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Pets Travel Scheme
Choosing to take your pet abroad is
a decision not to be taken lightly:
 There is a very strict export
protocol that must be adhered to, to ensure a safe and legal journey
for you and your pet.- You will need to consider how
your pet will cope with the change in climate of other
countries.
- How will your pet cope with the
journey? Each airline, ferry and train company have specific
travelling regulations with regards to pets. You will need to
contact them for details.
- The whole procedure can work out
to be quite expensive - you need to consider what the total cost
will be.
Below is a brief outline of the
procedures involved when preparing to take your pet abroad, these
procedures will need to be carried out in this order.
DEFRA:
Firstly you will need to telephone
the Department of Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs - the
government department that deals with pet exports. It is very
important that you let them know of your intentions; they will be
able to send you further information and all the relevant paperwork.
You can also visit their website: www.defra.gov.uk
Vaccination Status:
We recommend that your pet's annual
vaccinations are kept up to date.
 Microchipping:
Your pet can be microchipped at an
appointment with a veterinary surgeon or nurse. A microchip is a permanent
implant (the size of a grain of rice) that is injected beneath the
pet's skin. When scanned with a special scanner, an individual code
is read. The code number is entered on a nationwide database
alongside details of the owner and of the pet.
Rabies Vaccination:
This can be done at the same time
as microchipping, or you can make a separate appointment. This is
another injection, similar to your pet's annual booster vaccination.
The vaccine used is a dead vaccine; this means your pet will not be
subjected to living rabies antibodies. This vaccine will need to be
done yearly on or before the date the vaccine is due if you want to
keep your dogs protection current, otherwise the blood test will
need to be repeated.
Blood Test:
 The blood sample is taken
normally 30 days
after the rabies vaccination.
This sample is sent to an outside
laboratory that will test that sufficient rabies antibodies are
present within your pet's system. If insufficient levels are noted,
your pet will need to be re-vaccinated, and re-tested.
After a period of six months (from the time the blood sample is
taken) your pet will be allowed to re-enter the country. If this
period has not lapsed you are still able to travel abroad but you
will not be allowed to bring your pet back to the UK.
The vaccination needs to be boosted
annually - only the first vaccine needs to be tested, the following
year's vaccinations will not require a blood test.
Before You Travel:
We strongly recommend that you make an appointment at the clinic
with your pet AT LEAST ONE MONTH prior to departure. This will
enable us to tailor-make a parasite control programme to suit your
pets requirements, depending on where and for how long you are
travelling. There are many exotic diseases present in parts of
Europe, diseases such as heartworm which are potentially fatal but
can easily be prevented.
Pre-Departure Health Check:
 The timing of this appointment will
need to be between 48 and 72 hours before departure, depending on
which country you wish to travel to.
This needs to be done by a
Veterinary Surgeon who is also a Local Veterinary Inspector. This
appointment will need to be specially arranged with us to ensure
this vet will be available at the requested time. The cost of this
appointment varies; this is because flea treatment and worming
tablets may need to be given, and their dosages are dependant on the
species and weight of the pet. The export certificates will be
signed at this appointment if required.
Returning to the UK:
This procedure varies slightly in
each country. Your pet will need a health check by a vet who will
need to apply licensed tick and tapeworm treatment and document this
in your passport. This is usually 24 hours before departure to the
UK.
Please check with DEFRA whether you
will need any import documentation for your return journey.
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