When it was first started we were led to believe that the Pet Travel Scheme which allows cats and dogs that have been identified with a microchip and vaccinated against rabies to come into the country without quarantine was a good idea. Indeed several of are patients now regularly travel in France, Spain and Italy and have had no problems on their trips abroad. To start with it only involved European countries and certain rabies free islands and the risk of bringing rabies into the country as long as all of the rules had been followed was low.

There has been concern about the introduction of other diseases that do not normally occur in this country and we have always taken great care to advise about the longer term control of ticks when traveling in the hope that your pet will not develop any of these on your return.

We are fortunate in the United Kingdom in the way in which we do not have to worry about rabies when treating domesticated animals and have no worries about looking into animals mouths or treating patients with nervous disorders. There has been very little debate in the Veterinary press about the free movement of cats and dogs. The scheme has only really been running for three years and there has been little time to appreciate it's true impact. There is no real surveillance of diseases in domestic animals in the United Kingdom so nobody really knows how many animals have been taken ill as a result of their travels abroad.

The latest development, which I do not think is a good idea, is now the Pets Travel Scheme has been extended to include North America, Canada and Argentina. Rabies is known to occur in these countries and although I can appreciate there has been a great deal of pressure to allow dogs and cats to travel freely from America it is not without risk. Heart worm is also a problem in America, you should take advise about the better ways to control this parasite if your pet has either been to America or come from there.

At the moment only Virgin Atlantic and Air Canada are participating in the scheme. This covers six routes from Canada and flights from Los Angeles and Sanford in Florida. Until now (May 2003) only three Dogs and one Cat have come here from North America without quarantine. Long journeys do not suit every dog and cat, so some consideration needs to be taken before the decision is made to bring them here.

At first sight the scheme seems complicated, but once you have had your pet micro chipped and vaccinated against rabies it is most unlikely that there will be any problems with the blood tests one month later. It is then only a matter of waiting for the six months before you can come back into the country without the worry of six months quarantine. 

It is now common practice to use microchips on animals; this is a small device inserted through a needle between the shoulder blades of your pet that can be activated by a reader to display a unique number. It would seem that not all microchips are the same. The Tracer ones that we have been using adhere the tissues where they have been inserted and tend to stay in place. We sometimes have trouble detecting the microchips in dogs and cats when different devices have been used, they tend to migrate down the legs and can readily be missed. There might be problems with the readers if non standard chips are used, the reader at the port of entry may not be able to detect them.

As well as the normal vaccinations Rabies injections are now readily available to give to animals over three months of age. Only one injection is required but it is essential to have a blood sample taken after one month to prove that the cat or dog has developed an effective immunity to the disease. Animals only have to pass this test once, as long as booster injections for rabies are given each year for cats and every second year for dogs the passport will remain valid.

The timing of these procedures is critical as animals will not be able to return to the United Kingdom until at least six months after the blood sample has been taken. It is common practice now for animals going abroad to have an examination by a Vet to check that they are well enough to travel and that all of the documents are in order. Animals that fly usually need a document for the airline to state that they are fit enough to undertake the journey. It is not just Rabies that is a concern when animal come back into the country. There is a requirement to ensure that within forty eight hours of their return they have been wormed against the fox tapeworm and that your pet is free from ticks and the diseases that they cause.

Brittany Ferries: Hover speed, P&O Stena, Sea France, and 

P&O Portsmouth Ferries.

Eurotunnel Shuttle Service, but not Eurostar

By Air into Heathrow from Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Madrid Palma and Paris. These are routes flown mainly by British Midland but also by Finnair and Lufthansa.

It is only possible to use official carriers. Animals will not be permitted entry by other routes even if they have the correct documentation they will have to spend six months in quarantine. It is important that you follow the rules and not try to import animals that do not qualify.

How much will it all cost?

I regret that I am unable to publicize fees on this page but feel free to contact me so I can let you know what to expect.

There are one or two things about the Pet Travel scheme that are causing a bit of confusion.

The blood tests that are undertaken involve the rabies virus so there will only be a limited number or laboratories that can do the tests. There were delays at first but now we send samples to a referral laboratory where the results are available after four or five days. There will be some animals that do not pass the blood test because the level of immunity that needs to be obtained has been set high at 0.5 international units. This is to make sure that all animals are well protected by the vaccine. If you have a test failure a further dose of the vaccine and a second sample after one month should sort things out. You need to start the process well in advance of your pet's first journey abroad to avoid any disappointments.

When we have the correct blood results we are able to issue you with a passport for your pet. This is a small blue booklet that contains details of you pet, vaccinations, laboratory results and relevant worm and tick treatments that have been given. This has greatly simplified the paper work that you need to carry when you travel. The PETS 1 and PETS 5 certificates are not being issued now although you can still use them up until their expiry dates. When the rabies booster injections are administered we will transfer you over to the new passport, or you can ask for one of the new style passports before you travel as it makes things easier for you.

