Travelling internationally with your dog or cat is a great way to see the world, whilst keeping great company. In this article we will highlight some of the common challenges that you will face when travelling internationally with your pets. We will also show you how to overcome these challenges, in order to have a fun and safe trip with your pets.
With proper planning and consideration you can successfully travel internationally with your dog or cat, with minimal stress to both pets, and pet parents. Some of our top tips for travelling abroad with your pet are to stock up on pet food before you travel, take advantage of every good hiking opportunity with your dog as these can be scarce, have a game plan on how to handle large amounts of stray dogs, and stimulate your dog mentally with games and training exercises.
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1. Stock up on Pet Food Before You Travel Internationally With a Dog or Cat
Our most important tip when travelling overseas with your pet is to stock up on their regular food for your entire trip, especially if like us you are lucky enough to have a dog that is allergic to almost everything. As soon as you leave your home country, there is a very good chance that the specific food your pet needs will not be available. Even if you can find it, you might end up wasting a lot of time, effort and money in doing so.
When we lived in a house we would feed our dogs an exclusively RAW diet, and when we first started contemplating van life we ideally wanted to keep doing that. For that purpose we bought the biggest 12v cooler fridge/freezer that Dometic sold. However, because one of our dogs is a 40kg (80lb) German Shepherd we could only fit about 3 weeks worth of food in it at a time. This would have meant finding a butcher every 3 weeks, and then preparing our own mix of muscle meat, bones, and organs for the dogs. Not an impossible task, but even if you do speak the language it can be very difficult to explain all the different organs you need, and the proportions. On top of that you would need to have a grinder set up in your camper if the butcher could not mix it for you. Although we remain huge proponents of feeding RAW, we decided that it simply was not practical when travelling full time.
Instead we decided to find the highest quality grain-free kibble we could find, and feed them that instead. Up until their recent takeover by Mars, yes the same company that makes Mars bars, our preferred dry food used to be Orijen / Acana. Of course now that they have disappointingly been taken over by a candy conglomerate, we can no longer recommend them, and have to find a different brand.
Before we left Germany, we did our due diligence, and determined that Orijen had stockists in Greece and Turkey. Since those countries are typically cheaper than Germany, we thought that pet food would also be cheaper, and consequently did not stock up before we left. This turned out to be a costly mistake, although we were able to find Orijen in Greece with relative ease, it was almost 50% more expensive than in Germany.
Not wanting to spend the extra money, we decided to wait until we reached Turkey, as we still had a few weeks of kibble left. Although we found Orijen on Amazon Turkey we could not find a campsite that was able to receive deliveries. Whilst spending New Years in Pamukkale, Turkey we finally ran out, and began the exhausting search for pet food.
After stopping at three different pet stores we found one with extremely helpful, and friendly staff. Although her English was not great, she promptly called her sister who was kind enough to drive to the store, and help translate. They did not have any grain free Acana or Orijen, but after calling around to their other stores we were able to find a grain free recipe from an Italian brand that we had tried before. Most importantly we knew that our German Shepherd, Dundee, was not allergic to it. Instead of making us drive, they got the other store to deliver it to us whilst we waited.
Apart from being a lesson in the helpfulness of the Turkish people, something we would experience numerous times, it also highlights how trying to save money can on occasion be an expensive endeavour. We ended up paying around EUR 85 for a bag that would have cost us EUR 60 in Germany. Not the end of the world, but that difference would definitely begin to stack up, and it took us over a day to get it. It also happened to be the last place in Turkey that we could find it, despite reaching out to almost every large pet store, and vet along the way to Georgia.
2. Take Every Opportunity to Walk Your Dog When Travelling Abroad
Finding ideal opportunities to walk your dog can be few and far between when you travel with them to certain countries. Hiking opportunities could be limited, the immediate area could be unsafe due to traffic or aggressive dogs, and nice trails may be unmarked or difficult to locate. Whenever the possibility for a nice walk with your dog presents itself, make sure to take full advantage of the opportunity.
When we first set out on our international van life trip we thought that there would be lots of hiking opportunities in Turkey, after all it is a large country with a lot of nature. Unfortunately hiking has not really taken off as a national pastime in Turkey, which means that there are very few trails to be found, especially outside of the major tourist areas. Local Turks are more inclined to drive to a pretty spot, and then have a ‘Piknik’ with the whole family. This usually involves a bit of barbecuing over a fire pit, and plenty of Cay. This is indeed a wonderful pastime, but does not involve much walking.
