Three Things I Wish I Knew About Pets in Portugal

Date: 11/07/2025 14:26:29

Insurance

In my first several months in Portugal, I had to schedule vet consults several times. My dog, Freyja, has a propensity for paw traumas, and our first autumn in Portugal was very wet, with slippery calçadas, or “pavements” in Portuguese. I also discovered her teeth were covered in plaque — must have been from the stress of the change. I took her to the clinic, and every time, I paid outrageous amounts of money that I attributed to the initial stress spending in a new country. When I paid 480 eur for teeth cleaning and removal of two broken teeth, I realized I was doing something wrong.

The wise thing to do would have been to investigate pet insurance from the start.

The way pet insurance works in Portugal is similar to human medical insurance here: you pay a monthly fee and get substantial discounts at veterinary clinics for treatment and medicine, and there are occasional freebies. There are limits, though: it's best to insure your animal before it hits 8 years of age, because very few insurance companies can start their coverage for older animals. But once you're with an insurance company, your deal usually stays with your animal for life. It's much more advantageous to get your pet insured early. Here are the cases my insurance covers:

I got a free check-up every two years before Freyja was 8, now it's one every year. I've got a spending limit for surgery and hospital stays, a veterinary care limit, together with several free telemedicine calls and home visits included. I've also got some coverage in case I need to pay damages or go to court in case something happens to other people or dogs because of the actions of my dog.

I won't advertise the name of my insurance company, as this coverage is more or less standard. But I will show how I selected it, with the help of DECO PROteste, a well-known consumer rights portal that has multiple free services and goods listed for comparison. Here is a specific subdomain dedicated to animal insurance: https://seguroanimais.protesteseguros.pt/.

Here's my tip, though: select a carrier that covers a vet clinic in your area, and also make sure it covers multiple clinics in case you decide to move in the future. I am currently planning to move to a different city with my boyfriend, and one of the factors we are looking at is the availability of vet clinics that are in the network of my insurance plan.

Plants and Wildlife

There are a couple of dangers you need to look out for in Portugal.

Pine processionary caterpillars get down to the ground in search of food around the beginning of April. They travel in large processions, attracting attention from dogs and cats, but they are known to release toxic hairs into the noses and mouths of unsuspecting pets as a defense mechanism. Look out for them, as they can cause serious inflammation.

Likewise, during the summer, watch out for sticky, long plant bristles. In Portuguese, they've got a term — praganas. They grow on barley, some varieties of rye, and some needle grasses. These bristles can get caught and lodged in the coat, which is a mild nuisance, but they can also poke through the animal's skin, causing wounds that need veterinary attention.

Inspect your pet carefully after its walks in the wild and try to avoid tall grasses with long bristles and seeds during the walks.

Neighbours and Other Dog People

People in Porto are amazing. I live in a neighbourhood with a lot of older people, and they adore my dog and never miss an opportunity to chat with me and pet her.

A lot of them also always carry dog treats. They do it because they're nice, they love animals, and it's always satisfying to watch a cute animal eat. However, it's not always ideal if your pet is allergic to something or on a diet. Prepare a short, convincing speech to avoid dangerous situations.

There is also the question of cleaning up after your dog. Unfortunately, a lot of dog owners still think it's not necessary to clean up the poop. My friend came up with a sweet way of avoiding uncomfortable talks to just hold out the poop bag to the dog owner in silence, smiling sweetly. It works well enough :)

What other observations about pets in Portugal do you have?