I thought this would be a good idea to keep a running entry of all I have had to do to get our pet dog Harvey across to Edmonton, Alberta.
We were reccomended by a friend in Calgary to have a pet passport, the reason for this is because if anything was to happen and we needed to come back to the UK, Harvey would be able to come back with us. As I understand currently if he has no pet passport he would have to stay in quarantine for six months. We are using this as a security net.
Also with the pet passport when we are in Canada and he has any injections it has to be by a government approved vet. His jabs will be recorded in his pet passport and stamped. It has to be a government appointed vet or your pet passport becomes invalid, as I have been told.
It all started yesterday with a trip to the Vet to book Harvey in for his Rabies Jab. The ball starts rolling on Monday 18th August.
Updated 18th August 2008
Well Harvey went to the vet today for his Rabies Vaccination, he's fine with the vets which is a bonus for me.
The cost for the jab was £29.94 we now have to wait till Friday 12th September for his blood test to see if it has worked then on to the next stage of his process.
12th September 2008
Harvey had his appointment today for his Rabies Vaccine Blood Test. I took him into the Vets room and they had to take him out the back to take his blood. He had to have a patch of his little leg shaved. I was waiting in the waiting room for a little while then she brought him back into her room and called me in.
The samples that were taken we two small and I mean small jars. She says that I now need to wait two weeks for them to be tested to see if the Rabies jab has worked, that takes us to 26th September but he is due back in on 25th September for his Artheritis jab so hopefully I will know then.
The price of the Blood Test was £79.95. I got back home and there was a message on the phone from the vet saying that I needed to bring him back in to get his ID chip number, poor Harvey was just settled on the couch ready to go to sleep.
We got back to the vet, the chip is quite hard to find it was inserted in the back of the neck but has now moved round to the front of his chest. The vet was hovering this plastic scanner around Harveys neck and he was shaking. Bless him. She found it in the end.
When we got back home Harvey must have been tired because he has several naps in the day now but hadn't had one yet and it was getting on 12 noon.
I just couldn't resist taking a photo.
25th September 2008
We are now cleared, I have a card in front of me that says 'Rabies Serology Certificate prepared for Harvey, Important Document'.
The letter states:
Rabies Blood Test
The sample submitted produced a titre of equal to or greater than 0.5 IU/ml. This indicates that the animal has an acceptable rabies antibody level under the UK Pet Travel Scheme. A hard copy of the certificate will follow by post.
But there is some bad news as well, Harvey has been limping really bad this last week and not quite managing his walks that have already been cut back. When we went in today for his artheritis treatment I told our vet about his limping. He says that the elbow is inflamed and is now calling Harveys condition Osteoarthritis and he needs to settle down the inflamation so he has given Harvey Previcox. The vet told me, or should I say seriously warned me that if I took Harvey out for more than a five minutes walk a day within the next two weeks I would damage any hard work that he has done to try to get the elbow in a sort of better condition.
He also told me that because of the inflamation some more cartilage damage has occured and the elbow would not be in the same condition as it was before. The Previcox is a last resort medication because nothing else will work to get the inflamation down. Harvey has been on Metacam and was just recently taken the Cartrophen injections.
I am now in two minds wheather it may be best for Harvey to stay in England with his Grandma and Grandad who love him dearly and he is very used to being with. Is it fair of us to take him to Canada? I would have to get a job and not be the lady of leisure any more. Are we being selfish to take him just because we would miss him so so much rather than think of how miserable he would be in a house on his own while we go to work. I'm not sure I can make a decision just yet but to be honest I have always had it in the back of my mind that we might have to leave him after all.
Anyway we have an appointment on 8th October so the vet can check how he is doing and we are going to move on with applying for the Pet Passport.
God haven't I gone on
Also see the following link So..... Your dogs had cosmetic Surgery
22nd October 2008
I went to the vet so Harvey could have his booster and to have his staples out of his little head. Look at the above link for the details on that.
I was also given Harveys completed Passport, it looks quite naff to be honest. On the inside you can have the option of including a passport photo. I have informed Harvey that he has to look grumpy in it.
I've covered up the ID number of the passport for obvious reasons. So Harvey is ready to go.
Neil and I have been thinking that we might leave him with his Grandma and Grandad until the summer time so we can get sorted over in Edmonton alot easier. I have read several threads about people finding it difficult to get a rental property because of their pets. Also we can get everything sorted with the new house quicker without Harvey being there. | 