Hi,
I have read the blog post about pets... but since it's been a few months, I thought I'd ask my questions and see if I could get more recent information. I have two dogs- one german shepherd mix (70lbs) and one chihuahua mix (5.5lbs)...
I plan on bringing them with me to whatever post I have, but I was wondering the cost. I've had the shepherd with me for some time and have shipped her from Va to Ca a few years ago when I moved here and that cost a few hundred dollars... I was wondering what should I expect to ship her to Eastern Europe/Central Asia? Should I go with a pet moving company or on my own? My chihuahua has gone on planes with me (back and forth from Ca to Va) a few times and is fine in the cabin- but I've found a lot of airlines don't allow pets in cabin on transatlantic flights.... anyone have any solutions?
I'm guessing whatever school I end up with will buy my plane ticket... can I request a certain airline like Lufthansa and pay the difference or is that frowned upon/not done?
Any help at all would be great- I've had one dog for almost 5 years and the other for a year... I can't imagine splitting them up or not bringing them with me. Thanks!
Bringing my dogs...
Our dog traveled with us to Europe and to China and the travel part was fairly straightforward each time. One of my favorite memories is watching him being unloaded in Frankfurt and carted away with the wind blowing through his hair on a beautiful sunny day.
Having said that, different countries have different requirements and you need to make sure you understand what paperwork is involved for each country. We naively believed our veterinarian when he said that Canadian paperwork would suffice, only to fly into Vienna and have our paperwork denied. When we moved to China we hired a company to do the China leg for us but I know lots of people that do it on their own. In China the animal is in quarantine for a week upon arrival which probably stresses out the owner more than the pet.
The one comment a clerk made to us when we left for Europe was how much she appreciated the fact that we had a large kennel for our dog. She said too many people try to skimp on expense and large dogs are crammed into small kennels.
One last bit of advice, or at least a question, are you prepared to have your dogs in an apartment? In Europe we had a townhouse with a fenced backyard but in China we have lived only in apartments and I was never comfortable keeping him penned up all day inside.
We never have had problems finding vets or dog supplies wherever we have lived.
Having said that, different countries have different requirements and you need to make sure you understand what paperwork is involved for each country. We naively believed our veterinarian when he said that Canadian paperwork would suffice, only to fly into Vienna and have our paperwork denied. When we moved to China we hired a company to do the China leg for us but I know lots of people that do it on their own. In China the animal is in quarantine for a week upon arrival which probably stresses out the owner more than the pet.
The one comment a clerk made to us when we left for Europe was how much she appreciated the fact that we had a large kennel for our dog. She said too many people try to skimp on expense and large dogs are crammed into small kennels.
One last bit of advice, or at least a question, are you prepared to have your dogs in an apartment? In Europe we had a townhouse with a fenced backyard but in China we have lived only in apartments and I was never comfortable keeping him penned up all day inside.
We never have had problems finding vets or dog supplies wherever we have lived.
Overhere, thank you so much for answering! I've been doing a ton of research on the paperwork- I'm starting to think most of the moving stress will come from moving them, moreso than moving me! When I shipped my shepherd over to Cali, I went bigger than I needed because I was afraid of being turned away from the airline- so the size of the crate will not be a problem. I'd rather have them safe and sound than save a little bit of money... by that size, the cost isn't usually too much, I discovered- atleast domestically.
As for the apartment- both dogs are inside dogs. While currently I do enjoy a yard, this is the first time I've had a house with a yard- they are used to walks and dog parks. ...They are quite spoiled and once I leave, they both jump on the sofa and take long naps together. :-).
As for the apartment- both dogs are inside dogs. While currently I do enjoy a yard, this is the first time I've had a house with a yard- they are used to walks and dog parks. ...They are quite spoiled and once I leave, they both jump on the sofa and take long naps together. :-).
I flew with my dog from Africa to Europe. I found the paper work to be the primary problem, made more difficult by the fact that I was in Africa. If you are going to the EU, you will need to check EU regulations, because they are quite strict. I would not rely on what a vet/the airlines tell you. If you do all your research, you should be fine.
Yeah, it's definitely way more stressful moving my dog, than moving me. Surprisingly, getting them into the States is easy; it's the other way that can be difficult. When I was preparimg to come to Mongolia, I had every intention of bringing the dog, but was told he'd have to stay in quarantine for a week if I went through Beijing, and Korean Air (going through Seoul) would fly him to Seoul, but not on to Ulaanbaatar. It was such a headache, I ended up leaving him home for a year, while I figured it out.
Hiring a pet transport for an entire trip is expensive--they wanted $8000 to deal with my dog from JFK to UB. What I have now worked out is that I willl hire someone to help me deal with the Seoul-UB part of the trip, figure out the paper work I need, etc., but I'll handle everything else. That willl only cost about $400 and is well worth having my much loved dog with me!
Hiring a pet transport for an entire trip is expensive--they wanted $8000 to deal with my dog from JFK to UB. What I have now worked out is that I willl hire someone to help me deal with the Seoul-UB part of the trip, figure out the paper work I need, etc., but I'll handle everything else. That willl only cost about $400 and is well worth having my much loved dog with me!
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StereoTyped
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StereoTyped
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- Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:51 pm
so the facilities are good? I worry because my dog is of the extremely anxious sort. The flight would be stressful enough, but to be subsequently stuck in a crate for weeks in a strange place where she can't be with me... I'm just afraid that the high stress of that would be detrimental to her health.
But you say that there's a vet around 24 hours a day, which makes me feel a little better...
But you say that there's a vet around 24 hours a day, which makes me feel a little better...
I am so happy to see a thread about bringing pets. I am in the process of trying to book my flight so my dog can join me. Unfortunately, his buddy the cat cannot come as they will only allow one pet per passport in Turkey.
