Health Certifications

How Do I Get a Health Certificate?

Your pet’s health certificate must be issued by a licensed veterinarian who is also USDA-accredited to receive a health certificate at our hospital after your pet is examined. At Liberty Veterinary Medical Center, our veterinarians are licensed and USDA-accredited to issues both domestic and international health certificates. A prerequisite to receiving the health certificate is ensuring that your pet is free from contagious diseases and parasites. We routinely perform fecal exams to help determine this. Certain vaccinations (determined by your destination and/or airline) will need to be up to date as well. If no health issues, signs of disease, or parasites are found, and all required vaccinations are up to date, the certificate can be signed and issued for travel. However, if any signs of illness are found, they must first be treated before the certificate can be issued. Our USDA-accredited veterinarians can prescribe treatment for a wide range of illnesses, including heartworm disease.

Is There an Age Requirement for Health Certificates?

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, federal regulations require pets to be at least 8 weeks old before a health certificate can be issued. They should also be weaned at least five days before your departure date. Our veterinarians can answer any questions you have about feeding schedules to ensure that your puppy or kitten is safe and healthy during your trip.

Give us a call at (912) 876-3357 to schedule a consultation or health certificate exam, or if you have any questions about health certificates. We’ll be happy to help! You can also visit the USDA’S travel website for updated information about traveling with pets.