# pets abroad,good and bad news?



## 121576 (Mar 22, 2009)

Good morning,
on radio two this morning it was reported that brussels was considering that vet check for ticks and fleas may be stopped,good news as drayton has got more tics in the isle of man than he ever has on the continent,in the same report it was mentioned that euro star were going to stop carring pets,bad news if it is true.Did anyone else hear this report?or was i dreaming(bemused bothered and bewildered)all part of growing up!!
Kind regards.
Pete. :?


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## chalky9 (Oct 27, 2006)

I don't think Eurostar has ever allowed pets; do you mean EuroTunnel? There doesn't appear to be any suggestion that EuroTunnel are going to stop carrying pets.


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

Hi is this Eurostar the train.............rather than the tunnel ? I think it might mean on actual trains rather than pet owners in cars and motorhomes.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6222527.ece


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

Here is the link to the Brussels news.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6222261.ece


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Thanks for sharing this info with us. Also for the helpful links Briarose.


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

patp said:


> Thanks for sharing this info with us. Also for the helpful links Briarose.


Hi no probs I like to try to help when I can.


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## 121576 (Mar 22, 2009)

Briarose said:


> patp said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for sharing this info with us. Also for the helpful links Briarose.
> ...


yes i second that,good information on the link.pete.


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

I've kept cats and dogs in many parts of the world. I wonder how I survived after reading this!!!!!

If you are a responsible pet owner, you would worm, check for ticks and treat for fleas as a matter of routine. I think Brussels is right to call for less checks.

peedee


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## 116882 (Sep 23, 2008)

Peedee is right. Any responsible owner would constantly check their dog(s) for parasites.
Most European dog owners are equally as responsible as the British ones. Travelling with any dog(s) must induce the owner to ensure they are clean, especially in a confined space such as a car or motorhome.
The current system falls down, especially as for example, I travel to and from Belgium/UK weekly, sometimes more often, and want to take my dog. Tick/worm treatment in high frequency situations is not good for the dog and freedom of travel is prevented by having to wait a number of weeks between treatments
Brussels is correct in relaxing the rules which will enable many dog owners to travel with their pets with greater frequency.
As a postscript, it is not wise to allow any dog near fresh water streams, lakes, rivers either in UK nor in Europe as this is where many of the parasites live.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Yes Peedee and Graham RESPONSIBLE dog owners do all the proper treatments etc. The trouble is we have to guard against all those other ones out there :evil:


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

I cannot imagine an irresponsible owner taking a dog abroad! They generally don't have that much affection for them and would leave them behind rather than have the inconvenience and cost of being tied down with them!

peedee


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Oh there are some :roll: Just a little while ago someone posted that their vet in Spain was prepared to sign the passport that the dog had been wormed and treated for ticks on a date convenient to the owner! They wanted to drive from Southern Spain straight on to the ferry and not get the dog treated within the 48 hour time frame.

If these diseases and parasites get in to the UK we will probably have to go back to the old quarantine days  

It must be very frustrating if you travel regularly and have to keep treating your pet. The trouble is the treatment only lasts for a short while after which the dog can pick up parasites again. The best way to think of it really is that you are protecting your dog from the horrible diseases that are out there when you are on your travels.


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## Vennwood (Feb 4, 2007)

patp said:


> If these diseases and parasites get in to the UK we will probably have to go back to the old quarantine days


Don't know how many of you watched Coast to Coast last night on TV - there were a couple of gamekeepers speaking to Julia Bradbury about the state of the grass etc. on the Yorkshire moors and they were saying that ticks etc. were a real problem at that time (I say that as I don't know when the program was recorded). So Europe doesn't have a monopoly on Ticks. Worming dogs has been going on for decades in this country so we can't blame the Europeans for that either.

I think it is sensible to relax the rules a little as, in my experience, the Calais Vets are the only beneficiaries with around circa 50 Euros a go for something that takes a few minutes and most of us do it every month as a matter of course anyway


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## derek500 (Oct 31, 2005)

patp said:


> Oh there are some :roll: Just a little while ago someone posted that their vet in Spain was prepared to sign the passport that the dog had been wormed and treated for ticks on a date convenient to the owner! They wanted to drive from Southern Spain straight on to the ferry and not get the dog treated within the 48 hour time frame.


And why not? Surely if the dog is protected for the whole journey through these supposedly disease ridden countries the better?

I believe Sweden's rule is for the treatment up to one week in advance, much more sensible.

As someone said, it's just a licence to print money for the French vets.


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## 121576 (Mar 22, 2009)

Vennwood said:


> patp said:
> 
> 
> > If these diseases and parasites get in to the UK we will probably have to go back to the old quarantine days
> ...


Yes i quite agree,
Drayton is treated at home.but picked up more ticks in the isle of man than on the continent,in the north of the netherlands they are also prevalent,you can purchace a device there which is like an anticlockwise corkscew to remove them,then burn the bl**** things.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

The ticks and worms in this country do not carry the same diseases as those found abroad.

I took the info below from the DEFRA site.

Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is caused by a protozoan (Leishmania sp.), which is spread between animals by sandflies. The disease is present in Europe, the Middle East and many tropical countries. The organism can cause disease in people. Affected animals may lose weight, develop skin lesions and swollen lymph nodes, become lame and have recurring fevers. 

