I need to get my dog a pet passport but I do have a few worries, maybe some of you who have already done it can reassure me/give a few tips.
The vacination: I am not in favour of annual vacinations anyway but that's a different issue. Has any one's dog had a bad reaction to the rabies vacination?
Overseas: Are there any problems with dogs whilst on the continent? are they allowed on most sites? any health issues? problems with local animals, etc?
Returning to UK: How do we find a vet to get the dog wormed? I should mention here perhaps that, to all intents and purposes we do not have any other language.
Anyone had a problem with actually getting the dog back in even after getting the passport?
1 There should be no reason why your dog should not be okay having the Rabies vacination and if they use a three year one then it's only after this time that it will need another one.
2. We always stay on sites and there are very few that do not take dogs as long as they are kept on a lead.
3. Just plan your return so that you end up at a site in a town the day before you board the fery. For example we stay at an english owned site called Forest View at Ramalade, the site can be found on here somewhere. We use the vet in the town and park outside the door. We normally telephone the vet a few days before to make a booking, the following day we travel the 240 mile to Calais for the ferry. This is to comply with the rule that you can only board the ferry between 24 and 48 hours after the treatment.
We have never had a problem and our dog has been to France or Spain around 8 times now.
Ye Rabies every 3 years but your other ones have to be done each year and some sites will ask for your vacantion records not many I know but the odd one just might so make sure you have them and they are all up to date. your dog passport will be checked before you travel home anyway.
We use eurotunnel takes about 10 mins for this.
Never had a problem with sites not taking dogs some charge some dont.
Forest view site recomend this site and vet and its a not too far from the site to the crossings dog to vet one day and 24 hours later you cross for home.
Thank you Mike and Sennen.
Is there a list available somewhere of english speaking vets, or vets that are au fait with the scheme? My nightmare is that I can't bring my dog home again, daft I know, as so many people do take them but (shrugs, french fashion).
Hi nice to take your dog away with you, the one thing I will ad to the good advice you have been given is in regards to your dogs health is if you are going to Spain or Portugal is to get a special coller it's for ticks and mosquitoes you can get one from the vets in U K before you go or from a vets when you get there, and do make sure the annual jabs are up to date for your dogs sake. all the best
It is possible that your beloved might fail the blood test from the rabies injection if this happens they will have to be reinjected and re blood tested at your expense , so give it plenty of time . This happened to us and the vet said this happens fairly regularly
Well, I made the appointment today and Cassie is having her vacination on Thursday afternoon. I'm worrying myself silly whether she will have any side effects!!!
Everyone I speak to now gives dire warnings about ticks, worms and strange maggots in Spain!
Just back from our first holiday in France with dog. Process was no bother - either getting vaccinations or the passport itself or bringing him back into the country. Frontline before you go protects from ticks etc. In the med area or southern France there is a risk of Heartworm, but a treatment of Stronghold from your vet does the trick. It was actually easier taking the dog camping abroad than camping here in the UK as he was accepted virtually everywhere - we never encountered anywhere he wasn't allowed. Worth mentioning perhaps - the weather was unseasonably warm and the dog enjoyed swimming wherever he could. It was much better for him when our campsite was alongside a stream or river so next time we will ensure our campsite is located very near water so that Mack has easy opportunity for a swim to cool down!
Oh, thank you so much for such a positive response!
I was starting to think that we may be better to leave her with her 'Aunty' neighbour but yoo've cheered me up no end.
She already has regular Frontline and I have used Stronghold before on a previous dog that suffered with Mange so am happy with both of these products.
Now I'm once again looking forward to travelling as a complete family rather than leaving Cass behind.