Pet Passport - what happens at the french vet's?

[Fay]

I'm soon to take Pyewacket, my Devon Rex, on her first trip to France (on 28 Dec). All booked in on the tunnel, Pet Passport all in order, French vet found. But, although she's an excellent traveller, she is a b*@%^ at the vets. I had thought the treatment was just drops on the back of the neck but I'm now a bit worried it may involve a pill, and if they can't get it down her we may be stuck in France!! I think she'll be all right at the tunnel, as I have been told they can scan the microchip through the basket - true?

[YCCMB]

There's a choice between a pill and an injection, so you can opt for the lesser of 2 evils![6]. All the vets in the practice we use are extremely kind and patient and I wouldn't worry too much, as long as you allow the correct time before travelling (24 hours min, 48 max) to get the vet visit successfully done!

Aren't animals strange - our dog absolutely LOVES going to the vet, it's almost his favourite day out!

Good luck!

[Deimos]

Most vets have a knack with animals and I doubt he/she would

be a vet if they could not get a pill inside an animal.

Make sure about the timing (24hr to 48 hr before check-in in

France for the return trip).

Different vets use different treatments.  If your pet is difficult at the vets make

sure you take a camera (good to remember the amusing incident in later years).

They can use the spray or the drops on the neck for the

ticks.  As Croixblanches says, they can

use the pill or injection for worms.  My

last trip back, young pup decided she did not want to swallow her pills.  Fortunately vet had told me to bring both

dogs in at the same time so we then needed two vets.  One vet on the floor with his fingers down pup’s throat as she

demonstrated advanced wriggling skills. 

I wish I’d had a camera.  In the

end I put them inside her.  Its all good

fun.

Not scanned a microchip through a basket myself so I have no

idea.  However, my experience with

Brittany Ferries is that the allow you to do the scan yourself (they often just

give me the scanner rather than bother to come round their counter – I don’t

ask).  Thus, worst case you can always

shut yourself in the car to get her out of and back in the basket.

Ian

[Teamedup]

If at the vets then ours always gives an injection against worms and frontline drops at the back of the neck against ticks.

[Steph]

My two dogs have travelled numerous times with nearly all the carriers. At the vets I have only have had the frontline drops and then the injection. One of my dogs hates the vet so I make sure I take a muzzle for him. I have always had to do the micro chip scanning myself, the port people have never done it ...

[Fay]

Thanks, everyone!

[Di Rolph]

Fay, re. your question on scanning - as you are using Eurotunnel, they have a 'Pets' building as you drive in.  Follow the signs with a pet paw!   Its very much like going to the vet, they check the passport, then get the pet out of its basket and run the scanner over its neck.

For other people's info, most of the ferry companys don't have a pets building and require you to scan your pet in the car.  This can be extremely difficult, especially with our two cats who are trying to escape!  Make a large enough flap in the top of your carrier so that you can pass the scanner down into the basket, rather than having to open the top flap.

Bon voyage!

Diane

[Fay]

Thanks Di - yes I am using the tunnel, so I'll keep my eyes open for the paw! My problem with Pye is not her trying to escape, but her trying to avoid coming out of the basket - any approaching hands tend to be dealt a very sharp slap!

Fay

[Maddie]

The tunnel is very civilised.  The only problem that I had was that my free ticket (a business gift to MOH - he's "in the trade") did not include free dog travel so I was directed to another building to pay for two dog tickets at £30 a shot! [:$]