Rabies Risk

I've heard there are a lot of stray animals in Mexico. Is there a risk that my pet could get rabies if I bring her along?

There is very little money for animal control in Mexico, which means that a lot of disease carrying stray animals roam freely throughout towns and villages. Since both the soil itself and these strays are covered in black ticks, try to keep your dog on its leash and away from strays at all times.

If your pet comes into contact with (e.g. gets bitten by) a stray, gets a tick, or even eats tainted food which is often purposefully left outside to poison the strays, it can be very difficult to find a well-trained veterinarian close at hand.

Pets that are already in poor health have little immunity with which to fight foreign bacteria or infection, and thus run a higher risk of serious illness or death.

All of this can be easily avoided, however, if you simply keep your pets on a leash and make sure that they are vaccinated before you enter Mexico.

Speaking of strays, though ~ don't forget to make sure that your pet's ID tags are current, so that he/she isn't mistaken for a stray!