Pets in Ho Chi Minh City

Yes, but be careful of dog thieves.

There are many feral dogs here. Very very territorial. Carry a big stick and beat them off. I have never had one that did not get tore up by another dog. Very very hard to get quality food here. I ended up making my own. There are many recipes online. Vet care is not the best either.

Thanks for your insightful reply. I never considered the risk of theft, or the lack in supply of animal products (food, and healthcare). It's a very difficult decision because not only is import/export of an animal very expensive ($6000), he is my lifeline. I experience severe PTSD post military service, and he provides essential support on a day to day basis.

In Vietnam they steal dogs for two reasons. One is for ransom, and the other is for eating. Make sure you keep your dog safe, as the fines for dog-napping are very low and no deterrent.

Gosh that is terrible. Me, I would not do it to my prized possession like you have and need. I have never seen them snatch that type of dog. Not saying they would not. And they only snatch what is easily available. If you keep the dog with you all the time it will not be a big issue. There are people who treat dogs here. Not sure of their qualifications. But most human providers here are not doctors. So that might say something for the training required of a vet. But you can draw your own conclusions. You might want to experiment now with making your own dog recipes and see if you can find one the pet likes. If you can get good quality here, it is expensive and very expensive to ship here. I have a Blue and Gold and bring the food from the USA and it requires a 30 year mortgage to finance it!!

Ahaha, thanks Diazo. That's not very reassuring. Who administers human healthcare if there aren't any doctors? Are there doctors at the hospital? What is a ‘Blue and Gold' that you mentioned?

I'm positive he will be secure at home, as the building has security. How do you let them run at the park without being at risk of being taken?

I'm aiming to return to Vietnam to volunteer and teach English, to be able to travel more affordably than from Australia, and because the cost of everyday living in Vietnam is incomparable, especially while having a consistent income from Australia. I may trial the first three months without him before making such a risky commitment.

We have a dog but he is small and spends most of his life inside and on the balcony. If he does go out with us he is closely watched.

We joke about putting him in the cooking pot sometimes but there are others around who would seriously cook him up for dinner so be careful.

I'm pretty sure you can get "good enough" dog food and veterinary care. The brands of food are going to be different, but there are many kinds in the expat supermarkets. I don't have a dog, but hundreds of rich Koreans in Phu My Hung have fancy breeds and I figure they wouldn't bring them if conditions were so dire.

Dognapping is a thing though. Organized crime. My Korean friend's mother was walking their poodle in expensive Thao Dien one morning last year, and two creeps on a motorbike stopped, picked it up, cut the leather lead. Contacted the family later somehow, wanted $1000. The dad wouldn't give in, trying to negotiate. After one month I stopped asking about it, never found out what happened.

Food for a blue and gold macaw, yes that would be difficult to find!

@drutter Thanks for your reply. Did you import your dog to Vietnam or acquire him locally once you were established? I'm curious how they change their toilet training. My dog has been trained to only defecate outdoors, on grass.

@gobot That's a good point. I lived in a predominantly Korean suburb in Sydney, and their animals appeared to be very well maintained. It's interesting to hear the contrast of two very different cultures. In Australia, the risk of theft is very minimal, rare.

I've researched apartments to rent in Thao Dien. I haven't found many that allow pets. I just Googled Phu My Hung and read “up-market facilities and high living standard. Green and tranquil living space next to the park, Kenh Te river and Song Tan Canal”. Sounds impressive. How far is District 1 from Phu My Hung?

I agree, the food offered will be different to what's available in Australia. I'm not concerned. Even in Australia, there isn't a quality control or service standard for pet food. He isn't a fussy eater, he will eat absolutely anything (including  my shoes).

Phu My Hung is a more open and less crowded area about a 15-minute drive from D1, subject to traffic. Thao Dien is a more Vietnamese type of area, densely populated, not many open spaces and high prices. If I had a dog I would pick PMH, at least you can take your dog to a park there for exercise.

You mentioned that you could possibly come for three month trial without him.
I would do that. As traumatic as it may be to live without him for awhile, to lose him while here, would be much worse.

Please, for both of you, come first and see for yourself.

samlawrence wrote:

My dog has been trained to only defecate outdoors, on grass.

Hmm, if expecting hi-rise apartment life, suggest retraining for astroturf or a shallow cat box.

I second Phu My Hung. I lived in SkyGarden, big complex, there are balconies where you could park a cat box. There is a long mall between the buildings, in the evening if fills up with expat kids on roller skates and bikes, with their small dogs. Around $600 though for 1 bedroom and you should be able to get a short 3 month lease (normal is 1 year).

Hello,

    We bought the dog here in Vietnam as a newborn puppy, so I'm afraid I cannot answer your questions about importing from another country.

    I can tell you that we haven't had any trouble finding food for him. We just go down to the local pet store and buy what they have on the shelf and the dog seems to like it just fine but I am not too finicky when it comes to buying his food. If he eats it, great! If he doesn't I try a different brand.

If you are planning to take the dog back to Australia, then you have a major problem! I looked into this and it is almost impossible to take a dog back once it has been in Vietnam.