Can anyone recommend a vet in Mojacar/Turre

[sheila.d]

We will be journeying to board the Ferry at Santander in April on a Thursday, so were thinking that we could have our dog vet-checked in Mojacar/Turre on Tuesday evening, before leaving for Santander early Wednesday morning. Can anyone recommend a vet? This is the first time we have taken a dog with us, so this is all new. Do we need to take Frontline & Drontal with us? Do we need anything else (passport of course)?

 

[GrahamJ.]

Hi, Sheila,
That is some distance you are planning to travel in 1 day. It is over 1,000 Km.
Presume you are towing a caravan for this journey from Mojacar to Santander and allowing for stops for the dog - bearing in mind that the dog is in a cage for the sea crossing.
We usually travel to a campsite near the port and spend a couple of days there and visit the vet recommended by the campsite as they all have their contacts.
Some Vets allow you to use your own Frontline and Drontal - and will only charge you for signing your Pet Passport (obviously much cheaper) but when booking an appointment we always ask if we can bring our own medication.Otherwise they will charge you for the Frontline and tapeworm tablet. We have always been lucky - but it still costs about 25 euros - just for the signature!!
As long as you leave the Country after 24 hours of having the medication (Frontine & Drontal) and NOT MORE than 48 hours after - you should be ok! as long as the Ferry is not delayed!!

 

[sheila.d]

Hi Graham. thanks for info. We are travelling in a campervan, so this is a little faster than towing a caravan. We intended to take our dog to the vet (in Mojacar) Tues evening, leave early Wednesday morning towards Santander, and overnight north of Madrid. We would have an early start on Thursday morning to reach the Ferry just after lunchtime. We have done this a few times before - but not with a dog.
Which site do you use at Santander? Is the vet actually in the centre? We had a nervewracking drive around the narrow streets last year, and don't want to repeat it! The satnav wants to send you up no entries, so you end up getting lost.

 

[GrahamJ.]

Hi,Sheila,
I am sorry I cannot help you with a Vet in Santander.
We have a Border Collie who hates being separated from us for the long sea crossing - so we now travel up and down through France to the short crossings (Tunnel / Calais / Dunkerque). Luckily we can be away for about 3 months

If you plan to stay in Santander - and you have Wi-Fi - may I suggest that you go onto to 'Google' and put in 'Vets in Santander' and they will come up with several - and a couple of 'phone calls will let you know who is the cheapest!
Alternatively stay in a campsite outside Santander and use the campsite vet - avoiding travel into the city.
I have looked in the ACSI book and there are quite a few campsites around Santander - and most open 1/April.

We plan to be in your area in May (leaving U.K. in 3 April) - we usually stay at 'Los Escullos' which is just south of Mojacar near Almeria - lovely area once clear of the plastic greenhouses!!
Hope this has been some help.
Regards,

 

[sheila.d]

Hi Graham. Many thanks. I think we will decide when we are actually in Spain - we are staying at Los Gallardos, nr Mojacar. We have booked the Cap Finistere for the return, with a pet-friendly cabin, that should be better than the cage for our dog.
Sheila

 

[GrahamJ.]

Hi, Sheila,
That is fantastic! I did not know that you could have your dog in the cabin with you.
Perhaps we will have to look at that crossing again!!
Thank you.

 

[Coops]

We're at Mojacar ourselves, with dog and caravan. To give ourselves a cushion of surplus time to allow for eventualities, we always leave 5 days before sailing time and head for Santillana del Mar (about 15 miles out of Santander and the only one - I believe - open in the winter period). From there,we make an appointment with Clinica Veterinaria Bahia, c/Madrid, 7, Santander (tel 942 31 45 18) who are happy to give appointments appropriate to the pet passport 24/48 hr requirement. Feeding the address (which is in central Santander) into my Tomtom delivers me to the door every time.

 

[sheila.d]

Hi Coops, many thanks for your info. Have looked up the campsite in Caravan Club Europe & sounds like a good option. I can see the sense in leaving Mojacar 5 days before Ferry. We have done this trip several times over the past few years, but this will be the first time with a dog, so we are a bit apprehensive.