The Pets Passport Scheme - Factsheet

Animals imported into Britain used to be isolated for six months before they were allowed to move freely. This was quarantine. During this period any deadly diseases that they may have been carrying will have had time to develop, thereby protecting animals and people in this country. One such disease is Rabies, which causes a fatal infection that can be passed between mammals through biting. Britain has been clear of the disease since the beginning of this century. Today, there is a reliable rabies vaccine and there are better ways of preventing the other diseases from coming into the country.

The arrival of the PET PASSPORT SCHEME has meant that there is no need for quarantine for animals coming from certain countries, namely mainland Europe, Australia, Japan and the USA. Other countries are being added to the Scheme all the time.

This means that you can take your dog or cat on holiday with you, provided that you comply with certain strict requirements.

Cats or dogs are able to travel provided they have:

Been electronically tagged with an approved microchip, prior to rabies vaccination
Had a vaccination against rabies and kept booster vaccinations up to date
Had a blood test to confirm that the vaccine has worked
Had a period of SIX MONTHS of rabies protection
Had a treatment against certain parasites before their return to the UK

So there are several steps to take, and at this practice we are able to carry out all the stages as our veterinary surgeons are licensed by DEFRA as Local Veterinary Inspectors.

The important thing to remember is that initially to get your Pet Passport takes about seven months, so planning a summer holiday means getting the vaccine done in the winter.

So, to get started, book an appointment for a microchip. We use Identichip Biotherm® chips because they have the added advantage of having a built-in thermometer so any future need to check your pet's temperature means simply scanning your pet without the need to use a rectal thermometer. Surely a good idea!

Next, a week later, we will give the rabies vaccine. This has been shown to be very safe and there will not be any side effects.

THREE WEEKS later we take a blood sample. This isn't a major event and can be done at a routine consultation. For kindness, we offer a small reversible sedative to our smaller and more anxious patients.

A few weeks will elapse before we get the result and if it is ok we can then issue the Passport.

The 'valid' date on the Passport will be SIX MONTHS after the date of the blood sample. That is, you can't use it for the first six months to come back to the UK. You can, however leave the country if you intend coming back after the six-month period has been passed.

After that, provided you keep up boosters, your Passport will be valid for life. (In the UK at the moment a single booster is needed only every three years).

That's it!

Note:

Before you go away we strongly recommend that you pop in to check that your pet's microchip is working. They are very reliable but it is still worth doing, to avoid major problems should this not be the case. Better to find out in the UK than to get stuck abroad, with the possibility of an expensive six-month quarantine.

(If your pet is insured, most insurers will cover the costs of microchip failure abroad provided that you have had it checked within two weeks of departure).

COMING HOME

There is one other important thing to do, before you come back to the UK:

The idea of the Pet Passport Scheme is to prevent rabies and certain other diseases from entering the UK. These other diseases are carried by worms and ticks. Therefore your pet will need to be treated against these whilst you are still abroad.

The time frame is between 24 hours and 48 hours before entering the UK. You will need to go to a local vet abroad and get them to do the treatments and record that they have done so in the Passport. This need for treatment may sound arduous but most vets abroad are able to do it so it is just a matter of finding a local practice and making an appointment. It shouldn't take long.

To find out whether the country you are going to is in the Pet Passport Scheme and to see if there are special requirements (Finland and Cyprus for example), then call this practice or go on line to the DEFRA website. There is a link through our website.