Doggo Goes to the Vet: A Guide to Vets in Beijing

Taking your pet to the vet in China can be a daunting task. You don’t speak the language, or if you do, you still don’t know how to ask for the correct vaccinations. How do you say “dewormer” in Chinese?  Even if you can communicate well, your problems aren’t over. You will still run into cultural differences between vet care in the West and vet care in China. Many vets use far less pain medication or no pain medication after surgery, or may try to run unnecessary tests just to make more money. It is a stressful experience, especially when Mr. Fluffers is sick.

There is hope though. There are many wonderful vets in China with experience working under conditions that don’t exist elsewhere, making them flexible, experienced, and great at getting things done on a budget. This guide will provide some basic translations, a list of the shots and treatments every dog and cat needs, and a selection of recommended vets. It is a good idea to know where your local vet is. You don’t want to be searching for a hospital while Pupperina has the flu.

Vaccines (疫苗)

Vaccinations are the only way to give life-long protection to your fur baby. This is especially important in China because most cats and dogs are unvaccinated, which means there is a high rate of infectious disease among strays and even pets. These shots, given at the right times, will provide your dog or cat with its best chance of survival. All the vaccines should be kept in a red book like this:

Puppies: Starting at 6 weeks, puppies can get their first round of vaccinations. They need to receive three rounds of the “8-in-1” vaccination (8联疫苗). This shot covers all sorts of diseases that kill many puppies including Parvovirus (细小病毒) and Distemper (犬瘟热); it is also called the DAP, DHP, or DHPP. About a week after they have received all three shots they are fully protected against these nasty diseases and can go outside.

Adult dogs: Adults older than 6 months only need two rounds. If you are not sure if the dog has been vaccinated, then you must get these shots. Every year dogs need a booster shot for canine distemper (犬瘟热疫苗). It is suggested if you board your dog to vaccinate against Kennel Cough too.

Kittens: Starting at 6 weeks, kittens need three combination vaccinations, 2-3 weeks apart, similar to puppies. This is also important for indoor cats too!

Cats: Adult cats only need two rounds of vaccinations. Even if you keep your cat indoors these are necessary. They also need the Feline Distemper FVRCP vaccination every year.

Rabies (狂犬)

The rabies vaccination (狂犬疫苗) needs to be given every single year in China for dogs and cats. In the US and many other countries three-year rabies vaccinations are available but China requires a yearly vaccine. This is very important. You will receive an iconic tag to put on your dog’s collar; make sure this is always easy to see.

Deworming (体内驱虫)

Every puppy and kitten has worms. Unless it is treated regularly, pets are basically walking bags of parasites. Test your pet for worms and then treat them to a dewormer every two to three months to get them parasite-free. Dogs and cats with worms can get very sick due to malnutrition, or if you get a serious parasite like heartworms (心丝虫), this can affect your pet for its entire life. If your pet has worms, the vet will give them two rounds of a strong dewormer, usually 3 months apart. Then every 2-3 months treat them to an over the counter dewormer like Drontrol or Frontline. These are usually available at pet stores, groomers, or your vet’s office, one pill typically costing RMB 30.

Fleas and Ticks (体外驱虫)

Once a month treat your pet to an external parasite extermination. This is usually a gel that is placed on the back of the neck to prevent fleas and ticks. If you have an indoor feline, this is okay to skip but generally, fleas are not fun to have in bed so be sure to mark this in your calendar.

Spay and Neuter (绝育)

Please spay and neuter your pets. Getting a pet desexed or fixed reduces cancer risk for both males and females. The younger they get this done, the better off they are; most vets recommend around 6 months or before the first heat for females. Not only does this increase the life of your pet but also reduces the burden of stray animals worldwide. There are millions of stray animals in China and billions worldwide. Please do not add to this problem.

Some additional advice: surgery in China is probably done differently than in your home country. Before you hand over your fluffy monster, insist on pain medication (止痛药) after the surgery. Many vets here believe that the pain tells the animal to stay calm, sit still, not run, or play etc… and actually assists in the healing process. Others still believe that animals don’t feel pain the same way humans do. Many are not trained to consider quality of life. Do yourself and Pooperdoodle a favor – ask for pain medication.

My own dog, Lucy Liu, went through her spay surgery without proper pain medication afterwards. It was a harrowing experience. Lucy Liu came out of her surgery crying and it took the vet a long time to give her the pain meds I was insisting on. It was nearly an hour till she stopped crying. It was completely unnecessary for my baby to go through that. To help prevent this from happening to you, consider the vets listed below. These are all brands and vets that regularly receive rescues from trusted organizations. Save yourself the trauma of a bad vet!

Recommended Animal Hospitals (动物医院 or 宠物医院):

Look for this plaque. It tells you that the vet is certified to give real, government approved vaccinations and rabies shots.

Doctors Beck and Stone Pet Health Care Center

This popular private chain offers an international level of pet care with 24-hour emergency service and vets trained in both China and the West, they also give you recommendation on the best puppy store long island to go to. They have locations in Shuangjing, Baiziwan, Chaowai, and Shunyi.

(doctorsbeckandstone.com)

· Daily 9am-9pm. Unit 104, Bldg 7, Compound 9, Fangyuan Nanli, Chaoyang District (8457 8233, 400 103 8686 for appointments, pet pick-up and emergencies) 朝阳区芳园南里9号院7号楼104

· Daily 9:30am-9:30pm. Unit 104, Tower B, Bldg 3, Hou Xiandai Cheng, Baiziwan Lu, Chaoyang District (8774 8653, 135 0103 0572 for emergencies) 朝阳区百子湾路后现代城3栋B座104底商

· Daily 9am-7pm. Shop 0153, Tower B, Chaowai Soho, 6 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (5869 6401, 400 103 8686 for appointments, pet pick-up, and emergencies) 朝阳区朝阳门外大街6号朝外SohoB号楼0153

· Daily 9am-7pm. Shop LB05, Euro Plaza,99 Yu Xiang Lu, Shunyi District (8046 2886, 135 0103 0572 for emergencies) 顺义区天竺镇 裕祥路99号欧陆广场LB05

International Center for Veterinary Services (ICVS)

ICVS is a professionally managed and affordable full service international standard animal hospital and pet care facility. All doctors are legally licensed in the PRC and all services are provided in Mandarin and English. Licensed rabies vaccinations for export are also available. (ICVSASIA.com)

· Tue and Thu 9am-8pm; Mon, Wed, Fri-Sun 9am-6pm. 13-16 Rongke Ganlan Chengshang Jie, Futongxi Dajie, Wangjing Chaoyang District (8456 1939/40/41) 朝阳区望京阜通西大街融科橄榄城商街13-16号

PuppyTown (芭比堂动物医院)

This vet chain has all of the necessary certifications with locations around the city and comes recommended by many in the animal rescue community. Some, but not all locations are also open 24-hours.

(Puppytown.com.cn)

This article appeared in the beijingkids October 2019 Family Foodies issue