Taking my Dog to France

[PeakPaul]

Can anyone advise who has taken their dog on holiday with them to France on what procedures I must follow?

I've looked at the Defra website and PETS stuff, but its not very clear. It looks like I have to have my dog passport 6 months before we leave, and also on return to the UK the dog has to be tick & worm treated no less than 24hrs and no later than 48hrs before return. This sounds very awkward.

Your comments please.

 

[MalcolmL]

Hi Paul,

the procedure is as follows:- Dog needs to have a microchip. It then requires a rabies injection. About three weeks later, a blood test needs to be taken and, when the results are successful, the vet will issue a Pet Passport. The dog can be taken abroad but it cannot return until six months has elapsed from, I think, the blood test but it may be the injection. Thereafter, it can come and go as often as wished. If the animal were to fail the blood test, it's back to square one with another injection, blood test etc.

On returning from abroad, the animal has to be seen by a vet between 24 & 48 hours of the return crossing. Beware that if booked on a Monday crossing, this could be difficult as the foreign vets might be closed.

Hope this helps and that you are not too late for this year.

 

[Chrisbee]

Hi Paul, Malcolm is spot on.

The return cannot be before 6 months from the date of the succesful blood test. Once you have the pet passport it is all straightforward from then on, well worth doing. I book the tick & worm treatment on my overnight stop in France on the way out and then overnight at same site on the way back. The 24 hour window is plenty long enough if you time it right.

Chrisbee

 

[PeakPaul]

Thanks Chaps,

I thought it was something like that, unfortunately my dog (puppy) is only 10 weeks old at the moment, so she wont be able to go with us in August, or rather come back!

 

[MalcolmL]

Paul,

The injections and blood tests cost us

 

[Chrisbee]

The passports effectively last forever, it's the rabies innoculation that has to be renewed. If it's done before the stamp by your vet showing a positive blood test expires, no further blood test is required.

My dogs latest booster lasts 3 years as that is what the manufacturer says the vaccine is good for and so is the date the vet has stamped in the passport.

Taking the dog with us is much cheaper than 17 days in kennels and much less stressful for the dog (and the wife).

Chrisbee

 

[MalcolmL]

Chrisbee,

Thanks for that clarification. It spurred me to actually check our pet passports and the rabies injections for our dogs are also valid for three years. A bonus!

 

[johnbell2]

Can anyone recommend a vet in the Calais area to check our dog for return to the UK under the Pet Passport regs?