What's involved in getting a Pet Passport?

At present the requirements for dogs and cats are the same and they are:

1. The animal must be micro-chipped.
2. A rabies vaccination is given.
3. 30 days later, a blood sample is taken. The blood is sent to a certified laboratory where a test done to ensure that the rabies vaccination has generated sufficient immunity.
4. A Pet Passport is issued by a Local Veterinary Inspector (LVI) with the above details in it. We have 2 LVI's at this practice

One important point is that when the Pet Passport is first issued, it cannot start to be used for re-entry into the UK until six months have elapsed after the blood test. Consequently, you need to plan at least seven months ahead of when you wish to bring your pet back into the UK (one month from vaccination to blood test, then six months till the passport is valid)

Maintaining the Pet Passport

Once an animal has had a successful blood test (and have therefore proved that vaccination against rabies has worked properly) then all that needs to be done is to ensure that rabies booster vaccinations are repeated every two years. These are entered into the Pet Passport booklet.

What needs to be done when coming back to the UK?

There are two simple treatments that need to be carried out by a veterinary surgeon within 48 hours of coming back into the UK. These are:

• treatment against Echinococcus (a serious tapeworm infestation)
• treatment against ticks.

Animals travelling to the warmer parts of Europe will also benefit from protection against a few diseases we don't get in the UK.

A good source of information on these diseases can be found the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine web site, www.testapet.com. All the products listed on this site can be obtained from our surgery.

The Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has an excellent website which is worth visiting - http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/index.htm