Pet travel disease risks

Abstract

An ever-increasing number of pets, particularly dogs, are travelling from and back to the UK with their owners, in addition to new pets being brought in having been acquired outside the UK (often as ‘rescues’), and puppies bred outside the UK and imported legally or illegally. Such pet travel risks the importation of a variety of diseases that generally have not been present in the UK. Veterinary surgeons need to be aware of the risks associated with pet travel, and have a good understanding of these diseases. ESCCAP is an excellent source of information on parasites. To protect animal health, it is necessary to go well beyond the Pet Travel Scheme requirements. It is important to be able to provide owners with the best advice and preventative treatments to minimise the risks of pets acquiring parasitic, vector-borne and other diseases while travelling — for their benefit and for the longer-term health and welfare of the UK pet population, as well as the health of the human population. For any disease prevention or control programme to be effective, awareness and motivation must be raised, and for this, communication is key. It is vital to tailor the language used to match the audience in order for any message to be heard and accepted, and it is essential to remember the emotional attachment that people develop for animals they are ‘rescuing’.