Pets Passport Scheme

[Tarrot]

Our vet told us yesterday that the specifically UK pet passport scheme will change on 1/1/2012 to come more into line with EU-wide procedures.  The changes appear to involve relaxation of the initial stage (the six month wait) and possible changes to the regulations about tick and worm treatment.  Perhaps this information has already been posted - in which case, apologies.

[Bernice]

Here's a link to the information on the DEFRA website -

http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/06/30/new-rules-pet-passports/

Bernice

[Garys]

I have been looking into the new rules as my UK vet had given me similar information.

However the defra reference that Bernice has supplied does not provide the most uptodate information on the subject.

When travelling with dogs we are still required to visit a french vet before returning to the UK. Tapeworm treatment has to be done between 1 and 5 days before the journey, and entered into the Pet Passport.

The full defra wording on the subject follows:

***********************************************************************************************************

From 1 January 2012 tapeworm rules apply

to pet dogs only. Not less than 24 hours and not more than

120 hours (1-5 days) before its scheduled arrival time in the UK

under the Pet Travel Scheme, your dog must be treated against

tapeworm and the treatment recorded in the EU pet passport or the

third country official veterinary certificate.

• No treatment is required for dogs entering

  the UK directly from Finland, Ireland or Malta.

Your dog must be treated against the tapeworm

Echinococcus multilocularis using an approved/licensed

veterinary medicine whose active ingredient is Praziquantel,

or an equivalent product. You should check with your vet to ensure

the correct treatment is used.

A qualified vet must carry out and record the

treatment in your pet’s passport or third country certificate. You

must not administer the treatment yourself.. The treatment must be

carried out every time your pet enters the UK.

If, before you enter the UK, less than 24 hours

has passed since the treatment, you will have to wait until the full

24 hours have passed before you can enter with your pet. If the

treatment was done more than 120 hours before you enter the UK, you

will have to have your pet treated again, have the treatment recorded

in the relevant document, and wait at least 24 hours before entry. In

these circumstances the waiting period and treatment for tapeworm can

be carried out in quarantine.

Pets being taken abroad from the UK on day trips

will need to have the treatment carried out in the UK not less than

24 hours and not more than 120 hours before they enter the UK on the

return journey. In these circumstances, it is

recommended that a further treatment should be administered 28 days

after return.

Pet owners are reminded that it is considered good

practice to regularly treat their animals against a range of ticks

and tapeworms as part of their routine health management, especially

if travelling abroad. Veterinarians are advised to discuss with their

clients the appropriate course of action.

Dog owners should practice good hygiene when

handling their animals. The NHS provides public

health advice on contact with pets and preventing tapeworm

infection.

Why dogs have to be treated for tapeworm

The tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis

can cause a serious or fatal liver disease in humans. Symptoms

include abdominal pain, jaundice, fever and anaemia and tapeworm

cysts may develop in the liver. Treatment may involve surgery or

lifelong chemotherapy. Without treatment the disease is usually

fatal. This tapeworm is not found in the UK, but is present in

France, Germany, and other parts of continental Europe. The treatment

needs to be given not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours

before the dog enters the UK to ensure that the tapeworm eggs are not

shed in the UK.

Qualitative risk assessments have been carried out

on the risk of incursion of the tapeworm Echinococcus

multilocularis and various tick borne diseases.

**********************************************************************************************************

[Judie]

Here is the Defra link

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/pet-owners/#a

[nick16]

Has anyone been to a vet to bring a dog back under the new regulations? I just wondered if there is a reduction in costs. Now you are just having to pay a vet to give a worming tablet, but one still has to make an appointment and the vet will have to stamp the passport. Why could they not allow you to show proof of purchase as being acceptable. If you buy the tablet, you will surely give it to the dog. More beaurocrocy and expense.

[mellybelly]

Hi all,

Would be interested too if anyone has been to the vet and what the new costs are....we used to pay about 50-60 Euro.

Best wishes Mel.

[Martin963]

I may be being dim but is it the general understanding now that cats do not need any pre-travel treatments at all....?

(apart of course from keeping up to date with the rabies vaccinations).

Any light shed would be welcomed.   Thanks.

[Bernice]

No need for cats to be treated against tapeworm, they just need the rabies vaccination.  From the DEFRA website -

Tapeworm treatment

– (dogs only): before entering the UK, all pet dogs (including

assistance dogs) must be treated for tapeworm. The treatment must be

administered by a vet not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours

(1-5 days) before its scheduled arrival time in the UK.

Bernice

[Martin963]

Thanks Bernice.   I suppose I'd have been more re-assured if they'd actually "spelt it out" that cats are no longer required to take the pre-travel precautions.

Let's hope P&O are singing from the same hymn sheet when we next need to do the return journey.

Thanks again.

[mary]

My sister when she returns to the Uk with her two dogs, brings the Drontal and Fontline with her. The vet charges a fee to fill in the Passports and give the tablets, fontline etc and give them a general MOT. She gets charged 45E. I assume it will still be the same price even with the new regs, as the vet will still have to fill and stamp the passport and charge for an consultation to give the dogs a bill of healthy to travel.

