Pet Passports

[assumpta]

Hi, we are hoping to get a dog in June, but as we have already booked our holiday for the summer, I do not know what we have to do in order to be able to take the dog with us. We are travelling to France, and maybe Ireland, and although I know that we will need it microchipped and a passport, I'm not sure if we will have enough time to get it all organised. There seems to be different rules for Ireland regarding a blood test. Does anyone know how long it takes for issue or clearance? Do I need to get it a separate rabies shot, if so does this mean that it is going to be out of sorts for a while after the shot? Is there anything that I should be aware of that you seasoned travellers can tell me about. Many thanks for your help.

You will need rabies blood tests and vaccinations. Not sure about the time to turn them around. The best thing is to phone Defra, they will give you the rules for each country on when the dog needs to be seen by the Vet. Some countries insist a Vet sees the dog within 48hrs before travel.

Many thanks eglu, I will call them.

You will not be able to travel back into the UK until about 7 months after you get the rabies vaccines done for the pet passport (+microchip). You will be able to leave the UK before this but the return is dependant on then having at least 6 months from the date of the positive rabies blood test, done approx 4 weeks after the vaccine. You will not be able to travel home this summer if the passport is not already started without the need to quarantine from France. Ireland - no regulations and you are free to travel there from the UK and back without a passport.

Thank you beautiful girls. I have taken Eglu's advice and rang Defra and they told me that almost exactly. I wonder if i could ask you another question, do you know what size crate would be suitable for a cockapoo? I know that they need to be able to stand up with ease, but that is all. Any help of advice would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks

Are you meaning for transport or for using in the home? If transport only you need to have the crate at least 6 inches longer than the dog and 6inches or so taller than the dog (at adult size) as a minimum. If for in the home then I would suggest a bigger size than that so that you can fit in a water bowl and there is sufficient room for your dog to get up, turn around and stretch out comfortably - a little more luxury than the transport crate! Obviously either way you need some sort of bedding in there too. For travelling I would suggest you look at a non-spill water bowl to help reduce the potential for accidental spillage or frequent stops to offer water. I would also suggest you ensure the dog is very used to the car before embarking on a long journey. Lots of small journeys with a fun ending to them such as a nice walk will help that. If you have a travel sick dog then ask your vet for cerenia tablets to be prescribed to help this - they are an antisickness, not a sedative. It is far better to acclimatise the dog to the car than to rely on things like sedatives for travelling, though some dogs can be very calm but still get travel sick - not many but it does happen.

Good luck!