Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 10:33 am Post subject: rabies - how do antibodies work?
So the UK is relaxing it's import requirements making the pet passport virtually un-necessary. I thought this was a good thing before
As a result of this australia are increasing the import requirements for importing dogs from the UK - we are no longer deemed rabies free, just rabies controlled
Due to DH's work we try to keep the dogs mobile from a paperwork perspective and frankly this b*ggers things up. Both dogs need to be re titre tested for rabies antibodies and vacc'd annually (and then wait 6months after the blood draw, so we have a lapse in our current mobility )
Basil was last vacc'd in June 2010 and Nell 2009, I'm going to just have the blood draw tomorrow and risk it, but how likely do you think it is they still have good levels of antibodies? The vaccs are designed to be 3yr vaccs so i'm thinking my odds are very good?
Last edited by Basil on Wed Oct 19, 2011 10:40 am; edited 1 time in total
I really can't understand why the UK don't do as they do in France and just do the whole lot in one go annually. It costs diddly squat extra and means you have continuous protection with no bother. In fact the one occasion I did ask for the annual booster vaccination alone (excluding rabies) it saved me the grand total of €5. Hardly worth it so they all have the whole lot in one go at a cost of €35 a go and their passports are updated with a record of all the vaccinations they have had at no extra cost.
Why on earth are we relaxing the rules anyway!, there are still plenty of countries where rabies is prevalent and it ciuld get in here.
Defra says
It will become cheaper and easier to travel abroad with pets when new rules are introduced at the start of next year.
The UK will harmonise its pet movement rules with the rest of the European Union from 1 January 2012, bringing the UK’s Pet Travel Scheme into line with the most recent science. The UK will maintain its high level of protection against animal diseases after the changes, which have the potential to save pet owners around £7 million in fees.
Forcing pets to spend six months in quarantine, a practice dating from the 1800s, is no longer necessary because of vastly improved rabies vaccines and treatments.
All pets will still need to be vaccinated against rabies. Pets from the EU and listed non-EU countries such as the USA and Australia will no longer need a blood test and will only have to wait 21 days before they travel. Pets from unlisted non-EU countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa will be able to enter the UK if they meet certain strict criteria to ensure they are protected against rabies, including a blood test and a three-month wait before they enter the UK.
The changes will ensure the risk of rabies coming to the UK remains extremely low. It’s estimated that the new rules mean there would be one case of rabies in a pet in the UK once every 211 years, with the possibility of a person dying from rabies obtained from a pet once in every 21,000 years.
Mary, there are several countries DH is declared as 'mobile to', aus is one of them and we laso have our permanent rsidency visa so it's a good possibility we'd move while the dogs are fit and healthy to fly.
I'm not sure what knock on effect this will have for other countries, only time will tell but i imagine there's a few on our mobility list that will soon require uk dogs to have more test and or quarantine (hong kong, US and singapore will likely get tougher).
Nic, I think if they're laxing the import requirements then yes annual vaccine makes sense. But lets face it the UK has failed to enforce any law/requirement where dogs are concerned so they'll likely fail at enforced vaccines too......in any case on top of annual vacc's australia require a titre test done 6months before travel now
It will become cheaper and easier to travel abroad with pets when new rules are introduced at the start of next year
it's most definitely not unless you're going within the EU - besides which how many of us have paid out for a worthless passport (UK charge a fortune compare to EU countries).
TBH it just seems like the UK has voluntairly down graded it's rabies status to be in line with the rest of europe, like i say fine until you try to leave europe
To be fair most people with dogs wouldn't even consider regular long term trips from the EU to such far away locations especially if they had to pay for freight and transport costs themselves.
Nic - thousands of people migrate to aus or overseas generally with pets every year (and we do pay the shipping ourselves to aus ).
I know this is generally a 'good' thing, i'm just wound up this am because it affects me negatively tbh and at short notice - ideally the UK would have announced this much sooner so if other countries reacted people would be covered.
There are families booked to migrate with their dogs booked into quarantine in january now finding out they no longer meet the requirements and their dogs must travel 5 months later or spend the 5months in quarantine. It's those i really feel sorry for
It was announced back at the end of June (and I posted the DEFRA link then, or just after) so to be fair it's not really last minute it was 6 months before the changes were due to be implemented.
Yes it's hard, I have the chance to work in Oz too as my company has an office in Sydney but could never afford to ship my dogs so it's a no go anyway.
So Oz has changed their rules? I blame the bloody Ozzies for everything!
Yes, to be fair I suppose it's Aus that's changed the rules for the worse at short notice, not so much defra - was thrilled when they announced at first!. Someone has to be affected negatively by changes, i'm at least greatful we don't have flights booked.
Re the cost, i daren't actually calculate cost of shipping tbh, the pound is so much in the toilet v's the aussie dollar that even small things like buying a lunch look pricey over there right now. If we do go, i know we'll be choosing to ship just us, 2 cases and the dogs v's any of our worldly (and perhaps mre useful ) possessions that's for sure
It's just a dream i'm not quite ready to let go of just yet.
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