Pet Passports: The Pet Travel Scheme (P.E.T.S.)

BEFORE GOING ABROAD YOUR PET NEEDS:

A microchip for identification and a rabies inoculation.

A blood sample taken three weeks later to confirm the inoculation has achieved the approved level of protection. Occasionally, more often in very young animals, a second inoculation is required to pass this test. We will ring you with results as soon as they arrive, approximately 3 weeks after taking the blood sample.

We can then issue your pet with an authorized EU passport.

PLAN AT LEAST SEVEN MONTHS AHEAD.

Your pet may go abroad at any time but is not permitted to re-enter the UK until six months have elapsed from the date the blood sample was taken.

Most EU countries require a rabies inoculation to be given at least twenty one days before entering the EU country.

Each year, before going abroad, if you let us know where you plan on visiting we can give advice on how to protect your pet from ticks, mosquitoes and sandflies, and the life-threatening diseases they can transmit.

If your pet is visiting a country outside the EU please contact AnimalHealth (DEFRA - 01228 403 600) to verify the relevant import requirements. Plan ahead, you pet may require a DEFRA issued export health certificate.

QUALIFYING COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES.

WHILE ABROAD: 

Treat your pet with the preventative anti-parasite medication we have provided.

Consider taking out additional travel insurance cover for your pet, contact your pet insurance provider to enquire about this service. Remember that, subject to the laws of the country you are in, you may be liable for damage caused by your pet.

BEFORE RETURNING TO THE UK:

Your pet needs specific tick and tapeworm treatments before returning.

These must be administered not less than twenty four hours and not more than forty eight hours before departure by air, sea or Channel Tunnel back to the UK. Visit a veterinary surgeon who will apply the treatments and fill in the appropriate pages of your pet's passport.

Make sure the vet fills out the time of day as well as the date of treatment. 

It is often best to visit the surgery you intend on using for this process during your outbound journey so that you can ensure they are familiar with the procedures and also that they will be open when you need their services.

MAINTAINING YOUR PET ON THE TRAVEL SCHEME:

As long as your pet is revaccinated against rabies before the present vaccine expires the scheme simply rolls over without the requirement for a further blood test. In the UK any veterinary surgeon may give a rabies booster inoculation but only a DEFRA Official Veterinarian (LVI) may sign a passport. Both of our daytime veterinary surgeons, James and Helen, have the necessary government approval. You may need to leave your pet's passport with us for completion.

We encourage you to devise your own reminder system. While we will do our best to let you know when the rabies vaccination is due, the responsibility to keep all inoculations up to date remains with you, the owner.

The rabies vaccine lasts one, two or three years. We use a vaccine that is licensed for use once every three years for dogs or cats resident in the UK. The rules regarding how often the vaccine needs to be adminsitered vary from country to country, even for the same brand of vaccine. We are happy to discuss the implications of this if your pet is scheduled to have a prolonged stay abroad.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE ANY ADVICE REGARDING THE ABOVE POINTS PLEASE CONTACT THE CLINIC FOR A CONSULTATION.