# Taking Poochy to France



## 88742 (May 9, 2005)

Not wishing to appear a grumpy, old, tight *rse (But I'm sure many who know me will dispute that ;-) ), I have still not made my mind up about taking our Westie away next year. We missed out this year because we dithered about for so long that it became too late, but we are going in 2008, one way or the other. We would like to take him but it just seems too much hassle.

Trouble is I don't seem to be able to find an _'Idiots Guide'_ anywhere, I seem to be getting a lot of contradictory advice, in particular about the costs and procedure involved, I appreciate these will differ but if you have a guide please feel free to advise.

What I seem to have gleaned so far is this..............

*Initially*
1. He needs to be chipped - already done.
2. He needs his Rabies injection - cost??
3. Then a blood test to see all is well, how long between? (Vet bill for taking sample and Lab for report??)
4. Apply for passport - cost??

Then it appears he can go but 6 Months must elapse before he can return ??

*On going costs*
1. Ferry charges - Do they all charge, how much, presumably he stays in the 'van on board?
2. Blood test for return journey - Ease of booking in, cost, flexibility etc ??
3. Re-vaccination - this is the biggest grey area, but there is a post on here which seems to suggest this is now 24 Months,. Does he just need revaccination or a blood test as well?

It would be nice to have all the facts, to make a decision, and if nothing else to get a thread going that could serve as an idiots guide to be updated as and when things change.

I may well have missed something off the above list. Sorry to those hardened pet travellers, but this is all new to us.

Thank you, in advance, for reading this.

Ian


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## 88781 (May 9, 2005)

Ritas guide .. http://www.motorhomefacts.com/tutorials-show-4.html


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## 88742 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Dave, saw that but the other post I referred to was a later date !! (Re: note 4)


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

I did write a tutorial sometime ago so scroll down left hand side of main page and have a look.

Ferries charge about £30 for carrying pet as do the Channel Tunnel, Norfolk Lines were £20 I don't know if this is till the case.

If you get you dog done pronto i.e. Anti rabies this month, blood test a month later, then should be ok for returning to UK 6 months after blood test confirms immunity. So your pet should be able to re-enter UK say May if you include 6 months from say Dec. or earlier if the blood test confirms immunity before Dec.

Once all the initial bits are done the only thing you need to do for the return crossing is to make a vets appointment for your dog to have tick and worm treatment, this must be done before travelling and can only travell 24hours after this treatment and BEFORE 48 hours have elapsed. This is critical as no leaway is given outside of 24-48hrs.

The anti-rabies vaccination is now 2 years in this country some say 3 years but the critical factor is WHAT IS IN THE PETS PASSPORT if the validity date states 2 years then you only need to do it every two years BUT must be done BEFORE the 2 year date i.e. if done on say Oct 21st 2007 the pet must have his/her anti rabies booster BEFORE Oct 21st and NOT ON Oct 21st 2009.

Hope this helps. Also look at DEFRA web site as vets here and in FRANCE say things may change soon regarding having to visit a vet for the Tick and worm treatment. We are hoping we can administer the treatment ourselves and sign a declaration at check in. It will make life a whole lot easier. Lets hope it happens. You will need to keep checking DEFRA website or checking with your vet to see if there are any changes.

We are certainly happy we can take our dog and are now used to the procedures.

Please do read my tutorial.


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## 88781 (May 9, 2005)

_4. Apply for passport - cost??
_

The vet issues the passport once the bloodwork comes back OK from the lab, our two were 'passported' in July this year £150 for both, that includes everythingstart to finish however they were already chipped.
If you go ahead and decide to have Sproket passported, then I advise sooner rather than later if your planning on going next Summer, ours were issued on July 8th this year, I could take them abroad, but not brin g them back until December 8th, 6 months must pass before return to UK

Cheers Dave


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## 88742 (May 9, 2005)

Thanks Rita, I did read your tutorial, but obviously found the vaccination dates didn't tie up, and now you say possibly tri-annually :? I'm sure if you do this all the time it's fine, but I wish the authority's wouldn't keep moving the goalposts.

