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

The kitten is tiny, white, sad, probably eight weeks old or less. My boyfriend Max and I see it running across the road, and by the time it reaches our side, it has been hit by a vehicle. It is bleeding and its back legs aren’t working.

I wait by the kitten, while my boyfriend runs up to our apartment to get a towel and a box. Panicking, I get on my phone and start messaging people. Unfortunately, I only have a few contacts in the animal rescue world, and I have no idea how to find a vet in China. I don’t hear back from anybody. I call my Chinese friends, asking for help.

Max comes back, towel and box in hand. I make my first mistake of the rescue and the kitten bites my finger. The bite didn’t hurt but I should have been more careful and not put myself at risk. Max throws the towel over the kitten and scoops it into the box. It is in poor shape.

My phone pings; my roommate sends me an address for a nearby vet. Max calls a taxi. We arrive at the address and find nothing there. It is just a training school for people working with large domesticated animals. I am crushed. The kitten is still moving so we rush to find another address. My phone pings again, Max waves down a cab, we go off again.

The cab pulls over, we look around. It is just a pet store. Max is irritated, I am questioning why I ever came to China. Why are things so hard here? This should have been so straightforward. I get on my phone, I still haven’t heard from any rescuers, and my friends are not sure how to find a veterinarian. The kitten is still breathing. I take a deep breath. We ask someone on the street in very broken Chinese, are there any animal doctors nearby? He directs us down the road.

We walk for a long time in the heat. We try to go as fast as possible without jostling the kitten. Finally, we find a place with a dog and cat sign. We walk in and Max explains that we have an injured kitten. The man tries to be helpful but he is not equipped to do surgery. He explains this is a clinic and not a fully-fledged animal hospital.

With less care than I would have liked the man dumps the kitten onto a table. It mews and shakes while it bleeds. They tell me the spine is broken; even with surgery it probably wouldn’t walk again. It probably is diseased too. The man takes his time to write something on the computer in English. The outlook is bad. He explains the injuries, possible outcomes if I try to go to yet another place, and how he believes the best situation is euthanasia.

I sat in the waiting room feeling very alone as I cry over this poor little soul. I don’t know if I have other options. I have no support, I don’t yet speak Chinese, I don’t even know where in the city I am. We agree to euthanize the kitten. The vet sees how upset I am, and comforts me by telling me the kitten was in bad shape even before being hit by the car. The process is quick.

Max and I head home. I am angry and sad and tired. I am grateful Max is with me, but also angry with him. He is frustrated by all the running around we did, and I am furious I agreed to come to China with him in the first place. It is one of the hardest days I’ve faced in China and one of the loneliest.

The next day I go to the doctor. I realize that I have been bitten by a stray animal in a country where rabies is still a big problem. I need to get the shot within 36 hours of being bitten, and the sooner the better. Since I haven’t been vaccinated for rabies while in the US, I get the full round of the vaccination, which is five shots exactly one week apart, about RMB 90 each. For five weeks I am reminded of the little kitten I failed to save.

This incident took place last summer, and since then things have changed for me. I got more connected with animal rescuers, and now I even volunteer my time to rescuing and fostering dogs (and occasionally other critters – I had an injured crow for about a month!) But I don’t want anyone else to feel as lost as I did. China can be a difficult place to navigate and I hope the guide that follows can make it easier, so when you find that sad kitten on the road, you don’t have to go through the same thing I did.

SAFETY FIRST. Wear gloves or protect yourself with a thick towel or blanket to prevent getting bitten or spreading disease. If you are bitten, you must get to a hospital soon to start rabies vaccinations. Keep rescues away from healthy animals. There are many extremely contagious diseases that dogs and cats may carry, especially puppies and kittens. If you have animals at home that are not fully vaccinated, or if you aren’t 100 percent sure, then err on the side of caution and don’t allow the rescue animal near your pet. The younger the animal the higher the risk that they are carrying a disease like feline distemper or canine parvovirus. The latter kills many puppies before they can be vaccinated, can live in the environment for months, and is resistant to many disinfectants. Bleach does kill this virus, so always use bleach in these cases!

First, ask yourself: Does it need to be rescued?

This is important. If the animal has an injury, then yes! It needs help, skip straight to the next step. However, some of the strays around Beijing are pets that are allowed to roam, and you can be accused of stealing personal property. Do not take someone’s pet, even if you believe the animal is being abused. Many locals feed strays too, and they might be upset if the animal suddenly disappears, so make sure to speak with your neighbors to avoid any confusion. If you don’t speak Chinese, have a friend help you.

Consider Trap-Neuter-Return.

