As a rule, dogs are suitable as fellow travelers, but only cats to a limited extent. Puppies under three months of age should not be taken along. A vacation trip should also be carefully considered for very old animals.

It must be made clear that the accommodation, be it a hotel or campsite, is suitable for animals and that they are permitted.

The risk of infection increases in southern countries in particular. Be it through stray or unvaccinated conspecifics or through pathogens that are not native to us. Caution is always advised here.

When traveling to hot regions with high humidity, it is better not to take an animal with you.

A valid vaccination against rabies is always required, the period of validity depends on the vaccine manufacturer's guarantees. Other diseases such as distemper, infectious hepatitis, parvovirosis and leptospirosis in dogs and feline distemper, cat flu, FIP and leukosis in cats must also be considered.

Please contact your veterinary practice with these questions.

Bringing animals from abroad is not an unproblematic matter and should be carefully considered. It is often the living conditions of an animal that move the traveler and awaken the desire to take this animal home with them.

However, the animal health requirements are high and the preparation of the animal to meet these requirements is usually lengthy. This is particularly true if an animal is to be brought from a country where the rabies situation and control measures are unclear and questionable.

But even when bringing an animal from an EU member state, the disappointment is often great when it turns out that the animal has been brought to Germany without valid vaccination protection and without a valid EU pet passport and must therefore be kept in a quarantine station. The costs for this are borne by the traveler.

Animals brought in from vacation destinations can also introduce diseases. It is a burden for people - both financially and emotionally - when it is discovered that a sick animal has been brought along, which may require extensive and prolonged treatment.