Ian


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## 88742 (May 9, 2005)

'Posting' while you added that Dave, I meant note:4 on Rita's post. I know, if I dither about much more he won't be coming next year either !!!


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

the anti rabies vaccination validity is dependant on the vaccine manufacturer so if it is 2 years then can adhere to that but other people have reported 3 years.

Our dog has a 2 year one.

To add to the confusion some vets will say yearly but that is usually them covering their backs! Our sends us a reminder when the year is up and we have explained to the vet it is not necessary as DEFRA has stipulated that the manufacturers validity is what we go by.

The only time you need to give a booster by 12 months is if you intend staying in a country eg. France for 3 months or more then their laws must be adhered to as the dog is classed resident from 3 months onwards. (even though the dog probably isn't) but France requires a yearly ant rabies. so we make sure we are in France for less than 3 months.

We did do a tour of Eastern Europe as well as Germany and France and were away for 4 months but we were not in France for 3 months so were ok. Not that anyone in France queried our length of stay.
Booking in at the ferry or shuttles they will check the chip, check the passport has the tick and worm treatment and is dated, timed and has vet signature and stamp. providing all is ok and anti rabies is within the validity period then all is ok.

The return treatment cost various from vets to vets, the nearer Calais the more expensive. we pay anything from mid 30 euros to the worst at Arques 50+ euros! cheapest the Vet at Iper/Ypres in Belgium when we paid 26+ euros.


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## 88742 (May 9, 2005)

Thanks Rita for your comments, I accept that these things are changing all the time, but I'm just trying to avoid a situation that would leave us in a predicament abroad (Not that it's vital if I didn't return immediately).

I thankyou for your comments and will have to make a decision based upon the best information I have at the time.

Thanks

Ian


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## maggyd (Oct 18, 2007)

*Taking poochy to France*

I have just this morning had my 15month old Chihuahua vaccinated against rabies I was supprised that it only cost me £23.48! I didnt ask the price beforehand as I wanted my own vet to do the prescedure anyway, he needs a blood test in 21 days time I didnt ask the price of that either! and then if it has taken he will be issued with th pets passport :?: I think alltogether it costs around £80! Do you think Im in for a supprise?

It has to be done so why worry we want to go abroad and we wouldnt leave him behind.


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## 88742 (May 9, 2005)

Thanks Maggy, we've decided to take the plunge regardless :roll: 
Although it's more the hassle than the cost that concerns us :? 

But I'm sure in 12 Months time I'll be saying there's nothing to it...............I hope.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

How old does the pooch have to be before all this can be started?

We haven't even got our new pup yet, but when she arrives we shall want to take her with us as often as possible.

This is what she will look like.

Thanks

Dave


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## maggyd (Oct 18, 2007)

Sanatogen said:


> How old does the pooch have to be before all this can be started?
> 
> We haven't even got our new pup yet, but when she arrives we shall want to take her with us as often as possible.
> 
> ...


Your vet is the best one to ask about that Dave! I personally would wait till he or she has had their normal jabs, I worry about too many chemicals being pumped into young dogs.

Is this a pic of a late pet? it looks a lovely little thing! mind you it is a lot bigger than my little chihuahua  I lost my last one last Sept; but only managed to wait a couple of months as he was left such a big hole in our lives ! even with 4 children (grown up) and 10 grandchildren. Good Luck.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Maddyd said, _"Is this a pic of a late pet? it looks a lovely little thing!"_

Yes, this is the one we just lost when she was a pup.

We like the breed though, so shall have another one of the same. Can't wait now, the house seems so empty without the hairy doormat and we don't know what to do with the fatty bits off the bacon.

Regards

Dave


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## 88742 (May 9, 2005)

Just an update to this thread, 'Sprocket' went for his Rabies injection this morning (He didn't like that one bit!! - Wuss), so just to let people know what I've been quoted..........

Rabies injection £47

Blood test incl lab report £53.32

Passport £37.01

One thing that I wasn't aware of was that the vet issues the passport, I thought I had to apply for it after doing the necessary bits 'n' bobs.