Adult strays are sometimes better off in a Trap-Neuter-Return/Release (TNR) program. This is especially true for adult feral cats. A feral animal refers to a domesticated animal that has never been accustomed to people and is very fearful. Cats that have never been around humans as kittens have a long road to becoming good pets, and many will never thrive as a pet. That is why TNR can be a great option when an animal is very fearful; it is the best way you can help cut back on stray animals in your neighborhood. Alleycat.org explains TNR this way: “In a Trap-Neuter-Return program, cats are trapped, brought to a veterinarian to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, eartipped (the universal sign that a community cat has been neutered and vaccinated), and then returned to their outdoor home.” This limits strays, disease, and kittens, and these cats can live long and healthy lives outdoors. Just make sure to give them regular food and clean water.

If the animal is friendly, young, or injured continue with your rescue!

Make a relationship and capture.

If the rescue isn’t urgent, take the time to build trust. Feed and water the animal, give it some treats, and see if the animal will let you pet it. Don’t push a nervous animal – this is how people get bitten. For some strays building trust happens fast; all it takes is one yummy treat before it happily follows you home. For others, it can take weeks. The best thing to do is to figure out where the animal is living, because you also do not want to risk losing track of the critter. Use your best judgment to figure out how much time you can spare on this step.

Once you have built up a relationship, you need to capture it. If you are lucky, the animal will just follow you home, or you can lure it into a box or crate with some boiled chicken (this is one of the cheapest and yummiest treats for dogs or cats. Strays don’t always respond well to dry food.) If you can’t just scoop the animal up, perhaps because it is too scared or too big, then you will need to find someone with more experience in trapping and rescuing dogs.

Get it to a vet!

The vet should be your first stop. Call a Didi or use another transportation service. Didi and taxi drivers usually will take an animal if it is in a carrier. However they might insist that you put the animal in the trunk. This is not safe, so politely refuse and find another driver. This service called GOGOVAN  will transport animals, and is especially good for large or crated dogs.

There are many vets around but finding a decent or a nearby one can be challenging. Make sure the vet has an Animals Rabies Vaccination Clinic Certification. It’s best to search Baidu maps or Amap for one of these terms “ 动物医院” pet hospital, “ 宠物诊所” pet clinics, “宠物之家” pet homes, to find your nearest veterinarian. I usually recommend PuppyTown “芭比堂动物医院” to rescuers, because they have locations all over the city, and have a discount for rescues! If the animal is injured, then obviously address that first. Once the rescue is healthier you need to start vaccinations, rabies shots, deworming, and flea and tick prevention. If the animal is healthy enough, schedule a spay or neuter surgery. It sounds like a lot but this is the easiest part! You can check out our article on going to the vet in China (p25) for more information.

If you are bringing an injured animal to the vet, you may have some tough choices to make. Get an idea of the scope of the problems and the costs. The hardest part is knowing when to continue with treatment, and when to think about euthanasia. Consider the quality of life for the animal. If the animal is going to be in pain for the rest of its life and the pain can’t be properly managed, euthanasia may be necessary. If it is a matter of losing a leg, paralysis, blindness… these are things animals can often live a happy life with, even if they may need more care. There are people happy to adopt an animal with special needs.

Covering cost and care.

Get an idea of the cost, and then start fundraising if you can’t cover the costs on your own. There are many WeChat communities where you can post asking for help and donations for rescues. I suggest making a poster with the animal’s photos, the care needed, and estimated cost. I use an app called Pic Collage. Make sure to keep receipts; people are much more willing to donate when they know exactly where their money is going.

After the vet has given your rescue the all-clear, and it’s ready to be a pet. If you can’t personally adopt or foster the animal, you’ll need to find someone who can. The same WeChat rescue groups that you can fundraise in are also a great place to start looking for a foster (short term) and then an adopter (long term). While you are looking for someone to care for your rescue, you can board them. There are many cheap boarding options. Make sure your choice will quarantine unvaccinated animals, and allows for walks and potty breaks throughout the day. Take time to make sure your rescue is going to a safe place and a safe home once you find an adopter.

Consider asking these questions of a potential adopter: how long are you staying in China (if they’re foreign)? If you move or leave the country are you willing to take your pet with you? Some countries are harder than others to bring pets into, so check relevant laws. How much free time do you have? How are you planning on training the dog or cat?

That’s it. Once you get started, you won’t be able to stop. Be careful before you end up with multiple dogs, cats, birds, and turtles in your tiny Beijing apartment.

Here are a few great organizations that are willing to help you. Many of the rescue organizations are volunteer-run and are very full; please contact them to see if they have any space.

Lost Puppies: Foster, adoption, fundraising; requires a two week quarantine period before adding animals to their network. (Lostpuppies.cn)

Together for Animals in China (TAC): Private dog shelter. (138 0119 2990, xiaoli@togethertac.org)

Kiki Boarding: Cheap, reliable boarding. (WeChat:
kevinhome2008)

PJ Canine Chateau: Cageless boarding for dogs. (WeChat: 135 8185 1516, bookings@chateauk9.wang)

This article appeared in the beijingkids October 2019 Family Foodies issue