Sometimes when travelling with your dog the only exercise you can give them is walking around a small campground 10 times in a row. When watching van life YouTuber’s complete stunning hikes every week, it is easy to think that this must be van life. An endless supply of beautiful, and seemingly empty hikes, where your dog can channel its inner wolf, and claim the mountain as its own. Without doubt that is a possible scenario, but it is not a guaranteed scenario, and it very much depends on where in the world you choose to travel. Some countries have a significant problem with stray dogs. During our first van life trip we discovered that Greece, Turkey, and Georgia all had a lot of strays, with the amount of strays getting worse the further east we went.
Do not let a good hike pass you by. You might be tired, and the weather may not be great, but sometimes when you are travelling you do not know when your next hike will be. As we highlighted in detail above you may not always be in a position to go for hikes, as such whenever you do get the opportunity so you should grab it with both hands. Equally you might want to veer off your planned route a little bit, if you get wind of a great hiking area from fellow travellers.
3. Be Prepared to Handle Large Amounts of Stray or Working Dogs When Travelling Internationally with Your Dog
One of the main challenges that you will face in Turkey, and many other countries for walking your dog, is the huge amount of stray dogs, and on occasion livestock guardian dogs. The strays are rarely aggressive towards other dogs, as long as your own dog is comfortable around strange dogs, but the livestock guardian dogs are a bit more of a mixed bag. In Georgia we were told by locals that even without our own dogs, we should walk with a big stick when venturing into nature, just in case there were any aggressive livestock dogs. Travelling with our reactive German Shepherd meant that even friendly strays were out of the question for us, let alone aggressive livestock guardian dogs.
Read All Hiking Reviews for Mention of Aggressive Dogs
A top tip for travelling with your dog in any country, is to read the reviews extensively. Regardless of whether you are looking for a scenic hiking trail, or a place to spend the night, read through every single review to see if someone mentions aggressive strays or farm dogs.
Ask Locals About the Neighbourhood Dogs
Another good tip, if you are staying at a campground, is to ask the staff if there are any aggressive village dogs outside of the campground. When we were spending Christmas at a campground in Kayakoy, Turkey, this was indeed the case, and it meant that our dogs had to be content with doing countless loops around the campsite. It could also be the case that the campground is situated close to a heavily trafficked road that is not pedestrian friendly, in which case you would also find yourself limited to the campsite, unless of course there are some good hiking areas in the vicinity.
Bribe Your Way Out of Any Situation With a Stray Dog
You may find yourself in a situation where a stray dog decides to adopt your van. This happened to us in Georgia, where a scarred and tough looking, but incredibly sweet farm dog decided to adopt our van after I showed him a bit of kindness. He proceeded to watch over the van whilst we went to explore the caves, and also kept a look out for me as I switched out our front spot lights. This was all well and good when it was just me outside the van, but I knew that Dundee would not be happy. So we devised a plan where Sita would distract the farm dog away from the van with treats, and I would sneak Dundee out the other way so he would not see the other dog. The plan worked, and it became our go to method going forward when we ended up in a camp spot with strays.
Buy Food for the Strays
When travelling in countries that have a significant population of stray dogs, such as Turkey and Georgia, we would recommend buying a big bag of dog food from the local supermarket, and carrying it with you so that you can feed any strays you come across. We started doing this in Turkey, after being inspired by another couple travelling in their van, and it was great to be able to help hungry strays that we saw on the side of the road, or even at some of the campsites we stayed at in Turkey. You could of course bring extra high quality pet food from home, but you will definitely be spending a lot more money than buying a bag of local dog food. The sad truth is that a lot of these dogs need calories to stay alive, more than they need the highest quality ingredients.
4. Use Games and Training Exercises to Keep Your Dog Sane When Travelling
If you have a dog that needs a lot of stimulation, but you are not able to provide the level of exercise you normally would, then you can always compensate using mental stimulation. A very simple, and easy game is to hide treats (or their regular kibble) in a folded up blanket, so that they have to sniff and dig through the blanket to get their food. If your dog enjoys learning new tricks, you can also spend some time teaching them new tricks.
