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Hi,

We are in the process of getting a dog, and would like to take it on holiday with us next year.  Has anyone got any experience of travelling abroad with their dog.

Im curious about how much it all costs and how easy it is to get the animal retested by a vet before coming back into the country.

Maggie 

It probably depends on your vet how much it costs to do all required to get the passport. We spent about £200. That was for microchipping, rabies jab, blood test to confirm jab was effective a month later, and passport issue. The whole thing takes 7 months minimum from rabies jab until your pet can return to the UK.

Rabies booster needed every 2 years for a dog, before the old one runs out or you are back to the start.

Your dog is not retested before return to the UK, but it does have to be treated against ticks and worms by a qualified vet 24-48 hours before you return on the ferry. They have to complete the pages of the passport to confirm this has been done .So you need to organise that when you are preparing to come home. We got a list of pets in France and bordering countries with knowledge of the treatment required from the passports4pets website.

The cost of a return ticket for a dog is £25-£30 on the short ferry routes/Eurotunnel.

Hope this helps. We have taken our dog 3 times, and have had lovely hols.

Thanks for that,

The dog is already microchipped so that should save a few pennies, my main worry was finding a VET abroad and booking the dog in.  Did you just turn up or did you have to book in advance to have this done.

Thanks

Vets in France seem to operate appointment systems much as they do in the UK, and as the  treatment time is critical, I always make an appt a day or two in advance. You will be refused passage on the ferry if your dog was treated outside the 24-48hour limit.

Forgot to say that we have been charged 35€ at two separate French vets for the tick/worm treatment.

Hi

Took our dog to France in June after getting pet passport. 

Check out my web page:  http://www.livecheap.co.uk/petpassport.html

we have been taking our dogs since the scheme started, over 5 years ago now.

we were charged 35 euros last month in Germany for the tick/tapeworm treatment on BOTH of our dogs - not each.

vets seem much cheaper abroad that in the uk - just like everything else

our dogs have been to france, belgium, holland, luxemourg, germany, austria (3 times, summer and winter) and switzerland (3 times)

no problems so far.

In austria and switzerland it is much nicer having the dogs with you for walks in the mountains. In all the countries that we've visited, dogs are generally welcome in hotels and restaurants, unlike the uk.

go for it   you will be glad that you did

Quote: Originally posted by minicamper2001 on 23/08/2005

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Rabies booster needed every 2 years for a dog, before the old one runs out or you are back to the start.

It's interesting that you quote every 2 years for the booster, my vet says it is every year for France, or am I being ripped off.

                           Jim

It is every year for some countries (just to confuse things) but I do not believe that France is one of them.

the details that you need are here http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/index.htm

Switzerland is every 2 years if you remain within the country, but the jab must not be more that 1 year old if you cross the boarder, so for us it is 1 year for Switzerland. But they are thinking of changing that to come in to line with the EEC