BVA wants government to increase post-rabies vaccination waiting time

BVA wants government to increase post-rabies vaccination waiting time.

In preparation for Brexit, the British Veterinary Association has issued 15 recommendations to help bolster rules affecting commercial and non-commercial movement of pets, to minimise the risk of rabies entering the UK and to reduce illegal trade in puppies for sale. The “Pet Travel policy” recommendations include extending the waiting time post-rabies vaccination to 12 weeks, and improving enforcement services and surveillance at entry points to the UK. The BVA recommends restricting the movements of stray dogs from countries where diseases not prevalent in the UK, like brucellosis, babesiosis and leishmaniasis, are regularly found. Testing strays for these diseases should become mandatory before they can travel to the UK. Other recommendations include compulsory tick and tapeworm treatment for all cats and dogs travelling under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), shortening the tapeworm treatment window from 24 to 120 hours to 24 to 48 hours before entry from infected countries and restricting the number of animals that can travel under PETS to five per non-commercial consignment rather than five per person.