinary exam within the appropriate time-frame required by your airline (typically 7-10 days) for the health certificate to be completed and have your pet's rabies certificate information with you.

Traveling INTERNATIONALLY?

If you are planning on traveling internationally with your pet, please contact a pet travel company to assist you with the required steps and paperwork.

Ally Pet Medical (Dr. Colleen Roberts, DVM only) -  www.allypetmc.com

Appointments available Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays - *By Appointment only (no walk-ins)

Phone: 425-395-7515

Email: contact@allypetmc.com

Urban Animal - Urban Animal (urbananimalnw.com)

*By Appointment only (no walk-ins)

Passenger Pet Veterinary – Dr. Suzanne Byrd, DVM

Mobile Practice USDA accredited Veterinarian

Email: passengerpetvet@gmail.com

Phone: 530-848-5726

Pawsitive Pet Health Certificates - Pawsitive Pet Health Certificates

Email: info@pawsitivepethealthcertificates.com

Pet Relocation - www.petrelocation.com

Across the Pond Pets Animal Pet Travel Specialist - Across The Pond Pets │ Pets Travel & Live Animal Transport Services

Most countries have strict regulations on international pet travel. The USDA-APHIS website is a great resource to find most information required for the export of animals to countries outside the United States: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/importexport/animal-import-and-export.  It is also recommended to contact the embassy or consulate of the destination country. Each country has specific times and regulations, with even more specific paperwork and documentation and these requirements can change over time. For example, some countries require a rabies titer (blood test), external or internal parasite treatments, specific health screening tests, etc. Some countries also have quarantine rules when your pet arrives to the new country. Please note that some countries like Australia and New Zealand have particularly strict requirements and it can take many months of preparation to import pets into those countries.

After the country's specific required paperwork and physical exam have been completed by an accredited veterinarian, the paperwork then has to be reviewed and signed, or endorsed, by Washington State's USDA Veterinarian in Olympia. An in-person appointment can be scheduled with the USDA veterinarian OR you can overnight the paperwork to the office. There is also an additional fee to have the paperwork endorsed by the USDA Veterinarian.

Rabies Titer Info for International Travel

A blood rabies titer test for dogs and cat is required by many countries prior to importation. Countries that require a rabies titer typically mandate greater than 0.50 IU/mL to allow for importation. Our hospital uses the Kansas State University Rabies Laboratory and it takes approximately 3-4 weeks for the titer results to be returned. If you are traveling in less than 3 weeks, there is an expedited STAT service available. The required timeline varies on the country, but most titer results are required 30-180 days before entering the country. Most countries require that the pet be vaccinated for rabies at least 30 days prior to the blood sample being drawn.

**Due to continued staffing shortages, Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory will not be able to perform expedited STAT testing effective immediately. This temporary discontinuation is for STAT testing ONLY. **

In addition, the turnaround time for regular FAVN testing will be delayed and are taking about 6-8 weeks.