# Pet Passport Hiccough



## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

On our way back from Spain, we called in to visit some friends who live in the Limoges area of. It worked out well that Georgia could have her wormer from the vet in the nearby town of Bussac and then make it to the tunnel within the 120 hour time limit.

To my eternal shame I did not check that the vet had completed the passport correctly. He had stamped it in BLACK! I discovered this when we were at our next stop over many hours later. We searched for the nearest vet and called in to see if they could sort it out for us. Low and behold they had no idea what we were talking about and did not even possess a stamp pad that was "any colour other than black".

Time was marching on. On examination the original vet had signed over the stamp in blue ink. I did a google of the problem and came up with an English ex pat forum where the subject was discussed. Some people had made multiple trips back to the UK with a black stamp certifying the wormer had been given. We decided we would "wing it". I should add that I was due home to attend a Scentwork course which had cost me £100 which I would forfeit if I missed it so we did not have the luxury of searching for a vet with the right coloured stamp.

I duly presented Georgia and her passport at the Eurotunnel Pet Reception and they accepted the passport with the black stamp. Judging from the comments on the ex pat forum and the attitude of the second vet I believe that they have given up on trying to get the French vets to comply with the rules.

This does not mean, however, that the Passport should not have the "any other colour than black" stamp when it is issued in the UK. It may be that the blue signature was significant???


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Thank goodness we won't have any of that trouble if we want to visit France :grin2: or any other country as long as we don't cross the big water.


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

A while ago the friendly French vet we used, completed everything correctly, including the colour.

My fault for not spotting that he'd transposed two digits on one of the pages. 

At the port it was spotted, they refused to accept a faxed correction, and I had to quickly visit another vet. 

Lovely person. She asked me what date and time I'd like the new stamp to show.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

We were held for quite a while one day while the staff at Calais discussed the black stamp in one of our Pet Passports. One of them was against accepting it and the other reckoned it would be OK this once. Eventually they let us travel with a warning not to allow black stamps in future.

That's not as easy as it sounds. Many vets in Spain and France will insist that black is perfectly legal and if pushed will say they don't have any other colour, which may or may not be true. They do seem to think I'm a loony for mentioning stamp colour at all.

Probably won't matter soon any way.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

The vet near where we stayed in Southern Spain was offering everyone to post date their passports. They don't see what all the fuss is about as the Echinoccocus parasite is endemic there. It is an awful parasite and, if we can keep it out we should. I have heard, however, that it has been diagnosed in some pets in Southern Britain 

Georgia vomited four hours after being given the tablet! I emailed my vet who told me to treat her again.

Met a chap on a Spanish campsite whose beloved dog had contracted Leishmaniasis while there. He swears he followed the guidelines for preventing it. One wonders if he cut corners and used a cheaper preventative treatment? Of course not all treatments are effective.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

patp said:


> The vet near where we stayed in Southern Spain was offering everyone to post date their passports. They don't see what all the fuss is about as the Echinoccocus parasite is endemic there. It is an awful parasite and, if we can keep it out we should. I have heard, however, that it has been diagnosed in some pets in Southern Britain
> 
> Georgia vomited four hours after being given the tablet! I emailed my vet who told me to treat her again.
> 
> Met a chap on a Spanish campsite whose beloved dog had contracted Leishmaniasis while there. He swears he followed the guidelines for preventing it. One wonders if he cut corners and used a cheaper preventative treatment? Of course not all treatments are effective.


We have never used a worming tablet on either of our dogs so why would we need to worm them before going to the UK ?

The twice we have been the vet gave us the tablets and said "you know what to do with them."


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

This tells you, Jan, why you do not want to be exposed to the parasite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinococcus_multilocularis

Unless you are coming to the UK then you can choose whether or not to give the tablets to your dogs. I would not risk living with an untreated dog hence me contacting my vet when Georgia vomited four hours after being treated. The wormer can take 12 hours to be effective and I was not prepared to take the risk.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

How would they pick them up if they are not scavengers, rabbit or mice hunters or any other hunters, only eating what we give them?


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Just had a little (!) brainwave on the subject of the stamp colour for the pet passport. I am going to get a red stamp pad and take it with me!


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

What is the stamp for Pat - just the date? I assumed it was maybe the official vet's name n address stamp.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

AFAIK it is the official stamp for the Vet certifying that he is a registered vet (or she !).

Ours has only ever stamped using black and we have never had any problems....

Curious how these differences exist but perhaps that ours is a French passport may make a difference?


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