h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't know why I bother paying vets whilst you're active. I was looking for just this sort of article as we intend to invade (oops) holiday in France during 2006.

Just as well I've started my research early since it could take me 6 months to sort. Pity the vet never mentioned whether our microchips will be suitable for PETS, I shall have to check.

One question crosses my mind though. With the tight limits on the Fox tapeworm treatment (>24 but <48 hours) if we miss a ferry (Never missed but they have been cancelled on me before now) is there any info around with respect to delivering subsequent doses.

ie If we dose at midday on the 1st, we must sail between midday on the 2nd and 3rd. If not, we have to repeat dose (presumably waiting a further 24 hours before sailing).

I always worry about repeat meds, whether animal or human because very little work gets done on TLVs for this type of thing.

Sorry for not replying to this earlier it got lost in my convos with all the PR entries and acing!

If I dont reply at the time then I find I often don't!

I can't remember to be honest about the wormers - what the minimum period of safety between doses is. If you phone a vet they will be able to let you know - but yeah if you are outwith the theory is that technically they could have got reinfected again. I know that sounds unlikely - especially if you are hanging about in a port and it is only 2 hours but the worms that they are worried about are not just your average worm but heart worm which as the name suggests lodges in the herat plus the diseases that the various parasites can spread to the dog population of the uk. Some of them don't exixt here yet.

I must check on the updates for this entry. It was in Pr and just waiting to be picked when I found out they were changing one or two things and had to pull it. It took so long to write the damn thing in the first place, I couldn't face wading through the bureaucratic tripe from the government!!

I am useful at times aren't I?

I was the hospitals expert on the subject though - which was just as well since they had issued 5 or 6 passports already and filled in the paperwork wrongly. I spotted it on one and checked all the others that were issued and found a load more. Fortunately none of them were using them to travel at the time so they could just re-issue new ones and withdraw the old ones!

Having said that nearly all vets had problems at first as it is incredibly complicated paperwork. We were involved in the pilot project of it so had a head start on other vets.

All I will say is ask your vet then double check everything with another vet practice on the protocol as even now they think they know it but can make mistakes (like not realising it takes 7 months for it to become valid )

Hopefully as it has been going a few years now then they have got used to it - but the last thing you want is to be stuck in France with the boys not able to return due to a paperwork cock up.

Anyway - hope you are ok

Oh I don't know. Being stuck in France with the boys doesn't sound like hardship to me. Work and family might disagree though.