Healthcare for pets travelling abroad

You may find one day that you need to travel a long distance with your pet, either within the UK or abroad.  Whatever the circumstances, we are able to offer help and advice about the mode of travel, whether any special precautions are required (for example if your pet is ill or on medication, or is a very nervous traveller) and also regarding any necessary microchipping, blood tests, vaccinations and certification which might be required should your pet be travelling abroad.

For pets travelling abroad, there are numerous factors to be taken into consideration and the situation can be complex, depending upon which country or countries you are travelling to, and whether or not your pet is going to return to the UK and, if so, when. Our general practice vets are government registered LVIs (Local Veterinary Inspectors) and are able to help with rabies vaccination, blood testing and also to issue pet passports and perform any health check examinations which might require certification.

However, it is very important to realise that, whilst we can assist with the mechanics of microchipping, performing blood tests, giving vaccines and issuing pet passports, we cannot give the most accurate, up to date advice on what steps are required in order to export your pet out of the UK to any particular country or to bring your pet back into the UK. We recommend that in the first instance you contact DEFRA on 0870 241 1710 or visit their web site at www.defra.gov.uk and follow the link to the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) in order to gain the information you require.

If you are travelling abroad, please contact us once you have the information you require from DEFRA, and possibly from the embassy of the country to which you are travelling.