If you need more ideas, then let yourself fall down the YouTube rabbit hole where you will find a plethora of good ideas from dog trainers.
5. Mentally Prepare Yourself for Travel to Other Cultures
If you have taken on the challenge of travelling internationally with your dogs, then there is a very good chance that you are a dog lover. Unfortunately not all cultures value dogs as much as we dog lovers think they should. This means that you will encounter a lot of dogs that are in a terrible state. Whether they are starving, or lying dead and mangled on the side of the road, as we saw a lot when travelling in rural parts of Georgia, and Greece, you will inevitably be presented with images that will tear at your heart as a dog lover.
You could of course avoid these countries entirely, but doing so would rob you of some great experiences. Instead I find it best to prepare yourself mentally, and accept that you will see animals in deplorable conditions. Unfortunately as travellers we cannot solve the problem, or make much of an impact. Instead we can help out local organisations that are trying to make a difference. If you find a good, and reputable dog rescue, you might consider donating money to them, or if you have the time and inclination, you could also volunteer your labour.
6. I Fell in Love with a Stray While Travelling, What Do I Do Now?
Even if you consider yourself to be a dog lover extraordinaire, it is inevitable that some dogs will tug at your heartstrings a little bit more than others. If the tug is too strong, and you simply cannot bear the thought of leaving them, then you can and should consider adopting them if you have the capacity to do so.
However, it is important to bear in mind that if you want to bring them back to the EU, for example, you have to follow some fairly strict rules if the stray you fell in love with is from a high risk rabies country outside of the EU. The most important rule is that the dog needs to have a rabies vaccine, and then a rabies titre test completed by an approved laboratory. I would recommend reading the specific rules for the test directly on the EU’s website to avoid any misunderstandings. In a nutshell the entire process takes a minimum of 4 months. You have to wait 30 days after the rabies vaccine has been administered to do the titre test, and you have to wait for 3 months after your titre test results before you are allowed to legally enter the EU. Since most countries only give you a 90 day tourist visa, adopting a dog outside of the EU can be quite the challenge.
7. Learn How to Deal with Fleas and Ticks when Travelling with Your Dog Overseas
The answer on the best way to handle fleas and ticks really depends on where you are travelling to with your dog or cat. If you will be spending a lot of time in southern climates, or summers in areas with mild winters, then you will need to administer a good flea / tick medicine. With that being said, we have found ways to give our dogs the protection they need, but also minimise the amount of chemicals that go into their body.
Before giving your dog any flea or tick treatment for the first time, I would strongly recommend getting them tested to see if they have a gene mutation that diminishes their ability to prevent drugs crossing from the blood into the brain. I am by no means an expert on the topic, but the test was recommended to us by our vet in Switzerland, and was not particularly expensive. Here is a link to an article on the safety profile of Bravecto, where they specifically talk about this gene mutation.
We acquired all our dogs whilst living in Calgary, Alberta which according to the USDA is classified as an arctic desert. Although this means that temperatures in the winter can go down to -40 celsius, and that you need to apply about a litre of moisturiser to your hands, and face in order to avoid your skin cracking, and bleeding; it also meant, it also means that ticks and fleas are not a big problem. As such the whole time we lived in Alberta we never needed to use any sort of chemical flea or tick treatment. That all changed when we moved to a city that was about as opposite a climate of Calgary as could be, namely Houston, Texas. Living in Houston we were almost immediately introduced to the wonderful world of fleas, and the fact that both our German Shepherd, and Siberian Cat were allergic to flea bites.
Because the majority of flea / tick medicines are essentially a form of insecticide that stays in your pets bloodstream, we typically try to use the lowest dose possible. When we were living in Switzerland we had to use flea / tick medicine because of the huge number of ticks. To help minimise their exposure we would only use the medication in the spring / summer, and then take them off the medicine for the winter, since Switzerland does not have a flea problem, and the ticks die off in the winter. Based on our own travel experiences, this approach would also work in the majority of Northern European countries. If you venture to Northern Scandinavia for the summer, then you can skip flea / tick treatments completely as neither fleas or ticks are an issue in the North.
However, as soon as you begin to venture to more southern areas that do not experience a cold winter, then I would strongly recommend using a flea / tick treatment. For example, when we travelled to Turkey, our dogs almost immediately picked up fleas because they had not been on any preventive medicine whilst we built out our camper in Northern Sweden.
