Moving Your Pet/s. What To Prepare?

As being part of the family, your pets move must be prepared very carefully and at earliest possible and some expertise advise will be required.

Annually updated vaccination:

Please check the vaccination records of your pets, for most destination countries required yearly vaccination records for your cats and dogs, especially for the Rabies Vaccination. When it is due, immediate action required to bring your pets to the Veterinarian or the animal clinic.

Although most country required (officially) only for the rabies vaccine but as for your love ones better to give complete vaccination, no point to just sufficient for moving, because that can cost you more later.

Searching for the country requirements to bring pets.
To know the earliest possible time will secure your pets move in time. Some country need special arrangement few months prior departure of your pets. Such as:
Blood test & Microchip.
Like Japan, Hawaii(USA) and Europe (EU) require implantation of microchip and blood test for Rabies Titre Antibody, it must be greater than 0.5 IU/ml. It should be done several months (3-6 months) prior departure date. See links on it.

Kennel size and type of Airline Approved Kennel.

Looking for the kennel for your cats or dogs to travel on the plane must be done properly. First you need to measure the dog, for cat/s you need to weight the cat/s, or you bring your pets to the shop for suitable kennel available.

For the guidance, dimension of the kennel must be high enough so your pet's head not touching the ruff, in some country need to have 8 cm space above the head. For the wide minimum is double its body width of the dog, so your dog can turn around easily. For the length it should be long enough for your dog to lay down in relax and straight position, back leg not touching the back and the front legs not touching the door.

For a Large breed such as Labrador or Golden Retriever puppy you must consider to have the size that suit for your dog until fully grown up few months/years later, otherwise you will need the bigger size for the next moving.

Better to have bigger kennel than smaller size it should be. Most Airlines now is very strict on checking the proper size of kennel, they will refuse to carry when it is too small.

Time frame.

Export document usually can be prepared within a month or 2 weeks time prior departure, it depends on the destination country requirements. Some country need additional documents such as translation into other than English.
Transit permit also needed for country like in Singapore, Taiwan etc.

Where for some destination countries also need an import permit prior shipment.

Check with the Airlines.

Some Airlines like Singapore Airlines and some others refuse to carry certain breeds, like snub nose dogs or cats, Terrier etc, they have a list of breed that banned.

Also when you plan to carry your pets as checked baggage, ask the Airlines if for that time no restriction to carry pets as checked baggage, some Airlines have restriction during Summer time and peak seasons.

What to put inside the kennel.

Do not put dog food or cat food inside the kennel, your dog or cat won't eat it during travel. Buy a water bottle such as Bunny bottle is good for the dog travel, cat using hamster bottle too, but nowadays there are pet stores sell dog and cat bottle for travel. Water is more important for pets traveling.

Do not fill up the kennel with dog toys or blanket, it is important to have space for your dog move during travel, collar for dog will be useful, but leash will be possibly lost on the way during travel.

Old Newspaper or shredded papers will be good to put on the floor of the kennel to absorb wet.

Last Feeding time and portion

If you dog will travel at the afternoon, give only half portion as usual in the morning and no more. In case of transit or stop over you may put in the plastic bag (with zip lock) a portion of meal dry food.

Tranquilizer or Sedative.

Tranquilizer or sedative pills will make blood pressure lower, and on the plane with high altitude usually also make blood pressure low, it would be uncontrollable when the pets at the belly of the plane, nobody around watching it. Pets traveling like human passenger needs good stamina and condition. It's better not to give it. Spray for calming pets might be used, but don't have to.

When the time comes your pets ready to go ask the shipper to put proper stickers on the kennel.

Finally let us deliver your pet to the new home