Kampala - Post Report Question and Answers
Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
There is one or two decent vets. Only one that I know that can navigate the CDC rules. No quarantine. I would not kennel my animals here. I would think twice about bringing dogs as you will not be able to walk them because of all the street dogs and if you are going back to the US you will have to deal with the CDC issues. That being said, I'm glad we have our German Shepherd with us to guard the house and keep the monkeys away. - Jan 2024
Most of our friends have pets and have been happy with vet services here. The vets make house calls for all services. - Jun 2022
No quarantine required. There are kennel services, but if your household employees can take care of your dog while you are away, that may be the best. There are decent vets that have experience and they are affordable, but pet owners should be on top of pet care. Vets may not have adequate tools or facilities to care for sick pets. It is easy for dogs to get African tick fever for instance, but I have seen dogs die from it because a simple blood testing was not done even at the well-known vet office. Exit from Uganda with your pet during the pandemic was the most stressful experience so try to prepare your exit as early as possible. Money will fly away. - Dec 2021
Touchy subject. I would carefully weigh if you want to bring your pet here. We have had one issue after another with our dog and the veterinary care here is somewhat lacking, though not horrible. Lots of environmental stressors here as it pertains to pets such as bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Vets seem to either shy away from effective treatment or throw the kitchen sink at the animal without much explanation for what they're doing. They seem to have a decent handle on what to do with diseases that are common here, but if there is a serious issue that requires orthopedic type surgery then your are in some trouble. Not to mention that the city civil authority will spread poison on the public roads from time to time in an attempt to cull the stray dog population. So if you walk your dog you will need to be pretty vigilant about what they are sniffing/licking/eating. - Aug 2020
We found a good vet who makes house calls. They are not quarantined upon arrival. The pet food isn’t the best quality. - Nov 2019
We had a good experience with a vet that made house calls. I am the proud owner of perhaps the fattest cat (ever?) in Uganda (24 lbs). I was kindly admonished to give my cat smaller portions. I tried. He rebelled. I digress... - Oct 2019
Decent vet services available. No quarantine. Pets will need to be treated regularly for pests, and heartworm. We keep our cats inside only to not have to deal with the ticks and fleas and mango worms. - Mar 2019
Yes, they’re available. We put dog food in our consumables shipment. - Dec 2018
I don't have experience with this, but I know of many people that have pets here. - Oct 2018
There are some vets. Many make house call which would be convenient if they came at the scheduled time... - Sep 2018
No quarantine. There are vets but they come to your home. I’ve heard horror stories bout kennels and would never recommend using one here. Bring all your own dog food and supplies, heartworm pills, flea and tick meds with you. They don’t care for dogs here and there are many strays in bad shape. I heard the city regularly put out poisoned meat to control the stray population, and one could see the dead piled up on the roadside. - Sep 2018
No quarantine necessary if all pre-departure paperwork has been received by the Government of Uganda and signed off. There are vets in the city that many Embassy staff have used with good results, and they do house calls. - Aug 2018
Reasonably OK vet services available. No quarantine necessary, need them for regular shots for cats & dogs and certificates of good health, etc. Not very familiar with kennel services, but many people will have household staff look after animals/pets when they travel, and in same cases dog walkers (available everywhere) will also look after pets. - Jun 2018
I do not have pets, but lots of people here do. I know they are happy with the vets. - Jun 2018
No quarantine. Decent veterinary care is available for maintenance care, but not surgical care. There is very poor hygiene as autoclaves are not available for sterilization. There are no gas anesthetic machines, so anesthesia is more risky. Dr. Gibson at Makerere University sterilizes his equipment with a pressure cooker and he has an American veterinary technician monitor anesthesia. However, I do not know how long he/she will be here. - Aug 2015
No quarantine. There are a few decent vets in the area. - Jun 2014
No. Get with GSO to get permits well prior to arrival. They can be slow. There are a few vets in the area, do your research; some are self-proclaimed vets with no credentials!!! - Oct 2013
I believe if you have your paperwork all in order, there is no quarantine necessary. - Mar 2013
No. - Sep 2009
