Vaccinations

Dogs should be vaccinated with an annual booster vaccine for the following diseases:

• Canine distemper (morbillivirus)
• Infectious canine hepatitis (canine adenovirus 1)
• Canine parvovirus infection (“parvo”)
• Leptospirosis
• “Kennel cough” (parainfluenza virus and bordetella bronchiseptica)

Together with the annual vaccination, your vet will always carry out a complete check-up of your pet and assess their state of health.

The Swiss Federal Animal Welfare Act requires every dog to be fitted with a microchip and registered in the Swiss “AMICUS” database. Fitting the microchip is a simple and non-invasive procedure (no sedation required).

If you wish to take your dog abroad, they will also need a rabies vaccination, as well as an official pet passport issued by your vet.

If you are adopting an animal from abroad, make sure it has a:

• microchip
• passport
• rabies vaccination
• Dog vaccination protocol

The rabies vaccination requires the animal to be at least three months old, with a 21-day waiting period prior to importation. By way of exception, pets may be imported that are:

• under 12 weeks old without a rabies vaccination
• between 12 and 16 weeks old, with a rabies vaccination, but without fulfilling the 21-day waiting period

In the above two cases, your dog must have a certificate from the owner certifying that, since birth, the animal has not come into contact with wild animals of species susceptible to rabies.

Cats should be vaccinated with an annual booster vaccine for the following diseases:

• Rhinotracheitis (feline herpesvirus)
• Feline Herpesvirus and calicivirus
• Panleukopenia (feline distemper)
• Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) for cats that also live outdoors

Before vaccinating a cat for the first time, it is usually recommended to carry out a blood test for FeLV and FIV (or feline AIDS, for which there is no vaccine). Together with the annual vaccination, your vet will always carry out a complete check-up of your pet and assess their state of health.

It is not compulsory for your cat to have a microchip (and be registered in the Swiss database), but it is recommended if your cat is free to roam outside. If a cat gets lost, a person who finds them would be able to immediately trace the cat back to their owner through a veterinarian or animal welfare officer.

If you wish to take your cat abroad, a microchip is compulsory. A rabies vaccination is also required, as well as an official pet passport issued by your vet.

Ferrets are vaccinated with an annual booster for distemper (morbillivirus). Together with the annual vaccination, your vet will always carry out a complete check-up of your pet and assess their state of health.

Ferrets can also have a microchip fitted so that the animal can be traced back to the owner if they get lost. Once the microchip has been fitted, the animal will be registered in the Swiss “AMICUS” database.

If you wish to take your ferret abroad, a microchip is compulsory. A rabies vaccination is also required, as well as an official pet passport issued by your vet.

Mandatory courses

You can only keep ferrets if you have a specific permit issued by the cantonal veterinary office. To obtain this permit, if you have never owned ferrets before and intend to do so privately, you must obtain a so-called “attestato di competenza” (certificate of competence), either by attending a course recognised by the USAV (at least five hours) or through a practice period of at least three weeks. Before purchasing your ferrets, we recommend enquiring with the cantonal veterinary office about the specific requirements needed to obtain a permit.

Rabbits can be vaccinated annually for rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV). For rabbits that also live outside, it is recommended for them to be wormed twice a year.