# Pet Passports



## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

As many will know we spent the winter in Spain. It is widely known that the vets in Spain will stamp your pet passport with a "forward" date and give the the worming tablet to you so that you can administer it at the right time on your journey South.

In principle, I don't agree with this practice because people will fail to administer the tablet for many reasons and Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm is not to be messed with. In practice it is much simpler to use the local Spanish vet  This is what we did. She post dated the passport to 30th as, at that time, we were dribbling home. Then the situation changed and we moved things on. Of course we had no idea what the date was as we had been lounging around so long 

When we arrived for the Passport to be checked they saw what was going on. I was truthful and told them that I had given the dog the tablet the day before to comply with the spirit of the law.

The supervisor came to give me a lecture and told me that he had seen several cases and if the emergency had not been in place we would have been held over for 48 hours. He also said that he was going to send a report to the Spanish authorities for them to clamp down on the practice. You have been warned.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Thanks, yes that is an important warning, but I suspect the Spanish authorities will treat such a report with a gesture borrowed from the French.... a Gallic shrug....

Things are unlikely to change as there are much higher priorities for most people at present and, as long as the tablet has been given 24 hours + the dangers of the tapeworm are fairly well reduced. France, of course invented bureaucracy but I believe it is the BRITISH authorities that enforce the rules as it is the time of ARRIVAL in the UK that is the cut off time. That is of greater importance on ferries than the tunnel, of course as they take so much longer.

The important thing is that all of you are safely back.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Le's hope a well meaning vet doing a favour doesn't get into bother over that.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

I tried to defend the vet and they assured me that they would not be getting in touch with her. They were going to inform the "Spanish Authorities" of the situation. I suspect that a letter might reach all Spanish vets because there are many that offer the service.

I said earlier that I do not agree with it in principle and we were discussing it with a fellow camper. They were pleased to be getting the tablets but said they doubted they would get them down one of their three dogs. If that happens in the vet surgery the dog can be given and injection instead. If it happens on the road then that dog could carry the nasty worm back to the UK.

I am hoping that, post Brexit, the uk brings back the tick treatment that the EU dropped. I always treat for ticks before we travel home.
The other thing I would bring back is the blood test to make sure the vaccine has taken. Again the EU dropped the requirement that the British government had originally put in place.


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