Rabies jabs and animals going to the UK

[oliveview01]

Please check if you are getting your dog vaccinated for the rabies injection, as one vaccination, which is popular here is not correct for the uk if only given as a single dose vaccine.

Unlike most vaccinations which give sufficient immunity for 1 year in a single dose, Rabisyva VP-13 requires 2 doses 15 days apart when first administered, from the age of 3 months upwards. Without this second dose, the animal is not regarded to have an acceptable level of immunity to Rabies, and would not be signed off under TRACES to travel, or if you are taking the dog back to the UK yourself you could possible be turned away at the Passport control or as already happened to a dog I know about, the puppy was given just the one dose of Rabisyva VP-13 and the vet signed it off for a year and the pup was allowed into the UK. The rabies jab used was picked up by the TRACES ´vet´ and the pup was taken into quarantine.
If your dogs are given this injection and then a second dose in 30 days, as the rule in Andalucia, it will still be deemed as not correct in the UK as the 2nd dose MUST be administered 15 days later.
Check if your vet is giving this vaccination, if so, ask for a different brand

[knowal]

How did this come to your knowledge, Oliveview, and which vets in Spain have been using a vaccine which is no good for the animal passports?

[oliveview01]

Which vets????? Well we have 5 dogs, plus 2 foster and all my dogs were given the ´bad´ rabies jab, they had been given the vaccinations by 3 different vets over a period of 4 years as we adopted new dogs! We are fostering a dog that came from Zoosanitario, the Sevilla pound, just this past week- she was given the ´bad´ jab too!
It came to my knowledge via a friend of a friend who had adopted a Spanish dog and took it to the UK. The vaccination is not ´bad´ here, it is an accepted vaccine, it is for the UK that it is deemed ´bad´ as according to the official DEFRA person who spoke to the manufacturers, the vaccine, Rabisyva VP-13, should be given as 2 doses, 15 days apart.
If your dog has had the vaccination and then the 2nd dose in 15 days all is well. If your dog has just had one injection of Rabisyva VP-13 you have a problem or if the 2nd dose was given 30 days after the first vaccination.
What is best is to get your dog re-vaccinated with an approved DEFRA vaccination- and then 21 days later you can take your dog safely into the UK. As far as I know, the other rabies vaccinations are ok if given as a single dose, it is just the Rabisyva VP-13 that has caused big problems.

[kexon]

Oliveview01 is correct and its causing inevitable problems for people and their dogs,also blooming expensive! I was also unaware until I read it on a website of a rescue centre in Pedrera.I don't think its a case of which vet you use ,mor a case of telling the vet what they have to give and when,as many will be unaware of what DEFRA are asking for.

[knowal]

I've an interest in this as I have a dog and 2 cats which may be going to the UK.
My dog has had Rabysiva VP-13 for the last 11 years at least, except on one occasion when it was "Imrab R"
One of our cats has also had Rabysiva VP-13 over many years.

The other cat, we took on in December, although 10 years old, had never had any vaccinations.
It had "Etadex" on 30th December 2013 then a dose of Rabisyva VP-13 on 29th Jan 2014 (30 days later).

From what you are saying, the annually treated animals should be OK.
What about the cat which has been given Etadex, then Rabysiva VP-13?
Would that be OK to travel?

[kexon]

I have absolutely no idea,like many of Defras daft ideas,would be worth checking the DEFRA site you never know they might have the info you need.I can understand why you are concerned,I was totally unaware also.

[Enrique]

Have to rely on your Vet......

From DEFRA .........

Initial

" If the vaccine manufacturer’s data sheet requires more than one vaccination to complete the primary course of vaccinations"

Booster
"Booster vaccinations are valid for entry to the UK and other EU countries from the date given provided they are given on time (according to the instructions in the vaccine manufacturer’s data sheet where the previous vaccination was given)."


Normally you will be taking your pet to UK using the Pets Passport system, this will be checked at the port of disembarkation.

The problem one was a movement via the TRACES system which is probably more thoroughly checked .

Edited to remove obsolete Manufactures Data Sheet

[oliveview01]

From what I understand, if the 1st dose was a vaccination which would normally have a year long immunity and then the Rabisyva VP-13 was given as a second dose all is ok, it is if the Rabisyva VP-13 is the first dose and then given the 2nd dose 30 days later and not 15 the big problem arises. If another brand is given as the 2nd dose all is ok, as long as that brand too has the year long protection! I would phone DEFRA and ask them their opinion on the Rabisyva VP-13 given as an annual vaccination- better to be safe. They will probably not have a clue either. If you have animals to be re-vaccinated it would be better to ask not to have the Rabisyva VP-13 just to make sure!
How they (DEFRA) work for older dogs who have been vaccinated yearly who knows!

