Dog Travel - Return to the U.K.

[GrahamJ.]

Over the years - on our return to the U.K. from France we have attended a local vet near the campsite and we have provided our own Drontal & Frontline for the Vet to administer and get the Passport signed. (found to be about 50% cheaper)
We have now changed (vet's recommendation) to Advocate instead of Frontline as it provides against heartworm as well.
Has anyone used Advocate with a French Vet - or should we just continue to take Frontline with us?

 

[otherclive]

We have just changed our dogs over to Advocate so have a simlar issue. Under the UK Pets Passport scheme DEFRA state the active ingredient that the mediaction must include. Frontline is okay, but I suggest you check out Advocate. What we plan to do is treat them just as we go away, and then use Frontline a month later for the French vet treatement, then there will be no hiccups ( or fleas either). this way if our plans have to change we can quickly look up an alternative vet, confident that the treatment will meet Uk Government requirements.

 

[PaulT]

Advocate is freely available in France so you should be ok.

 

[otherclive]

Just to be sure I would check out the DEFRA website for the active ingredient that they say msut be included within the flea/tick medication. When we first started to take the dogs to France not all available treatements met DEFRA requirements.

 

[vectisrambler]

We use 'Advantix', which was originally prescribed in the UK as protection against the sandfly carrier of heartworm, as well as those pests covered by Frontline. This product is also widely available in France and meets the DEFRA requirements. On our regular returns to the UK, we have never used Frontline.

 

[robertholmes]

in January last year we went to France with our dog and she contracted Babesia Canis. Which is tick bourne disease, she also had, as a result of this anemia, heartworm, lung worm and other nasties.( See my previous thread). My vet treated her with Advocate and we also took this with us when we went in the summer as our vet recommended that the French vet use it to treat her for coming home. She would not use it as it is only licenced by DEFRA to treat fleas.
I always take my own Frontline and Drontal and most vets will use them but not all. The the vet in Guines, Calais would only use Practic as she said ticks were becoming immune to Frontline. That was two years ago but other vets have used Frontine since.

 

[GrahamJ.]

Contacted DEFRA today and they were not that helpful - but kept saying that IF the product (Advocate) is used and approved for tics then 'they' will accept it. The only stipulation for the Pet Passport Scheme is that the dog is treated for Tics and Tapeworm. (not bothered about fleas!) and Defra had not heard of Advocate!
Obviously tapeworm is taken care of by the Drontal tablets - the question is Tics!!
Reading the Advocate leaflet in the box - it states :- Flea infestation, biting lice ,ear mite, mange, heartworm, roundworm BUT no mention of Tics.
Frontline, however states :- for flea and 'Tic' infestation, biting lice etc.
I think the best advice from them (DEFRA) is to carry on with Frontline for the Pet Passport and use Advocate if required/preferred at all other times.

 

[GrahamJ.]

Contacted DEFRA today and they were not that helpful - but kept saying that IF the product (Advocate) is used and approved for tics then 'they' will accept it. The only stipulation for the Pet Passport Scheme is that the dog is treated for Tics and Tapeworm. (not bothered about fleas!) and Defra had not heard of Advocate!
Obviously tapeworm is taken care of by the Drontal tablets - the question is Tics!!
Reading the Advocate leaflet in the box - it states :- Flea infestation, biting lice ,ear mite, mange, heartworm, roundworm BUT no mention of Tics.
Frontline, however states :- for flea and 'Tic' infestation, biting lice etc.
I think the best advice from them (DEFRA) is to carry on with Frontline for the Pet Passport and use Advocate if required/preferred at all other times.