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NAVIGATE THE PET TRAVEL SCHEME

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The Animal Health Rabies Operation branch, Chelmsford Animal Health Divisional Office, offers essential advice for vets in practice as a follow-up to our June article The Quarantine Question

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NAVIGATE THE PET TRAVEL SCHEME

The introduction of the UK Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) on 28th February 2000 heralded a much campaigned

for end to a quarantine period being the only option for cats and dogs travelling into the UK with their owners. However there was also a predictable fear factor in potentially opening our shorelines to a disease as notorious as rabies.

The scheme had a lot to prove in its infancy. Was it robust enough to do a job that had been effectively carried out for generations by the convenience of being an island coupled with a rigorous quarantine system? Modern animal identification techniques and effective vaccines meant that the argument for maintaining quarantine, for most cats and dogs, from many countries, was becoming obsolete and less durable. However the alternative had to provide the same level of protection that quarantine had given for so long.

Today’s schemeThe current legislation is now governed by an EC Regulation, which covers the non-commercial movement of pet animals between listed qualifying countries. The

UK, Republic of Ireland, Malta and Sweden have been allowed to retain, for a transitional period, additional requirements for blood sampling and parasite treatment that were already included in their domestic legislation at the time the Regulation came into force.

Eight years on the success of the scheme, and popularity with the pet owning public, is due in part to its simplicity.

The 4 key steps to the successful entry into the UK

Step 1: IdentificationFirstly an animal must be unquestionably identifiable as that described in the documentation accompanying it. The form of identification must be tamper proof and unique. These criteria are met by the subcutaneous implantation of a microchip.

Step 2: VaccinationThe animal is vaccinated against rabies. In order to show that the vaccine has provided an adequate level of immunity, a blood test is taken and sent to a recognised laboratory. The sample must indicate a neutralising antibody titration at least equal to 0.5 IU/ml.

Step 3: 6-month waiting periodTo be sure that the antibody level indicated by the blood test is due to the vaccine rather than exposure to disease, the animal must remain in a qualifying country for 6 months from the date that a blood sample which gives a satisfactory result was taken to ensure clinical signs of disease do not develop.

Step 4: Additional requirementsThe Department of Health have added in additional treatments for ticks and tapeworms 24–48 hours before checking in to travel to the UK. This aims to prevent the entry to the UK of other “exotic” zoonotic diseases that can be carried by cats and dogs. The treatment must be administered by a vet practising in the country of treatment. Section VI of the passport must then be completed by this vet, specifying the manufacturer of the treatment, the product used and the date and time of treatment. This entry must be signed and stamped by the vet. Collars impregnated with acaricide should not be used. In the case of Echinococcus multilocularis treatment, the same details must also be recorded in Section VII of the

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passport. This treatment must contain praziquantel as the active ingredient.

This 4-step procedure, the order of which is paramount, ensures that the cat or dog in question poses no disease risk to the human and animal population of the UK.

Success or failure?Eight years on, what are the main problems that have arisen with the scheme?

Unfortunately simplicity often creates the most complexity. It is the responsibility of the authorised carrier, be it a ferry company, Eurotunnel or airline, to ensure that the pets they transport comply with the requirements of the scheme. Animal Health audit checks of these carriers have identified some problem areas with the scheme as well some unexpected surprises.

So, what can the practising veterinary surgeon, struggling with a flow of clients keen to travel hassle-free with their pets, learn from the problems encountered in the past?

Worm and tick worriesApproximately 65% of pets entering the UK come through the South Eastern seaports

or channel tunnel. Animal Health at Dover audits these particular routes, and its experience in dealing with queries is likely to provide a representative insight into what requirements of the scheme have created the most queries.

Over the last 12 months 50% of the queries have related to problems with tick and tapeworm treatments. This can involve one treatment missing, type of treatments not recorded, date or time of treatment missing, or wrong date and time recorded. The best advice a UK vet can give a client is to ensure they visit a veterinary surgeon in the country of departure to receive appropriate treatment and to check that Section VI and VII of the passport have been completed with the correct and complete information. Clients should also be made fully aware of the window of travel time and any treatments that are not acceptable under the legislation.

Blood concernsSeventeen percent (17%) of queries related to the blood test. Information may be missing from the passport or may be incorrectly entered. A proportion of blood

sample queries will be due to owners attempting to travel before the 6-month waiting time has elapsed. Advice in this case should be to ensure that Section V of the passport has been completed with the date of sampling and signed and stamped by the vet. Making clients aware of the 6-month waiting period is the responsibility of the veterinary surgeon and stressing this point to avoid misunderstanding can prevent an unpleasant souring of the vet–client relationship in the future.

