Douglas Animal Hospital
International Health Certificates
Going out of the country? As a provincially licenced veterinarian practice, we can assist in the completion of the required travel documents. Ultimately it is up to you and the Canadian food Inspection Agency (CFIA ) Veterinarian to ensure the accuracy of the required forms.
Overview
We understand that your pet is family and that when you travel, you want them right by your side. As a provincially licenced veterinarian practice, we can assissit for your healthy cat, dog, or other animal so that they may travel internationally with you.
Why does my pet need a certificate to travel?
Only pets in good health are permitted to travel internationally. The country you are travelling to may have specific health requirements that must be met before your pet can enter. Certain health requirements may include up-to-date vaccinations, a passing health exam, a microchip, proof of internal and external parasite treatment, etc. Health certificates ensure that your pet is healthy to travel and to minimize the risk of your pet transferring diseases to other pets or people.
When should I start the process?
Certificate timing varies greatly by country: For example, rabies-free territories such as Australia and New Zealand take six months. We strongly encourage checking the CFIA website as early as possible.
How can I obtain an international health certificate?
Before you start the process, you need to determine the destination country and dates of travel.
We will work with you to determine the health certificate requirements based on your travel destination. Since requirements are determined by each country and can change frequently, we suggest you check the current pet travel health requirements for your destination country on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website.
We will perform a health exam to determine if your pet has any signs of disease or health risks that could pass along to others while travelling. We will also ensure that your pet has all required vaccinations to travel. Once all documents have been completed these documents will need to be endorsed by the CFIA Veterinarian.