Pet Passports 6
January 2011
Pet Column:
Are you planning on taking your 'best friend' on a foreign holiday? If you do not already have a passport for your cat or dog you need to allow at least seven months before you wish to travel to get one. This is a legal document and there is no shortcut to the procedure. There are a number of steps in the process: • Find a veterinary practice which has a Licensed Veterinary Inspector who is permitted to issue Pet Passports (e.g. Hollyoak Vets) • Get your pet implanted with a microchip if they do not already have one. It is a legal requirement that this is checked before any procedure to be entered in the passport is carried out • Vaccination against rabies is given • Between two and four weeks after the rabies vaccination (depending on the brand of vaccine used) a blood test must be taken. This is sent to one of the laboratories approved by DEFRA to measure your pet's rabies antibody level to see if the vaccination has given them the required level of protection • When the blood test result comes back showing a protective antibody titre the Licensed Veterinary Inspector can issue the passport • Your dog or cat can leave the UK but cannot return until six months after the date on which the blood sample that passed the test was taken
My pet is becoming thin. Is it just old age?
An approximate time line would be: • Implant microchip and give rabies vaccination mid January • Mid February take blood sample • Early March, if blood sample passes test, Pet Passport is issued • Mid August pet is allowed to return to UK after trip to EU or other approved countries In the 24-48 hour window before returning to the UK you must take your pet to a Licensed Veterinary Inspector in the EU, or other approved country, to have specified tick and tapeworm treatments given and the passport signed and stamped accordingly. Frequently Asked Questions:
What if my pet fails the blood test? Another rabies vaccination has to be given and a further blood test taken, delaying the process by about a month. This is not a common occurrence. Some people choose to have a second rabies vaccination given two weeks after the first and then have the blood sample taken to increase the chances of passing the test. This is particularly useful in animals which have a greater chance of failing the test, e.g. very young or old, or where timing of travel is particularly critical. Does the passport need to be renewed? A booster rabies vaccination needs to be given
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regularly. The interval varies between one and three years depending on the brand of vaccination used. The date the vaccination expires is clearly written in the passport. Failure to get a booster rabies vaccination done before the expiry will mean the blood test and waiting interval will have to be repeated. What happens if transport is delayed and the tick and tapeworm treatments no longer fall within the 24-48 hour window? You can either delay travel and have the treatments repeated so they fall within a new 2448 hour window or you can return to the UK and have your pet go into quarantine for 24-48 hours while the tick and tapeworm treatments are given. What happens ifthe microchip fails? This is a rare event. If the chip is missing (proved by x-ray) the whole procedure has to be started again with a new microchip. If the chip is still present but fails to read the vet has to remove the failed microchip and insert a new one. The chip is returned to the manufacturer who will attempt to read it. If it can be read the vet will receive an official letter stating that and an amendment is made to the existing passport. If the failed chip cannot be read by the manufacturer the whole procedure must be repeated with a new chip.
Q. My Pet is Becoming Thin – It's Just Old Age, Isn't It? Well, not necessarily. A lot of pets become thinner as they age but often this is an indication of one or more problems. The digestive system of many older animals is less efficient. This means they will lose weight even if they eat the same amount of the same food they have eaten for years as they are not able to digest and absorb so many of the nutrients. It's a good idea to feed a “senior” diet which contains highly digestible food which will give your pet better nutrition. Many of these senior diets also contain products such as antioxidants which slow down the ageing process and changes which can lead to cancer and supplements to ease aching joints. An older animal might have a reduced appetite. This can be for many reasons, including most of the diseases mentioned below. Dental disease can make it difficult or painful for your dog or cat to eat but their appetite and therefore their weight will improve once they have received the proper treatment. Pain caused by other problems such as arthritis can also put your pet off eating. Diseases of the heart, liver and kidneys can cause weight loss for other reasons as well as a reduced appetite. If the heart is not working properly it cannot provide a good blood supply to the rest of the body which then does not work so well. The
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Points to Remember: • It is the owner's responsibility to ensure that they meet the requirements of the PETS Travel Scheme and all parts of the passport are properly completed • Animals can only travel via approved ports, airports or train stations • Animals must travel in a container approved under the PETS scheme • Under the PETS Scheme animals can only travel to or through countries which have qualified for the Scheme • Your pet may need protection from other diseases not covered by the Scheme depending on which areas they travel to • The country(ies) to which your pet is travelling may have their own additional requirements For more information see the PETS Travel scheme section of the website: www.defra.gov.uk/wildlifepets/pets/travel/pets/index.htm or call the helpline 08459 33 55 77
liver has many functions including the processing of digested food. Liver disease usually results in significant weight loss. Kidney disease can reduce appetite due to nausea and mouth/stomach ulcers and will leak vital proteins into the urine. Many health problems can cause vomiting which obviously interferes with the intake of nutrients. Many older cats will develop an overactive thyroid gland. Too much thyroid hormone causes all the body processes to work much faster so calories are burnt off faster than they can be taken in. It also makes the heart work too fast and can cause heart failure. Diabetes mellitus is an increasingly recognised problem in dogs and cats and can cause weight loss as the body is unable to utilise the glucose which comes from digested carbohydrates. Cancer will usually cause loss of weight at some stage in the disease and is more common in older cats and dogs. The good news is that many of these problems can be treated, sometimes giving your old pet a new lease of life for possibly a few years. It is important that the correct diagnosis is made and often blood tests are necessary. Sometimes the situation can be complicated if your pet has more than one problem. If your pet is losing weight the sooner it sees a vet to find out what the problem is the more likely it will be to respond well to treatment.