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Thread: Rabies shots, UK to NZ

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Auckland!
    Posts
    104

    Default Rabies shots, UK to NZ

    Hopefully we'll be moving to NZ, but it's all dependent on job interviews (WTR visa). We'd be using a pet shippers (probably Golden Arrow) for our 2 dogs, but we're waiting until we have a job offer. Of course, as they were unvaccinated for rabies we need to get that in hand now (good news for our vet ).

    So our two dogs have just had their shots (they were already microchipped). The Golden Arrow info pack says to wait 3-4 weeks for the blood test. Is there anything special about this, or can our normal vet take the blood and send it to the lab he usually uses for EU Pet Passports?

    Is 3 weeks just as good as 4? Obviously we want to get the test done ASAP in case they fail and we need to start the process again. I kept seeing on British Expats 2 weeks, but I assume Golden Arrow know best.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    194

    Default

    We moved from the US, but I think there was a rule regarding the time between the shot and the test (possibly 21 days). If I was you I'd try and get the actual information to verify the actual requirement is.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Tauranga, Bay of Plenty
    Posts
    996

    Default

    Go with what Golden Arrow say...........we shipped our dog through them and they had him for a month before we left and they did the whole lot for us and it was worth every penny we paid as it was one less stress for us on an already big upheaval. Good luck in your journey :-)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Auckland!
    Posts
    104

    Default

    Just a follow up to this, in case someone else is in the same boat. As Catt said, Golden Arrow have been really helpful (and we haven't even engaged them yet ).

    • Timing. As Kiwi indicated, it seems the best source of definitive info is the datasheet of the product used (in our case, the Canigen Rabies sheet says 3 weeks is ideal).

    • Testing. Whoever your vet sends the titre test to, it should end up with AHVLA or Biobest Labs, who are both acceptable to the NZ government.

    • Doubling up. Golden Arrow say: "Sadly not all pets will pass the Rabies blood test. In an attempt to overcome this problem, some vets will vaccinate twice - 2 weeks apart - rather than once, before taking the blood." After speaking to GA, it seems they aren't aware of a downside to this (other than cost).
      The Canigen Rabies datasheet says this: "Experience has shown that a proportion of vaccinated animals, while protected, may not show the 0.5 I.U. antibody titre on blood testing required [by the PETS scheme, although they point out that that requirement is no longer applicable as of 1 Jan 2012 for the PETS scheme, which is presumably why NZ now want UK dogs to be rabies vaccinated]. Veterinary surgeons may wish to consider two vaccinations, particularly in young, naive animals. Blood sampling for antibody titres should ideally be carried out three weeks after the last vaccine injection."

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