travel, dog, parasite

Travelling with your dog this year? A comprehensive guide to parasite prevention

by Dr. Deborah Brown
on June 20, 2025

Summer holidays are the highlight of everybody’s calendar. And no family holiday is complete without our furry family members. But it’s crucial to keep your dog safe and healthy on holiday. Parasite prevention is a vital aspect of pet care. And never more so when holidaying far from home or even abroad.

Travelling to new parts of the world can mean exposure to new parasites. And with these parasites come the risks of diseases they can cause or carry. This handy guide looks at pesky parasites home and away. And some preventive measures to keep your dog safe when travelling. Read all the way til the end and you’ll find links to more information to guide you in specific travel plans.

Understanding the risks

Parasites are a challenge across the world. Some, like the notorious Scottish midge, are simply an infernal nuisance. But others cause serious illness in both dogs and humans. And it’s not only abroad. Even within the UK, parasite-related diseases are on the increase. And climate change is bringing some exotic parasites and diseases ever closer to the UK. Especially in the warmer southern counties.

The culprits!

Ticks:

Found all across the UK and Europe
Don’t cause disease directly. They carry and transfer infections between animals when feeding
Lyme disease, Borreliosis, Tick Borne Encephalitis

Fleas:

Everywhere!
Bites cause uncomfortable itch and flea allergic dermatitis
Transmit tapeworms

Mosquitoes and Sandflies:

Pose a significant risk to dogs, especially in southern Europe (Portugal, Southern Spain).
Climate change is increasing risks further North
Mosquitoes spread Heartworm, a serious disease affecting the heart and lungs.
Sandflies can carry Leishmaniasis, which can cause severe skin issues and organ damage.

Worms:

Present throughout the UK and Europe. Regional variations in risk
Picked up from contaminated environments and eating small mammals
Gastrointestinal worms: Hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms
Other worms:
- Lungworm (Angiostrongylus): from slugs, snails, and frogs
- Heartworm (Dirofilaria): from mosquitoes

Planning your trip

Before packing your bags for your European adventure, take the following steps to protect your dog.

Do a bit of research and plan ahead

Where are you going? What are the parasite risks in that region? Remember to include all the areas you’ll travel through. Not just your final destination.
Where are you living? Camping in the countryside means 24-hour, up-close exposure to insects and bug-carrying wildlife.
What will you be doing? Hiking and canoeing expose your dog to flying insects. Talk to a vet for specific recommendations. Lots of swimming can reduce the effect and longevity of important parasite preventives.
How long will you be away for? Pack enough parasite preventives for the whole period. Especially if travelling to remote areas.

Tick and flea preventives

What works and for how long?

Chewable tablets: Nexgard Spectra, Credelio Plus, Bravecto or Simparica Trio. These protect against both fleas and ticks for 1-3 months (depending on the product)
Spot-on Treatments – Frontline and Advantix provide 4 weeks of protection against fleas and ticks after a single application. Advocate and Stronghold provide 4 weeks of flea protection.

What else?

Ticks can still latch on to treated dogs. Most will die before they can spread disease. Nonetheless any tick represents a risk of infection. Check your dog daily for ticks. Remove them promptly with a tool like the Johnson’s tick remover.

Mosquitoes and Sandflies

The only way to prevent any risk of Leishmaniasis in dogs is to prevent any contact with sandflies. Some parasite preventives only kill sandflies when they bite. So these won’t offer protection against Leishmaniasis. Nexgard, Credelio, Baravecto and Simparica won’t repel sand flies. It takes powerful repellants and products that kill before biting.

Parasite-preventive collars such as Scalibor and Seresto. These take effect within a week and last up to 6-8 months. Put the collar on 2 weeks before travelling. A swim won’t inactivate the collar, but the insecticide in it would pollute the water.
Vectra 3D® spot-on – apply monthly
Frontline Tri-act® – apply monthly, every 3 weeks for sandfly
Advantix® spot-on – apply monthly for ticks, every 2 weeks for sandfly

What else?

Despite their name, sandflies inhabit a variety of habitats. From coast to swamp, wilderness to town centre – anywhere there is a warm humid corner for them to hide. And then they come out at night.

Avoid taking your dog out after dusk to reduce the risk of sandfly bites
Use plug-in insect repellents indoors where possible

Vaccination against Leishmaniasis

A vaccine is available throughout Europe and the UK
Reduces the risk of illness by up to 90% but does not prevent infection
The only way to prevent infection is to prevent sandfly contact

Mosquitoes live in similar regions to sandflies – Southern and Eastern Europe. The preventive collars and Advantix offer similar protection against mosquitoes. See below for advice on heartworm if travelling to parts of the world where this is a known problem.

Worms

Before travelling to Europe, dogs must be:

Microchipped,
Vaccinated against rabies and
Issued with a Pet Health Certificate.

To return to the UK, a registered vet needs to give them a particular wormer and provide you with a certificate. Without this, either you won’t get home or your dog will have to go into quarantine.

When worms are a worry and how to prevent them

Gastrointestinal roundworms and tapeworms are a health nuisance to dogs, but rarely life-threatening. If used correctly, most multi-wormers will keep your furry friend free of intestinal worm-related illness at home or abroad. The worming aspect of pet travel rules exists to protect humans from a nasty disease called Echinococcus multilocularis.

Echinococcus multilocularis

Echinococcus multilocularis doesn’t make dogs ill. But it causes parasitic tumours in humans that spread throughout the body.
There’s no cure. The disease is eventually fatal.
Dogs pick up the worm from eating small voles. Humans from handling their dog.
Only tapeworm treatments containing praziquantel or an effective equivalent, such as milbemycin, are suitable.
A vet needs to give your dog this wormer between 1 and 5 days before your return to the UK.
If travelling on a short break, you’ll need to see a vet in the UK for worming treatment before you leave.

Important! Worm your dog again with an effective tapeworm product within 30 days of returning to the UK. Praziquantel does not act for long enough to kill all stages of the developing worm. Repeat worming to prevent risk to you and your family.

Heartworm – Dirofilaria immitis

Lives in the heart of infected dogs; can cause fatal illness.
Spread by mosquitoes (see above for preventive measures).
Travelling to an area where heartworm is established: Begin worming one month before departure. Keep up with monthly treatment while abroad. Continue with at least one more treatment when you’re back in the UK.
Suitable products: wormers containing moxidectin, milbemycin and selamectin. Examples include Advocate, Milbemax, Stronghold.

Lungworm

Present in South Wales and the South East of England. But it’s spreading to other areas as well.
Your dog gets it by eating slugs or snails.
Prevention: monthly treatment with Advocate Spot-On, Simaparica Trio or Milbemax/Milpro tablets; prevent your dogs from eating slugs and snails.

Conclusion

Travelling with your dog can be a fun time to treasure and to make some wonderful memories. By taking the necessary precautions and staying vigilant about parasite prevention, you can ensure that your dog remains healthy and happy throughout the journey.

Talk to a vet for professional advice on how to protect your dog from parasites wherever your travels are taking you.

The Joii vets are online now – 24/7- to answer your queries