Protecting your pet against infectious diseases
It is impossible to protect a pet 100% against infectious diseases, but the risk of vector-borne diseases—such as those transmitted by ticks, fleas, or mosquitoes—can be significantly reduced by ensuring preventive medication and/or vaccinations. Protection against diseases primarily involves preventing ticks and fleas from accessing the pet's skin or coat, thereby blocking the pathogens they carry from infecting the pet. Contact-based infections or those transmitted through bodily fluids, food, or water can be minimized by avoiding contact with sick animals, stray dogs and cats, and wild animals. This page focuses exclusively on preventing infections. For more information about the diseases themselves, refer to the drop-down menu for infectious diseases at the top of this page.
Ticks and Fleas as Disease Vectors
Ticks
In Finland, we are used to protect dogs and outdoor cats against ticks from spring to late autumn. In addition to being a nuisance themselves, ticks also transmit several diseases. The most common tick-borne pathogens in Finland are Borrelia and Anaplasma bacteria. Outside Finland, in addition to the ticks we are familiar with, other tick species can pose a threat, spreading serious diseases while feeding on a cat’s or dog’s skin. Different tick species thrive in slightly different conditions—some are better adapted to cold and damp environments, while others prefer dry and warm climates. In Finland, the prevalence of ticks is limited by cold winters, but the further south you go, the more likely ticks are to be present year-round. For this reason, cats and dogs should definitely be treated preventively against ticks during trips abroad, especially when traveling south from Finland.
Fleas
In Finland, fleas found on cats and dogs often come from wildlife, but true cat and dog fleas are very rare here. However, the situation is very different abroad, where fleas are a widespread issue for cats and dogs worldwide. In addition to causing itching and hair loss, fleas can also trigger severe allergic reactions in pets. Like ticks, fleas also spread infectious diseases, so pets should be treated for fleas as well when traveling abroad.
Mosquitoes and sandflies
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are an annoying nuisance during the summer in Finland, both for pets and their owners. Globally, mosquitoes transmit many serious diseases, but in Finland, their impact is limited to itchy bites on the skin. Many pathogens spread by mosquitoes require a living environment with prolonged warmth and humidity, conditions that are rare in Finland. The mosquito species found in Finland could theoretically transmit diseases, but the northern climate limits their spread. In Europe, the most important diseases transmitted by mosquitoes to pets are heartworm and skinworm. Repellent products can be used to protect pets, but they must also be preventively treated against heartworm and skinworm when traveling to regions where these parasites are present.
Sandflies
Sandflies are found particularly in Southern Europe, especially in the Mediterranean region, and do not occur in Finland. They typically feed on blood after sunset in twilight conditions and act as vectors for the leishmania protozoa, which is very common in dogs in Mediterranean countries. There are products available (collars and spot-on solutions) to repel sandflies, but they are not quite as effective as tick and flea repellents. The best way to protect pets from sandfly bites is to avoid taking them outdoors in twilight hours in areas where sandflies are present.
How to Choose the Right Product?
Different Products Have Different Durations of Effectiveness
Most tick-repelling and/or tick-killing products are also effective against fleas. However, the duration of effectiveness can vary depending on the product. In most cases, the effectiveness against fleas lasts as long as or longer than against ticks. When traveling abroad, it is essential to ensure that the product is also effective against tick species other than those found in Finland. Some tick medications available in Finland are narrower in spectrum than what would be necessary for use abroad.
In Finland, several topical spot-on solutions and collars are available over the counter at pharmacies for tick and flea prevention. However, over-the-counter oral medications may have too narrow a spectrum for travel abroad. The duration of effectiveness for tick and flea medications typically ranges from 4 to 12 weeks, depending on the product, while collars can last 5 to 8 months when used correctly.
Choose the best product specifically for your pet
Medication should always be assessed individually for each pet—different products contain various active substances, and a pet’s behavior and environment influence which product is the most suitable choice. For example, dogs that swim frequently or play with children are strongly recommended oral medications, as this prevents active substances from transferring from the pet's skin or collar to the environment. While tick and flea medications are safe for pets to use, the active substances in these products can be highly toxic to aquatic organisms.
There are also differences between products for cats and dogs; some dog treatments contain permethrin, which is highly toxic to cats. Therefore, such products should not be used in households with both cats and dogs.
Repellents for mosquitoes and sandflies are only available as topically applied spot-on solutions and collars. Their duration of effect depends on the product used and factors such as how often the dog is washed or gets wet for other reasons. Frequent wetting reduces the effectiveness of these products.
Vaccinations and other antiparasitic treatments
Dogs
In Finland, dogs are typically vaccinated with a combination vaccine (distemper, infectious hepatitis, parvovirus, and kennel cough) as well as a rabies vaccine. Before traveling abroad, depending on the destination, it may also be necessary to vaccinate dogs against leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is a common disease among dogs in other parts of Europe (and worldwide), transmitted via bodily fluids or stagnant water. The vaccine protects dogs from severe illness but does not completely prevent infection. Leptospira vaccines are available in Finland, but check their availability at your veterinary clinic before booking an appointment! These vaccines may not be in stock at all clinics. Several native leptospirosis cases unrelated to travel have been diagnosed in Finland since summer 2024, so vaccination against it will likely become more common here as well.
The leishmania vaccine is not available in Finland, but if you plan to stay in leishmania-endemic areas for an extended period, vaccination by a local veterinarian may be advisable. Like the leptospirosis vaccine, the leishmania vaccine does not fully prevent infection but alleviates the symptoms of the disease. Usually, a blood test is performed before vaccination to ensure the dog is not already infected with leishmania.
Dogs traveling particularly to Southern Europe should also receive preventive treatment for heartworm and skinworm. Depending on the season, treatment may also be necessary in Central Europe and, in the future, closer to northern regions. Most medications used for this purpose are administered once a month, either orally or as spot-on solutions. These medications are prescription-only in Finland.
Cats
FIV and FeLV
There are some infectious diseases in cats that are common abroad are rare or nonexistent in Finland, and therefore cats are not vaccinated against them here. For example, FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) and FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus) are such diseases. FIV is primarily transmitted from one cat to another through bites, so the best way to prevent infection is to minimize your cat's contact with other cats. There is no registered vaccine for FIV in Europe. FeLV, on the other hand, is transmitted through bodily fluids such as saliva, nasal discharge, feces, or milk from an infected cat to another. FeLV is highly prevalent in some parts of Europe, but its occurrence can be reduced by vaccinating cats against it. FeLV vaccines are available in many European countries, so if your cat goes outdoors and you plan to spend extended periods in areas where FeLV is present, it is advisable to vaccinate your cat. A blood sample is typically taken before vaccination to confirm that the cat is not already infected with FeLV.
When traveling to Southern Europe, cats should also be protected against heartworms and skinworms with preventive medication. Preventive treatment is especially important for cats, as there are no registered products to treat advanced infections in them.
Lähteet:
ESCCAP 2019 (European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites). Guideline 05 Control of Vector-Borne Diseases in Dogs and Cats, Third Edition.
Estrada-Peña A, Roura X, Sainz A, Miró G, Solano-Gallego L. Species of tick carried pathogens in owned dogs in Spain: Results of a one-year national survey. Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases 2017, 8:443-452
Sainz A, Roura X, Miró G, Estrada-Peña A, Kohn B, Harrus S, Solano-Gallego L. Guideline for veterinary practitioners on canine ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis in Europe. Parasites & Vectors 2015, 8:75
Sykes J, Greene C. Infectious diseases of the dog and cat. 4.p. Elsevier Sounders, St. Louis, Missouri, Yhdysvallat 2011