[Fay]

This has only just sunk in for me - no need to take my cat to vet 24-48 hours before travel every time! I'm thrilled to bits.

Not only will it be better for her (she's an indoor cat, never gets fleas, ticks or tapeworms anyway), it will save me 45 euros each time, and avoid the panic of hitting the crucial 24-hour 'window' for the vet visit.

Wish I'd known on New Year's Eve as I wouldn't have schlepped the 90-min round-trip to the only open vet in order to travel back on 2 Jan...

Fantastic news. :-)

(Am double-checking with Eurotunnel, nonetheless!)

[Moulin85]

There’s another key element that’s not been mentioned so far; the time datum point has been changed from Booking In Time to Scheduled Arrival Time in the UK.

'From 1 January 2012 tapeworm rules apply to pet dogs only. Not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours (1-5 days) before its scheduled arrival time in the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme, your dog must be treated against tapeworm and the treatment recorded in the EU pet passport or the third country official veterinary certificate.'

[Fay]

Blimey, well spotted, sharp-eyes Moulin85 - that could easily catch people out!

Mind you, supposing one checked a dog in with plenty of leeway for the crossing time, and then there was a problem such as a breakdown in the Tunnel and a long delay... before now it would have been fine because check-in time was key. Would they turn the dog and its owner back if they eventually arrived after the deadline had passed?!

I guess the long 'window' means it's best to be on the safe side and leave a wide margin for error.

Oh! Then again, how would they know, since (as far as the Tunnel goes) there is no UK checking stage on arrival!

[ViVienne]

We came back 2 weeks ago, it cost 75 euros at the vets for our 3 dogs which is about 25 euros cheaper.

[Moulin85]

The key word here is ‘Scheduled’; if your crossing is delayed then it is simply late arriving.

However, if your crossing were to be cancelled and you moved onto a later one that could be a different matter! This happened to us a few years back when our sailing out of Caen was cancelled due to rough weather and Brittany Ferries put on a special late night Cherbourg boat instead. Could be interesting!  

 

[Vix]

Hi

 

We have been travellingon holiday for some years in France with one dog. Now we are two!!  More expense but wouldn't be without them. Interested in your note about fees for 3 dogs. Can you let me know where in France you attended the vet please.  Look forward to hearing from you. Vicky

[ViVienne]

the vet we visit is in the Vienne dept.

[Fay]

If you are looking for a vet within easy reach of the Tunnel/Calais, I can recommend my one in St-Valery-sur-Somme, just over an hour from tunnel and ports. Though of course it would mean an overnight stay to be outside the 24-hour shortest-time limit for arrival back in the UK. No hardship, imho, plenty of nice places to stay/eat in town including two within a minute's walk of the vet.

They are open Mon–Fri 17h-19h (open surgery) and (by appointment) on Sat and the eve of public hols 10:30–noon.

[Vix]

Thank you for your reply. Which town in the Vienne please?

[Vix]

Thank you for your reply. As we now have longer between visit to the vet and crossing the Channel it won't be necessary to find a vet near Calais so that's why I am taking on board any suggestions. Thank you anyway. In the past we used both the vets in Honfleur which were acceptable and parking was easy too.

[ViVienne]

L'isle Jourdain

[Jo]

Excellent vets, lovely reception staff, they have been our vets for over a year and we have had to, unfortunately, visit them frequently with our terminally ill dog. They have been wonderful.

[Fay]

Taking the cat back through the Tunnel's pet check-in, without having gone to the vet for drops and passport stamping, evoked a similar feeling to the first time one drives into the telepeage lane with a new doofer - the irrational fear that it won't work... but it did! :-)

[PaulT]

[quote user="nick16"]Has anyone been to a vet to bring a dog back under the new regulations? I just wondered if there is a reduction in costs. Now you are just having to pay a vet to give a worming tablet, but one still has to make an appointment and the vet will have to stamp the passport. Why could they not allow you to show proof of purchase as being acceptable. If you buy the tablet, you will surely give it to the dog. More beaurocrocy and expense.[/quote]

I do not know what type of vet you are using but the one we use gave our dog a thorough examination as well before signing that she was fit to travel.

It is in the past tense because we lost her at the end of September. However, it was the French vet who discovered that she had a problem with her heart which if he had not then we would have lost her sooner. He also subsequently detected some further problems with her heart.

I have the upmost trust in him and when we get another dog I will be more than happy that he is keeping an eye on it.

At the beginning of last year our UK vet thought she had bone cancer in one of her legs but due to her heart did not want to xray as the anaesthetic could kill her. The French vet was confident that he could take the xray without anaesthetic which he did proving that there was no cancer - our UK vet was most upset at him taking the xray. 

I viewed the treatments as a side issue to having a superb vet take an interest and gave me more confidence than any UK vet had.

Paul