Hello all......

I am going to apply for a Pet Passport for my 8 month old Bullmastiff.....

I am told to get this he requires a rabies shot then follow up blood tests to confirm he is clear then they will issue the passport.

Does anyone have experience of this rabies shot to tell me any side effects or give me an idea if my little guy will feel ill after it ?

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

He needs the rabies shot and after a month a titre test to show if the antibodies are ok.  If they are then you can have the passport, but it is 6 months before you can enter the UK - and you have to have flea/worming treatments 24-48 hours before you enter the UK. You can leave to Europe with the rabies shot.  I have one dog who is pet passported and no ill-effects from the rabies jab - which dogs in many countries have as a matter of course.

i have three dogs with passports and they were all fine after the rabies shot. Your dog will also need to be micro chipped :)

Most of mine are PP and the rabies jab has never affected any of them, not even pups.

One jab -then another at a specified time ( your vet advises) - then a titre test and if alls well they're good to go.

I have never noticed any side effects following the Rabies jab. When do you plan to re-enter the UK with your dog?

Thanks to everyone for your replies....to answer the question of when we plan to return......we don't......I have a new super cool job that is taking me, my husband and Boscoe our bullie to Houston in Texas !

Surely you don't need a pets passport then, only rabies vaccination and you can leave I think 30 days later.

Your best bet is to contact the US embassy and ask what their requirements are for importation.

> Thanks to everyone for your replies....to answer the question of when we plan to return......we don't......I have a new super cool job that is taking me, my husband and Boscoe our bullie to Houston in Texas

My sister has just spent a couple of years in Texas and I am sure you will have a great time but I am guessing your visa is associated with the job you have landed in which case I would continue with all the necessary requirements for bringing your dog back to the UK because you never know and the US is pretty fierce about not letting people remain if the original conditions of their visa is not maintained.

You need to follow the requirements for importing your dog into Texas and they can be found here...  http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/health/zoonosis/laws/import/entry/
You wil also need to meet the requirements of the airline you choose to use.
As other posters have pointed out, there will be different requirements if you end up coming back to the UK.
Sounds very exciting!

Thanks again to everyone......I have contacted a firm call Ryslip Freight who was mentioned on here before about the shipping arrangements....they have been wonderful and arrange everything regards freight and paperwork and even collect him and deliver him to our new home in a specifically made crate to suit his measurements......they have given me all the legal requirements for him ie, rabies and passport etc and also that we need a vet certificate to say he is safe to fly within 2/3days of the travel date....again they were wonderful.....all I need to do now is wait for my visa to arrive then I can plan a little further ahead.....sorted out food supplies and pet stores before we go already......the little guy is the easy bit it us humans that are more difficult to sort out ! We are getting excited now though....

Even if you don't plan to return, it might be worth getting the full Pet Passport and not just complying with Texas requirements.  Just in case you want to come back to the UK in future, you just never know, and this way you won't need to worry about it.

Just booked him in for his rabies shot on July 7th and Bloodtests to follow in 4 weeks.....at least thats one less thing for me to think about......the vets confirmed it lasts 12 months and then he will need boosters when I am in the USA.....

There are some rabies brands which last 3 yrs, so you would then only need to get another one done every 3 yrs instead of every year. 

Ask your vet - perhaps they use only the 1 yr brands.  In which case, you could always get it done at another vets so you can have the 3 yr one...

Not sure what the laws are in Texas though - they might insist on an annual rabies shot, regardless of what brand.