Cost for Pet Passport when just vaccine and passport document?

[moosemama]

We have just had to cancel our holiday to Ireland after finding out we now need pet passports for both dogs to travel. We were due to travel on Friday and only found out a couple of days ago. Checked the ferry website before we travelled in the summer and it said no restrictions - now they have updated them to include the pet passport requirement. I called Stena and although they are not carrying pet check-in compliance checks, apparently DEFRA will also be carrying out regular spot-checks on dogs in vehicles as well.

Bit of a shock after over 20 years of travelling back and forth with dogs, but can't be helped. We've shifted our trip to December to accommodate the 21 day waiting period for the vaccine and they're being done on Monday.

I have heard wildly varying prices, from people being charged £90.00 for two dogs, to someone being charged £200 for one. Our own vet has just quoted us just shy of £200 to do both dogs.

Both of ours would be considered large breed. Lurcherboy is 25kg and the pup will be a large breed, but is probably in the region of 15kg at the moment (being weighed on Monday so not absolutely sure of his weight).

Both are already microchipped, so it's just the jab and documentation we need at the moment - then obviously the tapeworm treatment within 5 days and not less than 24 hours before we travel to Ireland (although according to DEFRA website we don't need to do that before coming back to the UK).

I have been becoming increasingly concerned at the high charges at our vets - and they never tell you the cost until after the consultation. I was recently shocked that a 10 minute consultation ended up costing me £150.00 with no warning, when the vet ordered tests that needed to go off-site. They have a lab and do most testing in-house, so I wasn't expecting it. The only reason I haven't moved is because we have finally identified a really good vet in the practice that we really trust with the care of our dogs.

Is it worth me shopping around for a better price?

[Tillypo]

I would it's not going to cost much to make a few phonecalls that may save you quite a bit of money. If you can't find anywhere any cheaper then just go to your regular vet. The prices that vets are charging are disgusting at mine it's £26 before you even get seen. Only go to them if it is really unavoidable now.

[moosemama]

I think you're right Tillypo - just wondering what sort of prices other people had been charged for comparison - although obviously I know the area you live in etc will have an impact on vet charges.

[PeriPathetic]

I have two pet passports and wasn't charged for either of them I think you're being ripped off.

Disclaimer, neither pp was issued in the UK and pets were already up to date with jabs and microchipped.

[moosemama]

I think it's handled differently abroad. I've been reading today that some people get the vet on the French side to update their dogs' passports if they go there on holiday, because they don't charge for the paperwork - only the vaccination.

I was told that to do it all takes a double appointment and having two dogs, that made 4 x consultation fees plus the vaccination. When I rang to book the appointments they refused to tell me the cost, claiming not to know. Then when dh called they really messed him about and tried not to tell him, but did in the end when he was persistent. (Apparently the £200 includes a 10% discount!)

I think it will probably be cheaper for renewals/boosters, as the main passport document is already set up and that's the time consuming part, although I have read online of people being charged £90 just for the vaccination and vet stamp when they went for their boosters.

I'm willing to accept the first appointment and completion of passport is probably a bit more time consuming - but surely not £50+ of time consuming? From what I've seen online the average cost of the vaccination itself is around £48 and I accept that vets have overheads and have to pay the going rate to buy the vaccine in. I would have thought though that, £25.00 for the passport and completion would be more than enough.

This place, for example, only charges £56.13 for dogs that are already microchipped. Sadly they are nowhere near us.

The other annoying thing is that I have to take them both to get tapeworm treatment just before we go as well. I already worm with drontal regularly to cover this and buy my drontal online for considerably less than the vet charges, but will now have to pay a consultation fee, plus roughly 4/5 the price I usually pay for the drontal and I wouldn't be surprised if they don't slap on an admin fee for good measure as well.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

I charge £170 for two passports including rabies vaccinations. I have had to undergo additional training to complete the passports, I have to keep additional records beyond my clinical records and have to provide reports to DEFRA to do with the passports I issue. It takes me about 20 minutes to carefully complete each individual passport and time of issue to ensure that a correct legal documents (which if I do incorrectly I could be struck off as false certification).
PET passports are the single biggest area of litigation for small animal vets so our professional indemnity fees are higher if we do this type of certification. I personally spent 4 stress months being taken to court due to a PET passport and was cleared in court it was the worst 4 months of my life.

[peachyliz]

I am trying to work out how much my first puppy will cost me - safe to say we will br taking UK holidays for a while!

[moosemama]

Lonecat, than you. It's interesting to hear the other side, especially regarding additional cost the vet practice incurs.

Ours is a very big practice, practically a monopoly round here, with lots of vets, a handful of which are allowed to do passports.

You're still coming in at £30 cheaper than them.

Does that include microchips or just vaccinations and the passports themselves?

I am very surprised to hear that it's a common source of litigation. Sorry to hear that it happened to you.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

My price doesn't include microchips.

[slebmum]

I can't remember how much we paid but the tapeworm treatment is for the way home, not before you go abroad, you need to go to a local vet, which was €50 for one small dog in France...

[moosemama]

Thank you Lonecat.

slebmum, not in our case. Tapeworm treatment is an entry requirement for travelling to Ireland, but dogs coming from Ireland to the UK are exempted from having tapeworm treatment prior to return.

"Tapeworm rules apply to pet dogs only. Not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours (1 to 5 days) before its scheduled arrival time in the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme, your dog must be treated against tapeworm and the treatment recorded in the EU pet passport or the third country official veterinary certificate.

No treatment is required for dogs entering the UK directly from Finland, Ireland, Malta or Norway."

^www.gov.uk/pet-travel-information-for-pet-owners#parasites-ticks-and-tapeworms^

[mateysmum]

My vet charged just the price of the consultation (£35) for the passport, as matey dog was already up to date with all his vacs including rabies and was chipped.
Since then we've had 2 trouble free years of European travel with him, but I do always take all the other vacc and chip records along with me just in case.

[moosemama]

Thanks mateysmum - are you ouside the UK then, if he was already vaccinated against rabies?

[mateysmum]

I used to be outside the UK and to bring matey dog back, yes we had to get him vaccinated, but as we like to take him to Spain with us in the summer I keep up the rabies jabs. He's due for his next one on Friday.