News Article - Travelling abroad with your dog (or cat!)

23 July 2010

This news article provides information about travelling abroad (within qualifying EU countries) with your dog or cat and the implications for your pet. There are a number of steps needed to allow your dog or cat to travel within the EU. To ensure a trouble free trip it is vital to plan to start the process at least 8 months in advance of your travel date.

Pets travelling to EU countries need a "PETS Passport". To qualify, dogs and cats need to be identified by microchip, be vaccinated against rabies and have a blood test 4 weeks later to confirm a satisfactory antibody response. Once this is complete, a passport can be issued enabling the pet to travel via certain approved routes. An important consideration for dogs and cats going for short stays is that they can only re-enter the UK once 6 months from the date of the positive blood test has elapsed - so it is important to plan ahead if you want to take your pet with you on your next EU holiday.

On the return leg from your holiday abroad, an approved tick and tapeworm treatment has to be applied to your pet and certified on the pet passport by a vet 24-48 hours prior to the return journey.

The pet passport provides permission to travel that lasts for the duration of protection of the rabies vaccine given (typically 2 or 3 years), whereupon a booster needs to be given on or exactly prior to the booster due date allowing the passport to be renewed.

So why do we need to treat for ticks and tapeworms before we bring our pets back into the UK? The reason for this is to prevent your pet from bringing back certain infections that are present in parts Europe but not currently present in the UK. Some of the infections we do not want brought back in to the UK include Echinococcus multilocularis, canine babesiois and ehrlichiosis. E. Multilocularis is a tapeworm infection that can cause severe disease in both animals and humans so it is important that a tapeworm effective wormer is used before return from your holiday. Canine babesiosis and ehrlichiosis are two infections that are carried by ticks and transmitted whilst the tick is feeding. These infections can cause severe disease in affected animals and it is the reason why we need to ensure that pets are treated with a product effective against ticks before return from abroad. There are a variety of different preparations that are appropriate to be used for the tick and tapeworm treatment that your pet will need on their return from holiday and they are available from us here at the surgery - but remember that their use needs certifying by a veterinary surgeon before your return to the UK.

It is important to remember that travelling abroad with your pet presents additional disease risks beyond the routine attention needed to prevent ticks and tapeworms. Depending on your travel destination we can advise you of the measures that should be taken to prevent infection with these (mainly parasitic) diseases. Also remember to ensure that your pet is fully insured and cover extends to include travel abroad - if injury or illness occurs whilst you are on holiday treatment or repatriation of your ill or injured pet may prove expensive.

If you have any queries about the 'PETS passport' scheme or are thinking of taking your pet abroad with you come in and talk to us and we can help you plan ahead and ensure that your pet is ready for their holidays in time to catch the boat!