Cat and Dog Health and Travel Certificates in North Branford, CT

Dr. Mendillo is a USDA APHIS Accredited Veterinarian, which means she is qualified to provide domestic and international health certificates for pets traveling with their owners. Obtaining cat and dog health and travel certificates can be a time-consuming process depending on where you’re going, so it’s important to plan as far ahead as you can and get your pet’s paperwork completed at the right time.

If your pet needs a domestic or international travel health certificate, give us a call or text us at (203) 562-9896.

Dog health and travel health certificates in North Haven, CT

The Difference Between Domestic and International Certificates

Domestic and international health certificates are two very different things. Below we talk about some of the basics, but for more detailed information, you need to go here.

Domestic Health Certificates

Domestic health certificates for pets are generally not as rigorous and time-consuming to obtain as international certificates, but you still need to check in advance to see if your pet will need one for the state you’re traveling to. You should contact the airline you’ll be using, in addition to your destination state, for confirmation. If a certificate is needed, your pet will need to see Dr. Mendillo for a checkup and to verify that they are up to date with all their vaccines and blood work. All of this should be completed roughly 8-10 days before your travel date.

Be sure to provide us with information about who is traveling with your pet, whether there will be a change of ownership, and the destination address.

International Health Certificates

We need as much advance notice as possible for international travel certificates. Each country has its own specific rules, regulations, and timelines, some timelines requiring paperwork as early as 30 days prior to travel.

You will also likely need to schedule not one but two visits with your vet, with the first being for your pet’s checkup and any treatments they need, and the second for picking up your pet’s certificate.

The key is to give yourself as much time as possible to complete all the necessary preparations and get all the paperwork you need. Here are some simple steps we recommend:

1. Start doing your research on the APHIS Pet Travel website as soon as possible.
2. Contact your airline to find out what the requirements are for your pet to travel.
3. Collect all of the information you need for your pet, including their medical and vaccine records, their rabies certificate, microchip ID, and any pertinent test results.
4. Schedule an appointment to obtain your pet’s international certificate.
5. Make sure you bring all the paperwork you think we’ll need complete the certificate.

If you have any questions related to health certificates or need to make an appointment, call or text (203) 562-9896.

cat in a suitcase