Before traveling with your dog, learn about the necessary vaccinations
Table of Contents
What are the mandatory vaccines for traveling with your dog abroad?
While all countries require a dog to be vaccinated against rabies, some territories require doggie owners to carry out certain preliminary vaccinations. In all cases, it is recommended to check sufficiently in advance the regulations in force in the countries of destination and the countries crossed as part of a stopover in order to take the necessary measures and avoid any refusal of the animal. on the territory or other risk of complication.
The rabies vaccine, the injection systematically compulsory for traveling abroad
Whatever the country visited and the mode of transport used, your dog
must be up to date with his vaccination against rabies to travel
abroad.
The rabies vaccine can only be performed on a dog older than 12 weeks,
i.e. 3 months. The European passport is delivered during the first
injection and it allows to indicate the date of the realization of the
vaccination, the date of validity of the vaccination (which is 21 days
after injection within the framework of a primary vaccination and
immediate in recall), as well as the expiry date of the vaccination,
which may vary according to the protocol in force in the different
countries. On average, the validity period is one to three years
depending on the brand of the product.
Some countries also require a serum anti-rabies titration dating from
less than three months before entering their territory and at least 30
days after the last injection. This is an analysis that measures the
level of rabies antibodies present in the dog's body through a blood
test in order to assess the effectiveness of the last injection. In this
case, take your precautions in order to carry it out with the
veterinarian at the right time. Note that the level must be greater than
0.5 IU/ml to be considered effective. Below this, a new injection will
be necessary.
It should also be noted that the animal must be identified by means of
an electronic chip to travel abroad. The tattoo alone remains valid only
if the animal was tattooed before July 2011 and provided that it is
still clearly legible.
Other vaccines that may be required for traveling abroad
Several foreign countries require that other vaccinations or
treatments be administered to the dog before it enters their
territory.
The vaccine against echinococcosis:
this contagious parasitic disease transmissible to humans is caused
by echinococcus, which are flatworms very present in Central and
Eastern Europe. This vaccination is required to travel to Finland,
Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom.
The vaccine against leptospirosis:
this disease which causes damage to the liver and kidneys is very
serious, since it leads in more than 90% of cases to the death of the
animal. Due to a bacterium, it is particularly contagious, which is
why many countries require up-to-date vaccination.
The distemper vaccine:
deadly and highly contagious, distemper can affect all dogs and there
is currently no treatment. As a result, many countries require
up-to-date vaccinations.
An antiparasitic treatment:
several countries require that the dog has benefited from an internal
and external antiparasitic treatment in the form of deworming within
120 hours to 24 hours before arrival on the territory. This
administration must be carried out by a veterinarian and recorded in
the doggie's European passport.
What are the recommended vaccines for traveling with your dog abroad?
Some vaccines are not compulsory, but they are recommended by
veterinarians for traveling abroad or for staying in France. Indeed,
they help protect the animal against certain serious and potentially
fatal diseases.
Rubarth's hepatitis
Contagious, it is dangerous for the dog and often fatal insofar as it
severely affects the liver.
Lyme disease
This tick-borne disease can cause joint pain, fever, severe fatigue
and joint swelling. This pathology can be fatal if left
untreated.
Parvovirus
This highly contagious and resistant disease causes hemorrhagic
diarrhea that can lead to the death of a weak puppy or dog.
Piroplasmosis
This pathology is transmitted by blood parasites, such as ticks. It
causes loss of appetite and weight, great fatigue, vomiting and dark
urine.
kennel cough
This disease causes a strong cough in dogs and it spreads very
quickly in farms and pensions.
Traveling abroad with your dog: whatare the precautions?
To travel with your dog in complete serenity abroad, you will have to
take care to respect certain points:
the animal must be at least 15 weeks old, because the rabies vaccine
cannot be administered before the age of 12 weeks and the primary
vaccination requires a period of 21 days (3 weeks) to be
effective;
the dog must be identified by means of an electronic chip;
you must provide a valid and up-to-date European passport;
the latest rabies vaccination must be up to date and precisely
mentioned in the European passport;
if an anti-rabies titration is required, the antibody level must be
greater than 0.5 IU/ml and measured by a blood test within the
required time;
an international certificate of good health must be issued after
veterinary examination in the days preceding departure;
an antiparasitic treatment is very often required and it must be
carried out by a veterinarian within 24 to 120 hours prior to
departure and mentioned in the European passport.
Other requirements may be requested for air travel with your dog, or
depending on the country of destination and any countries in which you
will make stopovers. Take your precautions and find out several months
in advance from the embassies of these countries in France. A final
check in the weeks preceding the trip is also recommended to prevent
any risk of modification of the regulations.
What are the risks in the event of non-compliance with the requirements?
If your dog is not in good standing when you arrive in a country, the
health authorities may take measures which will all be at your
expense. It could be :
quarantine of the dog for the time necessary to complete the missing
steps;
a deportation to France;
euthanasia, if neither of the two previous solutions is possible or
if the dog presents a state of health considered suspicious.