Have a healthy holiday with your pet!

Rabies is the disease everyone is aware of that they need to prevent when going away on holiday.

However, other important infections can be encountered while you and your pets are away and these too can be very serious.

We have listed these diseases below with some hints as to how to avoid them and the signs to look out for should your pet become poorly.

Leishmaniasis

q What? This is a protozoal parasite which is spread via sandflies

q Where? Found in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece as well as China/Latin America/USA

q When? Most common in the warmer months of the year- especially the end of summer and beginning of autumn

q The sand flies are most active at dawn and dusk so using a pet friendly insecticide in and around the animals kennel/sleeping quarters or wherever the animal is at this time of day can help to repel them

q “Scalibor” collars have been shown to help prevention

q “Advantix” is also licensed for this use

q How ill? Causes skin lesions, chronic kidney failure, diarrhoea, nose bleeds, chronic weight loss

q Vaccination? There is no vaccination

q Cure is unlikely, although if caught early treatment can control the illness

q It can also be spread to humans, especially the old/young or immunosuppressed

q Can take 3 months to years to show clinical signs so always mention to your vet if your pet has been out of the UK in its lifetime

q Prevention?

Avoid taking animals out at dusk when the sand flies are more active

Use a Scaliboräcollar or Advantixä topical to repel and kill the sandflies

Babesiosis

• What? A parasite that lives in red blood cells spread by ticks
• Where? Found in Europe including France as well as Africa etc
• When? Can be any time of year although there are more ticks present if it is warmer weather
• “Advantix” is licensed to repel and kill the ticks that cause this disease
• “Scalibor” is also licensed to repel these ticks
• How ill? A severe lack of red blood cells which can result in death
• Vaccination? Being worked on in France at the moment but not available yet
• Cure is rare although again if caught early can be managed
• Common to be co-infected with Ehrlichia (see more later)
• Prevention?

Dependent on tick control and examining your pet every day removing the ticks before they have a change to cause infection

Ehrlichia

q What? A disease which infects the white blood cells and is also transmitted by ticks

q Where? Widespread in the Mediterranean basin and occurs north to Austria and southern Germany.

q When? Can be any time of year

q “Advantix” is licensed to repel and kill the ticks that cause this disease

q “Scalibor” is also licensed to repel these ticks

q How ill? Not enough platelets in the blood causes severe bleeding

q Vaccination? No vaccination has been developed

q Prevention?

Travelling dogs can be given medication as a preventative in addition to the tick control previously mentioned to decrease the likelihood of developing the disease.

Checking your dog every day while you are away for ticks and removing them before they transmit the disease is also a good idea.

Heartworm

· What and where? A parasite spread by mosquitos that lives in southern Europe and most of the USA

· When? Any time of year

· How ill? Causes heart failure long term, but can be asymptomatic at first. Much more common in dogs but cats can get this too.

· Vaccination? No but treatable if caught in time and preventable

· Prevention?

Two routinely used UK products have been shown to prevent heartworm. Strongholdä is used monthly within one month of first exposure to the mosquitos and monthly until the end of the mosquito season/end of travel (or all year round if required)

Milbemaxä is good for short trips but is a multiwormer so if required monthly then may not be first choice