Microchip mistakesMicrochip problems constitute 11% of queries. The date of insertion may not have been appropriately recorded or may have been incorrect. Unfortunately there are also times when a microchip will fail. It is prudent for a veterinary surgeon to check that the microchip is working properly during routine visits to the surgery and always before an entry is made in the passport, such as before a rabies vaccination booster is administered.

In the event of a chip failure it is vital that the correct procedure is followed to ensure continuity of identification. The failed microchip must be located and removed under anaesthetic. A new microchip must be implanted at the same time and the details of that new chip recorded in the passport. The veterinary surgeon should then send the failed chip to the manufacturer who will confirm the failure and provide documentary evidence that the number corresponds to that originally recorded in the passport.

Once the vet is in possession of this evidence, a declaration should be made in section XI (‘Others’) of the passport to indicate that the original chip was removed and replaced with another microchip on the same date and that the manufacturers have confirmed the number of the original chip that could not be read. If this procedure is followed the scheme does not need to be re-started.

Process problemsConfusion over the order of progression through steps 1 to 3 accounts for 8% of queries. In some of these cases, actions will

NAVIGATE THE PET TRAVEL SCHEME

sample queries will be due to owners

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genuinely have been performed in the wrong order but in a significant proportion the pet owner states the dates recorded in the passport are incorrect and may either have supporting documentation with them or be able to obtain correct information from the vet.

Where the veterinary surgeon has not followed the correct order of preparation there is no choice but to re-start the scheme. This will include a repeat rabies vaccination and adherence to the 6-month waiting time following a satisfactory blood test result before the pet is eligible for travel into the UK. This will include a repeat rabies vaccination and adherence to the 6-month waiting time following a satisfactory blood test result before the pet is eligible for travel into the UK.

Proper proceduresThere cannot be many more unpleasant ways to end a trip abroad than to be told that your pet will have to remain in quarantine for 6 months. The only way to avoid this eventuality is for the vet issuing the passport to ensure that the procedure has been followed correctly and if not take any appropriate action, advise the client that their pet is not eligible to travel and for what period of time.

If there is any doubt enquiries should be made to ensure that all dates entered in the passport are correct and reflect the correct order of preparation. The remainder of the queries regard the inaccurate recording/missing of the vaccination “valid until” dates or in circumstances where the vaccine appears to have expired. Careful recording of all necessary information should avoid this problem.

Avoiding the issuesTo avoid the problems listed above it is paramount that the vet ensures that all information is completed accurately and indicates correct order of preparation and full compliance with requirements for entry to the UK.

Out of the control of the UK veterinary practitioner, but of real concern, is the importation of a breed or type of dog listed

NAVIGATE THE PET TRAVEL SCHEME

under the Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA). Unfortunately as the range of countries participating in the scheme has increased, dogs that may be considered “pit bull types” have been brought to the attention of Animal Health by the authorised carriers.

These dogs may be described in their passports as American Bulldog, American Staffordshire or Irish Staffordshire Bull Terriers but the difficulty encountered is that if the dog is PETS compliant, there is little Animal Health can do. At present there is no provision within the existing DDA to prevent the importation of such dogs. All that Animal Health can do in these cases is to refer the details of the dog, including photographs, to the police at the final destination who, along with the district local authority, are the competent authority named in the DDA to act on this information.

Owner tacticsPeople will always be passionate about their pets and unfortunately normally law-abiding citizens may feel the need to take illegal action to ensure their pet remains in their possession and avoids quarantine. Owners may be fully aware that their pet does not qualify for entry to the UK and will still attempt to travel with them, hiding them in

vehicles and not declaring their presence. Thankfully these incidences are rare.

What now?At the time of writing, the EC Regulation governing the movement of non-commercial pet animals is under review. The transitional period that allowed the UK to retain the additional requirements for entry has been extended but there is no guarantee that these will be kept indefinitely. If we are required to harmonise with other Member States there is a chance that the blood sampling and tick and tapeworm treatment procedures will be removed.

However that is for the future. For now, the Pet Passport Scheme has proved itself to be an effective method of disease control. It has allowed pets are now able to travel with their families around the world, and more importantly, to come home again. As long as issuing veterinary surgeons are conversant with the requirements and able to make these clear to their client, the successful outcome will see many more travelling pets in the future.

For more information, including factsheets for distribution to clients, visit http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm ■

When ‘pit bull type’ dogs are identified at Dover during entry into the UK, the local authority and police at its destination are informed