Hi there,

My partners parents live in Luxembourg and we're due to visit then in the summer holidays for a week, probably July/August.

We don't want to leave our 8 month old Cav Harvey behind, so we've decided to take him with us!! :)  i'd appreciate any useful advice you experts might have as to how i can go about getting him a pet passport :) I realise i'll have to contact my vet, but i'd like to go there with all the knowledge i can find!! 

He's micro chipped and fully vaccinated, he's wormed/flead regularly too. We also have him insured.

Thanks in advance

Michelle

Michelle, are you destined to go to the vet soon for wormers/flea treatment or something??????? I was at the vets the other week, and it had all the information about pet passport on the notice board!!!!!!!! I seem to remember that included how much it average. Might be an idea to go to the vets and have a look as pet passports are getting alot more popular, so your vets might have the same as mine.
HTH
Lea :)

Have a look at the DEFRA site which should tell you all you need to know. Think you may have left it too late for this year tho' - he will need to have had his rabies injection 6 months before he can come back (I think)

Hi Michelle

Have a look Here at the official DEFRA website which gives you all the information you need.  You'll need to get cracking though if you plan to go in July/August, as your pet cannot travel until at least 6 months after it has had the rabies injection.

Lesley

:D Beat me to it Anwen!

It is actually six months after the blood test, not the Rabies jab!!!  The blood test can't be taken until at least 30 days after the Rabies jab, so in practice it is at least 7 months.

Sorry Brainless :)  I misread the Defra info and thought it said vaccination instead of blood test!

Lesley 

Wasn't critiscising at all, just pointing out that many folk do not realise just how far in advance they have to work.  Few people think about hols more than 6 months ahead.  I meet so many pet owners who think it will all just atake a few weeks.

When I was thinking of taking the girls to the World Show in Holland, which was July, I started the ball rolling at the begginning of October, 9 months ahead, so that I would have time for a second Rabies Jab and test if the titre levels were to low.  A person in our breed was importing a bitch pup, who through failed Titre tests was over a 12 month old before she could come in, instaed of 10 months.

Many Pet owners not realising the length of time needed could end up going oh holiday and not having Kennels booked up because they thought the dog could go with them.

Hi Brainless, don't worry, I wasn't thinking that you were ;)  No, I was feeling guilty 'cos I had given the guest duff info which could have led them to think it could be done quicker than it actually can :)  The point you made is spot on; if people underestimate the time it takes and don't book kennels, then they run the risk of not being able to get a decent kennel or alternatively cancelling the holiday. 

I know that you went through the process to show your dogs abroad, but I wondered, given your experience of the process, do you think it is worth it all to take a dog on holiday or would it be better to find a good, reputable kennels instead?  We're too far north for channel hopping, so probably wouldn't ever be wanting to do it for holiday purposes.  But it just seems to me to be an awful lot of hassle, plus the worry of everything being ok on the way back in, for a couple of weeks in the sun!  Just my opinion of course, but I think I would spend the entire holiday fretting that things would go wrong and the boys would end up in quarantine :(

Lesley 

You will need at least 7 months bbetween now and when you intend to return to the Uk with Harvey.

Harvey would need a Rabies Innoculation ASAP, then 30 days after that he would have to have blood taken and analysed by one of a few authorised labs.  If the result comes back OK with sufficient antibody titres for the Rabies then he will be able to re-enter the UK six months after the blood test.

So if you had the Rabies Vac in the morning 7th February, the earliest you could have the Blood Test would be Monday 8th March, so you couldn't bring him back into UK until after 8th September.

There are other requirements regarding timing og worming adn tick treatment before re-entry, and also the paperwork you will need.  The Vet will ssort that side out.  for some countries you may also have to have his other Vaccinations up to date, and may need a Heaalth Cetificate prior to travel.

Brainless.....that is the easiest way i've heard someone explain the passport yet!  So many don't realise that it actually takes 7 months for everything to be sorted, my boy is 10 months old now & should have arrived last week, but due to shipping restrictions regarding bad weather, we had to cancel & try for next week.....Sue.