Still learning :roll: 

Ian


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## 88742 (May 9, 2005)

I know, I know...........you've got to be patient with me but, I thought that you had to get a satisfactory blood test before boarding your homeward ferry, today I learn that you only need to get a 'tick & worm' treatment before you board your homeward ferry so long as you have a valid blood test that may have been carried out *in the UK* before you went abroad.

Sorry, still confused :? :?

Ian


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## 88742 (May 9, 2005)

.......... got a call from the vets on Friday to say the passport was ready for collection, before I go and collect it what are the crucial things that should be on it, I read somewhere earlier that there was one or two things that you MUST make sure are entered on the passport.

I ask because my vet doesn't seem to be 100% clued up on this and has already given me some advice that was contradicted by the Defra site as well as not completing paperwork fully :roll: 

Thanks

Ian


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## andyangyh (May 1, 2005)

We lived in France and the rules there said that your dog had to have the rabies injection annually. In my opinion, as the French have virtually eradicated rabies in their domesticated pets, they know what they are doing with regards to frequency of vaccination so we still go by the French schedule even though we now live most of the year in England. I don't think they are "covering their backs". I think they are following what they have found to be best practice. Also have your hairy friend treated with Frontline monthly to avoid ticks. We lost one dog to the blood borne parasite carried by fleas and would never want to go through that again.


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## 101405 (Oct 15, 2006)

*pet passport*

All good advice given here .what is important is you keep your pets tick and flea treatment up todate Its not Rabies that will get your pet but ticks and fleas (sand fleas and also mossies ) and make sure you check you pet daily for ticks .easy to get off with a little gadjet from vets.


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

*Re: pet passport*



silversurfa said:


> All good advice given here .what is important is you keep your pets tick and flea treatment up todate Its not Rabies that will get your pet but ticks and fleas (sand fleas and also mossies ) and make sure you check you pet daily for ticks .easy to get off with a little gadjet from vets.


Thanks for that I didn't know you could get a gadget or even that you should check daily so your info is very important to me.


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## 103561 (Mar 24, 2007)

zulurita said:


> the anti rabies vaccination validity is dependant on the vaccine manufacturer so if it is 2 years then can adhere to that but other people have reported 3 years.
> 
> Our dog has a 2 year one.
> 
> ...


We have traveled with our dog and cat to france germany and switzerland. 
Our Vet in france assured us that we only needed to vaccinate against rabbies every 2 yrs. We were told that it was Spain who required the annual vaccination...??


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## 101405 (Oct 15, 2006)

*pets in europe*

Rabies is not really the problem , and looking after your pet does not stop at the rabies jab , make sure you keep up with tick and flea treatment every month . frontline combo is good. and if your here when your pets boosters are due make sure you get them , for southern europe you sould think of heartworm treatment aswell, picked up from insect bites ! a killer!! sand fleas /mossies


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

*Re: pets in europe*



silversurfa said:


> Rabies is not really the problem , and looking after your pet does not stop at the rabies jab , make sure you keep up with tick and flea treatment every month . frontline combo is good. and if your here when your pets boosters are due make sure you get them , for southern europe you sould think of heartworm treatment aswell, picked up from insect bites ! a killer!! sand fleas /mossies


Hi having just returned from Portugal (see my post in the sticky at top of forum ref the two year jab) I didn't know about the heartworm problem until we were actually in the Algarve when someone informed me about it so I immediately took my two to the nearest vet who did a blood test to make sure that they hadn't already caught anything and gave them the tablet each to protect against this...................please if you are going to the Southern Europe check with your Vet before you travel if I had done that I wouldn't have had to pay for the blood test whilst there, he also supplied us with collars to protect from mossi bites.

Other than that I am pleased to report that taking the pets was a pleasure and we had no problems with the passport BUT on future travels I will def check for this with my own Vet.

Also for anyone who doesn't know you have to be aware of the Prossesionary caterpillars in pine forests or anywhere with pine trees at certain times of the year as they are a potential killer to your pet.


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