Dogs in Lagos are mostly guard dogs, kept outside; cats mostly keep themselves. Keeping a pet the way you might elsewhere is entirely possible, and needs a little more care in this climate.
Finding a vet
Private veterinary clinics practise across the mainland and the Island, and some will visit your home. Ask neighbours who also keep animals, and register with a clinic before you need it in a hurry. The teaching and government veterinary hospitals are an option for serious cases.
Vaccinations
- Rabies. Vaccinate every dog and cat, and keep it up to date. Rabies is present in Nigeria, it is fatal, and a vaccination record is what protects your animal if it bites someone.
- The core vaccines for dogs and cats, on your vet’s schedule.
If you are bitten or scratched by an animal whose vaccinations you do not know, wash the wound thoroughly and see a doctor the same day.
Heat, ticks and parasites
- Shade and water, always. Heat kills dogs here, especially short-nosed breeds, and especially in a parked car.
- Ticks carry diseases that kill dogs. Use a tick treatment and check your dog after walks.
- Worms and fleas need regular treatment, on your vet’s advice.
Strays
Stray dogs are common. Keep your own dog in, vaccinated and identifiable, and do not let children approach dogs they do not know.
Bringing a pet into Nigeria
You need a veterinary import permit from Nigeria’s federal veterinary authority before the animal travels, and a health certificate and rabies vaccination record from the country it leaves. Airlines have their own rules for carrying animals, which differ by aircraft and season. Start months ahead, and check the current requirements with the authority and the airline; an animal arriving without the right papers can be refused or quarantined.