We currently use Bravecto as it was recommended by our vet in Houston at the time. It is a single treatment (edible chew) that officially lasts for 3 months. In our own experience, we have found that it is often fully effective for up to 6 months. As always you should do your own research, but for us it is a great way to keep our pets safe, and minimise the amount of insecticide they have to consume.
8. Finding a Good Vet When Travelling With Your Dog or Cat in a Foreign Country
Suddenly needing a vet in a foreign country can be a stressful experience. However, if you follow our tips below, visiting the vet does not have to ruin your trip. If you are staying in an area for a week or more, find a vet beforehand, and save their info on your phone. You can also download the local language in Google Translate so that you can translate your pets injury to the vet. Lastly, make sure you have enough money set aside for any vet emergencies.
Just because you are travelling does not mean that your dog will magically stop trying to insure themselves. Luckily in all the areas of the world we have travelled to with our pets we have been able to find good vets. The cost of treatment will of course vary, but if you live in the US or Canada then almost every single other country in the world will be more affordable. Even Switzerland, a notoriously expensive country, is cheaper for vet treatment than the US or Canada.
Sometimes the language barrier can be difficult, but we have found that a lot of vets have at least a basic understanding of English, as a lot of the scientific literature that they study as part of their education is in English. A good tip when you are travelling in a country for a longer period of time is to download the local language in Google Translate, that way you can always translate the local language, even without mobile data.
If you are staying in one city or location for a few weeks, and you have an accident prone cat or dog, then I would recommend finding a good emergency vet ahead of time. This will help you feel calmer, and act quicker if an emergency does happen. Finding a good vet abroad is really the same as when you are at home. Google Maps is the easiest way to see where they are located, and it is also where the majority of people leave reviews. We like to rank the reviews from lowest to highest, and then determine if we would be ok if the lowest reviews happened to us.
During our first van life trip, we were fairly lucky and did not have to visit any vets for 4 months, except to pick up some Bravecto for the dogs. Unfortunately our lucky streak did not last, and one fateful evening when we were wild camping by a city beach in Greece, Mezzo, our Finnish Lapphund dog decided to try eating a fish hook with a bait worm on it which had been discarded under a tree. We tried getting the hook out of his mouth ourselves, but to no avail. So we turned to Google Maps and found a vet with good reviews that was still open. They were extremely helpful, and tried to remove the hook by just sedating him a little. Unfortunately it had lodged in his oesophagus, and they needed to perform an endoscopy to be able to see exactly where it was. As they were a small clinic they did not have one, but they were incredibly helpful, and called around the whole city to find a clinic that did.
Eventually they found a clinic that could do the surgery in the morning, so we drove across the city to the other clinic, where they could keep Mezzo under supervision and ensure he did not swallow the hook more than he already had. As Mezzo is 15 years old, we were very worried about the anaesthesia process, as it can be quite tough on older dogs. Luckily they were able to remove the fish hook safely, and Mezzo made a full recovery. We paid 20 EUR at the first clinic we went to, and Mezzo’s surgery including x-rays, blood work, overnight stay, and the endoscopy came to 480 EUR.
This story brings us to our final point. If you are travelling on a tight budget with your pet, always have enough money set aside for an emergency vet bill. The size of this emergency budget will depend on how many pets you are travelling with, and whether there are any specific conditions they are at risk for. For example if you are travelling with a deep chested dog breed (or a dog that is a mix of deep chested breeds), like a German Shepherd or Golden Retriever then you need to have enough money for bloat surgery. The cost of the life saving surgery, Gastropexy, varies greatly between different countries. In Canada we paid CAD 6,000 to save our German Shepherd’s life. When I spoke to the vet in Greece, he said they normally charge around 1,000 EUR (~ CAD 1,460) for the same surgery.
Should I Travel Abroad With My Pet?
You should absolutely travel with your pet. Especially if you are travelling for a longer period of time, or are planning on joining the van life community, even if it is just for a summer. A lot of our tips in this article are centred around travelling in our van, but they also hold true if you want to go live in a new country for a few months, or even move permanently. If you plan to travel internationally, and want to fly with your pet, then take a look at our other posts where we explain how to fly with your pet, and also answer the most common questions about flying with your dog or cat.