[knowal]

I have been in touch with people I trust about this matter and it does appear that the information here is wrong. There is no need to avoid Rabysiva VP-13 as it is a fully approved anti rabies vaccine.

If anyone has any queries about Rabysiva VP-13, you can call the import team yourself on 01228 403600 listen to the menu and press the button that corresponds to the "import team" these are the people inside DEFRA that deal with vaccinations, medical conditions etc.

So, either "TRACES" are acting incorrectly, or the situation was not as reported??

[oliveview01]

White Horse, I can assure you, the situation was exactly as I reported here, as for TRACES, who knows! The dog concerned was given one dose of Rabysiva VP 13 and the passport signed off for the next vaccination due a whole year later. This was the dogs very first rabies vaccination. The dog entered the UK, after having paperwork, chip etc checked by the officials at the French side of the Channel Tunnel and passed as all correct to enter the UK. The DEFRA official went to check the dog after it arrived in Scotland, he made some checks with the manufacturer who said a second injection of Rabssiva VP 13 should have been administered 15 days after the first rabies was given The dog was taken into quarantine, at a cost of £1,500. I have been in contact with the people who sent the dog and the folk who received it, so have the information correct. DEFRA seem to make up rules as they think fit. Dogs have entered England and the vaccination has been accepted as fine.

I posted this as a warning, I know if I were taking my dogs back to the UK I would not take the 'will they, won't they' chance.

I wanted to check the situation with the people concerned as our refuge had started to re-home dogs to the UK and the last thing we would need is a quarantine bill of £1,500

[knowal]

I have been in contact with the people who sent the dog and the folk who received it, so have the information correct. DEFRA seem to make up rules as they think fit.

Have you spoken to DEFRA about it?

[knowal]

Oliveview01 is correct and its causing inevitable problems for people and their dogs,also blooming expensive! I was also unaware until I read it on a website of a rescue centre in Pedrera.I don't think its a case of which vet you use ,mor a case of telling the vet what they have to give and when,as many will be unaware of what DEFRA are asking for.

Can you be more specific about the website of the rescue centre in Pedrera, preferably by posting a link to the relevant information. Thanks.

[Enrique]

http://www.pepisdogrefuge.com/important ... on-traces/


As pointed out in earlier posts, most members will be taking their pets back to/from UK using the Pets Passport system........I'd be more concerned that the Pets Passport is correctly filled with dates and stamped.

The old system worked better, Jab then test to see if the anti-bodies reached a required level, if not then start again until the require level was reached.

Took two of my dogs a year to get through the test........not the result if you're trying to re home.

Edited to remove obsolete Manufactures Data Sheet

[oliveview01]

Of course the people concerned spoke to Defra regarding the situation with the dog, they did not hand the dog over without a big fight, but Defra were adamant that the 1 dose of Rabysiva VP 13 was wrong. The families fought tooth and nail to stop the dog being taken away, but they were told they had 3 choices, put to sleep, return to Spain with a carrier of Defra's choice or quarantine. Had they refused the 3 options the dog would have been taken and PTS.
I am only trying to stop others going through what these families and their dog have gone through. Defra might be right they might be wrong, they do what they want to do.

[knowal]

Do you have the name of the DEFRA official who made this decision?
Has any appeal or legal action been launched against DEFRA for changing or amending their own rules?

[oliveview01]

The dog is due out next week, they have put in an official complaint, just waiting to hear back.

[Enrique]

Rabisyva VP-13

Finally found a Data sheet from manufactures site....translated

http://www.syva.es/pdfs/p_2013-03-22_1363957261.pdf

"In the first vaccination from 3 months of age, must
performed two inoculations 15 days apart.
Revaccination: Annual."

[oliveview01]

Thanks Enrique, I had hunted for it and could not find it, it confirms what DEFRA have said. I wonder how many dogs have been let in already with just the one jab or one done 30days later. DEFRA did say to the lady that they were looking closely at other dogs who had entered the UK in previous months. How they can then take a dog that has been in the UK for months into quarantine I do not know!

[Enrique]

Hi oliveview01,
They must have moved the goal posts as the previous Manufacture's Data sheets only said one dose.

I have removed the links to those.

" DEFRA did say to the lady that they were looking closely at other dogs who had entered the UK in previous months."

They could test for anti-bodies like they used to.

Getting that out of the way..............Check your Pets Passport entries that they are correctly filled in, dates in full and any alterations are initialled by Vet and carry Vet's stamp.
Entries need to be in correct date order.

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/infor ... -checklist

I've been sent twice to the sin bin (Vets) in Santander with Pets Passports that had previous been used through the same port. Every time I've been through that Port some people with pets have been sent to the Vets .

So Check and then get someone else to check your Pets Passport.........

[oliveview01]

Good advice Enrique!