Babesiosis
Babesiosis (or Redwater) is a disease of cattle and other mammals, caused by the protozoan parasites Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, B.divergens and others. The protozoan develops inside the red blood cells of affected animals. Different species of the organism affect different animals. The organism is transmitted between animals by ticks but can also be spread by contaminated instruments or needles. Babesiosis occurs worldwide and bovine redwater is constantly present in some areas of the UK. In Europe, particularly in Southern France, the infection occurs in dogs and there is a possibility that dogs from the UK, on holiday with their owners in Europe, may return home with the infection. Signs of disease may include a fever, loss of appetite, the passage of red / brown urine , anaemia and weakness. Recovered animals are immune to reinfection by the same species of organism. However the parasite may persist in the blood for some years causing the disease to reappear in the same animal. 

Ehrlichiosis
Ehrlichiosis is caused by a bacterium called rickettsia that can infect the blood cells of several species including dogs, horses and people. It is transmitted by ticks. The disease occurs in North Africa and in several European countries. Clinical signs vary but include fever, loss of appetite , anaemia, stiffness and reluctance to move. Prolonged bleeding may be seen. 

Dirofilariasis (Heartworm Disease)
Infection by a parasitic worm called Dirofilaria immitis may result in heartworm disease. The adult worms live in the heart and blood vessels. Dogs are most commonly affected, but the worms can also infect cats and ferrets. The intermediate stage of the worm, called the larva, is transmitted between animals by mosquitoes in hot countries including Spain and France. Clinical signs vary but may include coughing, breathlessness and intolerance to exercise and can lead to death. 
All of these can have severe consequences in your animal; some can also cause disease in humans. 

When I was a vet nurse we were taught that it is possible for a wormed animal to become infected with more worms (including tapeworms and roundworms) 48 hours after the wormer is given. The reason we don't worm weekly or monthly is that the tapeworm and roundworms that we have in this country do not carry these terrible diseases. It is sufficient here, usually, to worm every 3-6 months, depending on the dog's lifestyle, in order to prevent a build up of parasites.

We stop off in a little town called Ardres to get our dog treated and so avoid the Calais vets :wink: 

When I asked my vet, and former boss, to be brutally honest in his opinion of travelling with dogs under PETS he said he wouldn't risk it 8O


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## derek500 (Oct 31, 2005)

patp said:


> When I was a vet nurse we were taught that it is possible for a wormed animal to become infected with more worms (including tapeworms and roundworms) 48 hours after the wormer is given. The reason we don't worm weekly or monthly is that the tapeworm and roundworms that we have in this country do not carry these terrible diseases. It is sufficient here, usually, to worm every 3-6 months, depending on the dog's lifestyle, in order to prevent a build up of parasites.


I'm assuming you don't worm your dog every 48 hours when you're out of the UK?

We go by manufacturers and vets' advice and do the treatment as per the recommended doses at the recommended intervals.

As far as I'm aware these are no different to a UK vets' guidelines.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

No I don't but perhaps I should? :lol: 

The points under discussion are to do with the Pet Passport Scheme - are the regulations too tight? Is it all a money making scam?

I was just pointing out that the regulations have a scientific base to them i.e. that parasite control must be undertaken by a vet and between 24 and 48 hours of travel. The drug will not have time to work at under 24 hours and will have become ineffective after 48 hours.

It was DEFRA who were charged with making the rules and they make no profit from the pet passport scheme. It is there for us pet owners to use or abuse. If you read the DEFRA website you will see that there is official monitoring of the number of cases (of the diseases mentioned above) in the UK each year. Could it possibly happen that if the cases of these diseases reach a certain level that the Pet Passport Scheme will be declared to be "not working" and we all go back to the old quarantine system?  

I just think that, expensive and inconvenient that the scheme is, the alternative does not bear thinking about.


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## derek500 (Oct 31, 2005)

patp said:


> I was just pointing out that the regulations have a scientific base to them i.e. that parasite control must be undertaken by a vet and between 24 and 48 hours of travel. The drug will not have time to work at under 24 hours and will have become ineffective after 48 hours.


Yet Sweden's rules are 'a maximum of 10 days before arrival in Sweden'.

They don't seem to think they become ineffective after 48 hours.


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

One thing that baffles me re the passport scheme is......why can you not return an animal to these shores for 7 months after innoculation,does it really take that long to protect the UK population :roll: 

tony


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## karenmac (Jan 26, 2008)

Just took our two boy dogs to the vet to start the process to travel from Spain to UK, Sweden & Norway. Vet said yes, 24 hour rule good but 48 hour is nonsense - it should be 3 weeks.

Had to have blood test today for UK but Norway won't allow testing until 4 months time! More money at 80 euros each.

It doesn't stop there - the 2 cats get the needle next week.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

GEMMY said:


> One thing that baffles me re the passport scheme is......why can you not return an animal to these shores for 7 months after innoculation,does it really take that long to protect the UK population :roll:
> 
> tony


I think, Tony, that it is because Rabies has a six month incubation period (though there is some debate on this I understand). 
So, for instance, the dog is vaccinated and leaves our shores for the foreign and contracts Rabies. Unlikely, but vaccines are not 100% effective as we know. The signs of the disease should manifest themselves within 6 months and when the dog is checked by those profiteering vets in Calais they should pick up that it is suffering from Rabies??


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