Pet Passports and Travelling Abroad

We are thinking about the possibility of taking Millie with us on holiday to France in August this year and I was wondering if anyone on Dogsey can let me know their experiences of going abroad with their dog(s).

In addition I have not found out just how much this is likely to cost (if it's very expensive then she might have a UK holiday with my parents whilst we are away LOL). She is already microchipped but I have no idea how much a pet passport costs, how much the rabies jabs are and how often you need to keep these up (are they annual vaccinations?). Do the ferry/Eurotunnel services charge a lot for taking your dog with you? Is it hard to find a vet 'overseas' with a 24 window before you travel back to the UK (I have heard some people having to delay their crossings back because they haven't managed to get a vet appointment at the right time).

Anyway, I look forward to hearing any experiences that Dogsey members have had.

Thanks from Millie and her humans!

I dont know the ins and outs of getting a pasport in the UK, but the rabies jabs should be done 6 months before traveling, and the dog has to have a blood test 1 month after the jab to make sure it has taken. As for finding a vet over here before you go back, I have had people with dogs stay at my gite and friends have had people with dogs in thier gites and we have never had a problem geting a RDV for them.

I can't give a personal experience but I was considering traveling with my dog recently and was linked to this site:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pet...info/other.htm

It has all the information about pet passports etc.

I think from reading the DEFRA document that we are probably too late for Millie to travel this year? It seems that you need to allow 6 months plus then an additional month when a blood test will be done? It all seems very complicated to me and probably too much hassle just for a family holiday I would think it would only be worth doing if you had a holiday home abroad and/or travelled abroad regularly. If this has to be done each year I think we would be better off travelling without our canine pal . . .

I may be wrong but I don't think the whole procedure has to be re-done every year. Once the initial blood tests have shown the dog's rabies vaccination has worked, then just a regular rabies booster has to be done, and hasn't lapsed, and I have a feeling that's not necessarily annual, it's every 2 years in some cases.

Plenty of people take their dogs abroad now for shows or for breeding purposes, some on a regular basis, some not.

So the longest wait is the initial 6 months or so while it's all being set up.

You will not be able to travel with your dog abroad in August if your dog has not yet been jabbed (unless you want to leave her there)!

Rabies vaccinations are redone at 3 yearly intervals although some people make sure they are done well before just to ensure they do not mistakenly go over, otherwise you have to go through the initial palaver all over again!

Yes you have time to get a passport but you need to start now. Go to your vet and check they are registered to do passports. They will give your dog a rabies vacc and check the microchip. After 2 weeks they take ablood test to check the vaccine has worked. It is this date that is the crucial one (provided the test is OK).
It is 6 months from the date of the blood test that the dog is allowed back into the UK. (The dog can leave at any time)
So you just have to make sure you come back after that date. It will be marked in the passport that the vet will give you.
You also need to arrange for a vet to tick and worm your dog 12-24 hours before your return. You need to use a vet registered for the Passport scheme, but most are.
And that`s it.
Happy Holiday.

ps - if you`re going to the south of france you might want to check for sandfly (leishmaniasis) disease as if that area has it your dog should wear a flea collar, as this keeps the carriers off.

Yes, this is the thing which is often overlooked, you need to allow 7 months overall, and that's on the assumption that the rabies jab is successful. I am reliably informed that 1% do not 'take' and have to be done again so if you were going in August you are cutting it close even if it is successful the first time and if not (If you were one of the unlucky 1%) I doubt you would make it for August.

So far as I know once the rabies jab has been done and found to be successful you only need a booster which I'm told can be either once a year or once every three years, I think it depends on which make the vet uses but not 100% sure on that.

As for vets in France you will find a lot of info on here from people who regularly take their dogs abroad:-

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/forum-23.html

All in all it might be best to get all the rabies thing done this year and take your dog next year.

Is it the individual country Min of Ag rules that determine if a 'booster' is required every year, every two years, or even I've heard in some cases every three years

Or is it dependant on which make of rabies jab is used

I'm still trying to get clarification on this, in Czech Republic I know for sure a booster is given every year but some people have told me that in France it's every two years. The DEFRA site only talks about UK of course.

It's the vaccine company that set the booster date as far as I am aware it's either 2 or 3 yearly. It's only yearly if the dog is resident abroad & the country of residence require a yearly booster