There is a slight complication in that although the Rabisin injections and the time limit on the Passport last for two years for dogs, some countries insist on a rabies injection every twelve months. This must be undertaken if you intend to visit these countries. As yet I have not been able to discover which countries have these more stringent requirements, but I am still trying to find out.

Some countries have residency requirement for cats and dogs. If you are going to live abroad with your pets for more than three months you must contact a Veterinary Surgeon and find out what the requirements are in that particular district.

At the start of the scheme there was a requirement  to have the documents and health certificates for each country that you are visiting. You had to apply to the nearest Animal Health Office of the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Foods and tell them where you are going and when. The Phone number of the Office in Worcester is 01905 767111. Under the new scheme you can travel throughout the European Union with your Pet Passport. 

There are two Countries that have slightly different requirements than the rest.

To get to Sweden the blood sample must be taken at least 120 days but not more than 365 days after the Rabies injection.

To get to the Republic of Ireland from mainland Europe the blood sample needs to have been taken six months before the day that you travel. This is because for the Pets Travel Scheme the Republic of Ireland is treated as if it were part of the United Kingdom. If you live in the UK you can travel freely between the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, all of the other offshore Islands and the Republic of Ireland without any travel documents for your animals.

If you are moving to any of the other countries in the European Union and do not intend to come back with your dog or cat there is no need to have the blood test to see if your pet has responded to the Rabies Vaccine. It would be wise to wait for at least four weeks before you travel to allow for an adequate immunity to develop although different countries have different rules about this.

It would seem that the part of the travel scheme that is going to cause the most problems is getting the last part of the documentation. This states that your animal has been wormed with praziquantel against Echinococcus Multilocularis the fox tape worm and has been treated for ticks within 48 to 24 hours before returning to the United Kingdom. The reasoning behind this is that the drug will kill the adult tapeworm but not the eggs so there must be a time lapse before entry.

Before You Go.

Two weeks before you are due to travel it is wise to visit the surgery so that we can check that your Pet Passport is in order, that your companion is fit to travel and that the microchip is still working.

Depending on where you are going you will need to consider the risk from the following diseases as ticks are much more of a problem in Europe than they are here. Ticks and Sand flies can carry some very unpleasant diseases that are difficult to diagnose and treat.

Babesiosis is caused by a protozoan organism in the blood that behaves in a similar way to malaria in man. The organism multiplies within the red blood cells damaging them to cause fever and anaemia. There are different strains of the parasite, but all of them are sent into the blood stream by an infected tick. Cats as well as dogs can be affected and it can take several years between the initial infection before symptoms are seen.

Bartonella is a bacteria found in the blood of rodents that can infect cats. Ticks and fleas are thought to transmit this infection although many hosts may show no symptoms until stressed or treated with immuno surpressive drugs.

Borrelia is a bacteria passed on particularly by Ixodes ticks that are common on sheep in this country. This is lymes disease that will cause flu like symptoms in dogs at first that soon results in swollen painful joints.

Ehrlichia is a small bacterium that multiplies within the white blood cells of its host. These are the cells that are supposed to eliminate infections, but some how they manage to survive and damage the platelets in the blood stream that interferes with the blood clotting system. These bacteria rely on tick to take them to their host animal.

Leishmaniasis is a protozoan organism that is transmitted by sand flies. It is a chronic disease resulting in weight loss and enlarged lymph glands. Affected animals will have skin lesions particularly on their face that are disfiguring but do not usually cause the animal to scratch or rub. This is transmitted by sand flies that are found in the hotter countries in Europe such as Spain, the south of France and Italy. These insects are only active at dusk and during the night. Insecticidal collars have been developed to protect dogs from sand fly bites, but they will not be able to stop all of the bites so it is better to animals indoors from dusk to after dawn if you can.

I think that the safest way is to ensure that your dog is protected against ticks is to use a suitable insecticide throughout your stay abroad. Frontline is quite safe, there is no problem with treatments being duplicated to get your re entry documents completed so it is better to be prepared for this danger. It would seem that the spray is best to stop ticks before they are able to bite. The recommendation is that the spray should be used every two weeks if you are in a high risk area paying particular attention to the legs, neck and chin as these are the places we most commonly have to remove the parasites from.

Intervet have developed an collar to use when visiting the mediterranean countries to stop bites from sand flies that transmit leishmaniasis. There is more about this on the Scalibor site.

Or there is a help line number you can try 0870 241 1710

Traveling in the United Kingdom

Sometimes travel here can be difficult as it is not always easy to find accommodation that will welcome pets and often in the summer it is not always easy to find a beach where dogs can go. It is certainly not good that dogs should be allowed to foul on a beach at any time of the year. If your animals have been trained properly there is no reason why they should be a nuisance to others. Dogs like their holidays as much as we do.

Please let us know about beaches you visit which dogs can enjoy throughout the year. There is a growing web site for hotels and Guest houses that welcome Pets. If you are planning a trip you may find the following link to Pet Friendly Hotels useful.