katesbackagain

I just finished doing all my dog's stuff for our trip to the UK next week, and what a stressful day!

This morning, I was checking all the papers I had and noticed that the serial number on her rabies certificate didn't match the one on the lab result. I nearly had a cardiac. It turned out to be just a clerical error by the vet's office. They'd put down the serial number of her first rabies jab, not the second. Luckily, they printed an amended certificate from their database.

As I suspected, the vet filled the dates in wrong (US format instead of UK format) on the Vet's Certificate so she had to do it again. I had extra copies in case of any mistakes, and that was a good idea, as they didn't have that form there.

They filled in the International Health cert as well (which they had), and she had to re-do that and press harder as the carbon copies left the last page all faint.

Then, after everything was done, I ended up waiting nearly an hour for my cab. :curse: He was very apologetic and said he would let me drop off my dog at the usual rate and then take me to the UPS store down the street for free, seeings as he'd made me wait. Luckily, I got there just in time before they closed. Sent all the docs to USDA overnight with an envelope back to me so I can hopefully get them back on Friday. I'll be on edge until then but I'll call USDA tomorrow to see if there are any problems.

One thing the vet said made me a little "huh???". She said the tick treatment will be Frontline flea stuff. Is that right? I know the tapeworm treatment is an injection but I thought the tick stuff was too. I said I had a vial of Frontline at home and they said if I bring it, they could apply it and sign the certificate if I wanted to avoid the charge for the stuff. Does that sound right to anyone?

jojosan

Crikey Kate! It's been bit full on for you hasn't it??? Good job you're on the ball and checking these things out.....

At least you are totally on the last hurdle (yay) - good for you; you'll be back home before you know it. I think it's a bit like an obstacle course this emigrating and moving back malarkey - you think you've climbed the highest possible obstacle, then find a bloody 12 foot wall the other side to get over again!!!!

Chin up girl - I think you've done really well organising this all on your own

PS - don't know the answer re the last bit; someone is bound to though...

katesbackagain

Thanks for your support. Yes, it's been crazy. I've certainly enjoyed not having to work the last couple of days, but now I'm busy during the day until I leave, so I'll be sleeping a lot once we get there.

At least this part is over now, so hopefully it should be plain sailing for the rest of the week. Ordered my UK money yesterday, too. Nothing like cutting your money in half to bring on a feeling of being skint. Hehehehe! (I just keep forgetting that things cost about the same as they would here after the exchange rate!)

TruBrit

good job done by the sounds of things. just to add i was recommended to get the month on the rabies paperwork written with letters and not digits to save confusion.

the International Health Cert you mention do you mean the APHIS Form 7001? i am interested who is asking for that as DEFRA don't require it coz i called them only last week and checked and neither do our carriers Cunard. i also called APHIS here in Austin and spoke to the export lady and she said it's not required? tks

TruBrit

the tick and tape must have the active ingredient PRAZIQUANTEL and it's not in the usual monthly frontline afaik.

katesbackagain

Hi. I asked about the 7001 form also (yes, it's the int. health cert), and the USDA here in the US require that for the third country vet certificate endorsement. I had to reschedule my dog's visit from the 18th Feb to the 20th, as that form is only valid for 10 days. It freaked me out that it was so close to our flight date and I worried it would expire while we were in the air. USDA said it wouldn't be a problem as DEFRA weren't the ones who needed it. I still kept the later appointment, though.

Nu-Shooz

I have had a nightmare with different advice from Vets regarding flying my 2 cats home to UK.
First i was told they didn't need a pet passport, then i was told they did. They need frontline and worming 24 hours before we they fly, costing more..never ending payout

But the pet carrier we are using said they will do all that which is included in the price of the flight home...we are using Blue Cross, 2 cats $2,900. all inc.(no passport needed)

I thought that was a good price. But the Vet then said they needed to do all the stuff before the flight, not the carrier's. It's all so confusing, but i think i have finally got the jist of what i need. Nothing is simple here in OZ, they just make you pay out loads of money for this and that and still give you the wrong advice.

katesbackagain

Yah, that really p****s me off. I have been fortunate and have a vet that will personally make calls to everyone, rather than take one word over another. She busted her butt to get all this done for me, and it really annoys me when people (in charge!!!) don't seem to think that all this stuff is important.

Pet owners spend so much money to have their animals go with them, it's actually costing much more for my dog than it'll take to get me over there. The least these agencies can do is give us accurate advice to make the paperwork part less painful.

katesbackagain

I've been driving the USDA bonkers this morning checking on status of my pup's forms, and they just called to let me know that they're all done, everything was fine, and they're waiting for UPS to come pick them up to send them back to me.

Woooooo hoooooooooo!!!!! I swear I was getting an ulcer worrying about that. Now just the (hopefully) easy part of the flight to get over and done with and I won't have to worry about pup getting stuck in red tape somewhere.