Health check ups imported dogs

Have you just imported a puppy or an adult dog from another country? Please emphasis this to your veterinarian so the correct tests and details can be reviewed by a professional you trust.

Ensure the age of the puppy/dog is correct and by doubt let your vet clearly inspect the teeth since this is a good indicator of age.

Also double check the details of the passport. Upon arrival the dog should carry a European or international passport and not simply a puppy card or a Russian vaccination book.

Your vet should also inspect the dogs chip number and if it is placed correctly and readable. In very few instances chips get lost in the body of the dog. More investigation is needed whenever your dog is suspect of not being chipped. Also tattoos are no longer valid only if the tattoo was placed before 2011

I recommend doing a titter test for your dog. It's a blood test which can clarify if your dog is still vaccinated accordingly and carries enough anti bodies for the most urgent and dangerous transmittable diseases like:

  • Canine parvovirus

  • Canine infectious hepatitis

  • Distemper

Other illnesses like: Leptospirosis and Kennel cough unfortunately can't be titter tested and need to be boosted every year if you frequently visit a kennel or live in a rural area with lots of water and rats as most countries in Europe and worldwide carry a risk of contracting Leptospirosis.

Rabies can also be titer tested with the rabies antibody titer test (RNATT) and for some countries this is required by law before entering. It is a blood test that measures the effectiveness of a rabies vaccination. The laboratory will run the sample against infected cells to determine rabies neutralising titer value in your dogs blood sample. Most countries require a level of 0.5 IU/ml to prove that your pet is well immunized against rabies.

A rabies vaccination validation date will be written in the passport and the vaccination should never be given to dogs younger than 12 weeks of age since before 12 weeks it is never seen as valid. After the shot there is a 21 days quarantine period in which you can not travel with your pet therefore importing dogs should never occur before the age of 15 weeks. Every dog that is brought to another country even if it are neighboring countries before the age of 15 weeks is illegally imported and at risk of carrying illnesses. If this is the case be extra careful bringing your dog home if you have other pets. Very often if a puppy is sick there is a great risk of transmitting the illness to your other pets.