Wintering in St. Pete With a Pet: A Snowbird's Vet Checklist
Skyway Animal Hospital
Veterinary Team
Driving a dog or cat to St. Pete for the winter takes less paperwork than most people expect. Florida doesn't require a health certificate for a pet traveling with its owner, but it does require proof of a current rabies vaccination for dogs and cats 3 months and older. The bigger change is parasite prevention: heartworm, fleas and ticks don't get a winter break here, so a pet on a seasonal schedule up north should stay on monthly prevention the whole time it's in Florida.
Here's what the state asks for, what to pack, and what to do before you head home in the spring.
What Florida Requires When You Arrive
For a pet riding in your car, the list is short.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn't regulate pets traveling between states with their owners; each destination state sets its own rules. Florida's rules, from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, say dogs and cats entering the state generally need an official certificate of veterinary inspection, but they exempt privately owned pets traveling with their owners.
Rabies is the one requirement that does apply. Dogs and cats 3 months and older brought into Florida must have proof of a current rabies vaccination. Pack the signed rabies certificate rather than relying on the tag on the collar: the certificate shows the date, the product and the vaccinating veterinarian, and it's what a Florida veterinarian, groomer or boarding facility will ask to see.
Flying is different. Airlines set their own rules, and they vary by airline and by how the pet travels. Delta, for example, requires a health certificate for pets shipped as cargo or checked as baggage. Check your airline's current pet policy before you book, and leave time for any exam it requires with your home veterinarian.
Why Prevention Doesn't Take the Winter Off Here
Some pets come south on a seasonal heartworm schedule, with prevention paused for the cold months. In St. Pete, the mosquitoes don't really take those months off.
Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes, and the American Heartworm Society says the larvae stop developing inside a mosquito below about 57 degrees. St. Pete's average January temperature is 62 degrees, according to NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Albert Whitted Airport. University of Florida extension entomologists put it plainly: in Florida, mosquitoes are present year-round, and the threat of heartworm disease is constant.
It's here, too. Of 93,938 dog heartworm tests reported from Pinellas County to the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) in 2025, 472 came back positive.
That's why the American Heartworm Society recommends year-round prevention for dogs, and for all cats, including indoor cats, because mosquitoes get inside. CAPC recommends year-round protection against heartworm, intestinal parasites, fleas and ticks. In practice:
- Bring enough prevention for every month you'll be here, and keep giving it on the same date.
- If your pet came off prevention this fall, call us before restarting so we can talk through whether a heartworm test should come first.
- Don't forget the cat. Indoor cats in Florida need heartworm and flea prevention too.
Our heartworm prevention page covers testing and prevention options.
What to Pack for the Season
A few documents and supplies save a lot of long-distance calls to your home clinic.
- The signed rabies certificate and your pet's full vaccine history.
- Every medication, with enough for the whole stay, plus the name, strength and dose written down along with your home veterinarian's contact details.
- Monthly prevention for each month you'll be in Florida.
- Recent lab results and visit notes if your pet has an ongoing condition such as kidney disease, diabetes or a heart murmur, so a vet here can compare against them.
- Your pet's usual food, or a plan to buy the same one here.
- Updated microchip details. The AVMA notes that a microchip can greatly improve the chance of getting a lost pet back, but only if the registry has current contact information. Make sure the phone number on file is the one you'll answer in Florida.
Find a Vet Here Before You Need One
Pets get sick on vacation, too, and the worst time to look for a veterinarian is when something is already wrong.
Setting up early means a vet in town who has your pet's records and has met your pet while it's healthy. At Skyway we see dogs and cats, Monday through Friday 8 to 6 and Saturday 8 to noon, at (727) 327-5141. Two other numbers worth saving for the season: VEG St. Petersburg, open 24/7 for after-hours emergencies at (727) 456-8323, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply).
If your dog will be spending time on the Gulf beaches, our post on red tide and pets is worth a read before the first walk.
Before You Head North in the Spring
The trip home brings the opposite problem: Lyme disease is far more common in much of the Northeast and upper Midwest than in Florida.
The gap is wide. In 2025, about 1 in 8 dogs tested for Lyme disease in Vermont and Maine came back positive (12.9% and 12.6%), compared with fewer than 1 in 100 in Florida (0.88%), according to CAPC's testing data. Ticks also start earlier than many people think: Penn State Extension notes that adult ticks can be active and looking for a host on any winter day above freezing.
- Keep dogs on tick prevention through the drive home and after you arrive, as the CDC recommends.
- Ask before using any tick product on a cat. The CDC advises against using tick preventives on cats without first asking your veterinarian.
- Get copies of any Florida visit records to take back to your home veterinarian.
Your Snowbird Pet Checklist
Print this, or screenshot it, before you load the car.
- Signed rabies certificate (dogs and cats 3 months and older entering Florida).
- Vaccine history, medication list and recent lab results.
- Enough medication and monthly prevention for the whole season.
- Microchip registry updated with a phone number you'll answer in Florida.
- Airline rules confirmed, if you're flying.
- A St. Pete vet set up early, plus VEG's and ASPCA Poison Control's numbers saved.
- Tick prevention plan for the trip back north.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a health certificate to drive my dog or cat to Florida?
Not for a privately owned pet traveling with you. Florida exempts pets traveling with their owners from the certificate of veterinary inspection, but dogs and cats 3 months and older must have proof of a current rabies vaccination. Flying is different: check your airline's pet policy, because some require a health certificate.
Does my dog need heartworm prevention in the winter in Florida?
Yes. The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round prevention, and Florida's mild winters let mosquitoes, and the heartworm larvae they carry, keep going. St. Pete's average January temperature is above the point where larvae stop developing. Keep giving prevention monthly while you're here.
Do indoor cats need heartworm prevention in Florida?
The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round prevention for all cats, indoor cats included, because mosquitoes get into homes. The American Heartworm Society also notes there's no approved treatment for heartworm infection in cats, so prevention is the protection.
A little planning before the drive makes the whole season easier for you and your pet. To set up care for the winter, call us at (727) 327-5141. Two more worth reading: just moved to St. Pete with a pet? start here and core vs. lifestyle vaccines for Florida pets.
Written by the Skyway Animal Hospital team. Skyway has served Pinellas County pet families since 1961.