I've been stressed about the process as well. I understand both BA and Lufthansa are expert at moving pets in cargo. (My dog is quite large) I too will be living an an apartment and am concerned, but others I've spoken to seem to agree that it's not all that difficult. I am NOT looking forward to arriving in the wee hours of the morning and having to lug all my baggage and his crate though.
I've been stressed about the process as well. I understand both BA and Lufthansa are expert at moving pets in cargo. (My dog is quite large) I too will be living an an apartment and am concerned, but others I've spoken to seem to agree that it's not all that difficult. I am NOT looking forward to arriving in the wee hours of the morning and having to lug all my baggage and his crate though.
Pets
Before I joined this forum I use to think bringing a pet overseas was the worst thing you could do, because all I'd ever heard were horror stories (I actually dont own any pets). Since then Ive changed my opinion and the vast majority of people who bring their pets have a few weeks of stress at the beginning but it really goes by without a problem. A couple pieces of advice Ive heard:
1) DONT TRUST YOUR VET. Vets dont know anything about world wide travel, they might get 90% of it write but its the remaining 10% that ends up costing a fortune. Do your own research, and make sure your paperwork is all in order.
2) Get in contact with a vet before leaving at your new location. They can be a great source of help and assistance if you have any problems. Ask the vet what medical records they want from your home country. They can also help you with pet registration/licensing.
3) Find out what brands and type of pet food your new country has available, and if possible start your pet on the new food before leaving. Pets get stressed after travel and adjusting to a new home, and a new food just adds to it. That said check the water, a number of countries dont add floride to it, and this can effect your pets dental health. If you bring a cat find out what type of litter is available and consider switching your cat a head of time.
4) Space, for many people adjusting to apartment life and a lack of a yard is one of the hardest problems for their pet. If your pet is used to yard, get them comfortable with being on a leash and being walked BEFORE leaving. Bring along some of your pets old/current things like a food bowl, or toy can help them adjust better to the new environment.
From what ive heard just about everywhere in the world has really nice quarantine facilities. Apparently people will tolerate being treated poorly themselves, but people the world over have a very high standard and expectation for how you treat pets.
1) DONT TRUST YOUR VET. Vets dont know anything about world wide travel, they might get 90% of it write but its the remaining 10% that ends up costing a fortune. Do your own research, and make sure your paperwork is all in order.
2) Get in contact with a vet before leaving at your new location. They can be a great source of help and assistance if you have any problems. Ask the vet what medical records they want from your home country. They can also help you with pet registration/licensing.
3) Find out what brands and type of pet food your new country has available, and if possible start your pet on the new food before leaving. Pets get stressed after travel and adjusting to a new home, and a new food just adds to it. That said check the water, a number of countries dont add floride to it, and this can effect your pets dental health. If you bring a cat find out what type of litter is available and consider switching your cat a head of time.
4) Space, for many people adjusting to apartment life and a lack of a yard is one of the hardest problems for their pet. If your pet is used to yard, get them comfortable with being on a leash and being walked BEFORE leaving. Bring along some of your pets old/current things like a food bowl, or toy can help them adjust better to the new environment.
From what ive heard just about everywhere in the world has really nice quarantine facilities. Apparently people will tolerate being treated poorly themselves, but people the world over have a very high standard and expectation for how you treat pets.
Re: Oh wise Psy
[quote="Daisy"]I am presently in South America and relocating to China. What do you recommend I do with my pet slug, Selina? Specifically, I'd like to know airline suggestions, quarantine restrictions and injections she may need. She presently eats mainly lettuce. Do you advise I start her on beansprouts already?[/quote]
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What breed is your slug? Large slugs like some of the australian kind would need to be transported in the hold, smaller species could be brought in your carry on, assuming they survive well outside of an aquarium environment. Check with your specific airline regarding travel restrictions as most airlines have well formalized policies regarding dogs, cats, etc, but may be unfamiliar with gastropods (slugs).
Be advised that many countries prohibit the import of exotic species that may be harmful to local ecosystems, and your pet may be banned (as are some species of canines). I dont know enough about your slug to recommend where to go, as there may be several options (you could claim your a science teacher, and the slug would be a biological specimen, as opposed to a pet for instance. This would eliminate a lot of the vet and corresponding requirements.)
Lettuce is commonly available in China as is Cabbage and other vegetation. Bean sprouts might actually be difficult to come by in some areas, and you would have a hard time keeping them as refrigerators just dont get as cold as they do in the USA (they perish quickly even at that).
Currently, there are no required vaccines or immunizations required by any health authority for slugs. Though there is a pan spectrum antibiotic, and anti fungal they are difficult to find and expensive and really only available to aquariums and zoos.
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What breed is your slug? Large slugs like some of the australian kind would need to be transported in the hold, smaller species could be brought in your carry on, assuming they survive well outside of an aquarium environment. Check with your specific airline regarding travel restrictions as most airlines have well formalized policies regarding dogs, cats, etc, but may be unfamiliar with gastropods (slugs).
Be advised that many countries prohibit the import of exotic species that may be harmful to local ecosystems, and your pet may be banned (as are some species of canines). I dont know enough about your slug to recommend where to go, as there may be several options (you could claim your a science teacher, and the slug would be a biological specimen, as opposed to a pet for instance. This would eliminate a lot of the vet and corresponding requirements.)
Lettuce is commonly available in China as is Cabbage and other vegetation. Bean sprouts might actually be difficult to come by in some areas, and you would have a hard time keeping them as refrigerators just dont get as cold as they do in the USA (they perish quickly even at that).
Currently, there are no required vaccines or immunizations required by any health authority for slugs. Though there is a pan spectrum antibiotic, and anti fungal they are difficult to find and expensive and really only available to aquariums and zoos.