Pet answers: pets on holiday, getting insured
Don’t settle for pet theories, get pet answers! Veterinary surgeon Cees Bennett answers your animal health questions
I HAVE A NEW PUPPY AND HAVE BEEN TOLD I SHOULD GET INSURANCE, IS THIS WORTH IT?
Generally, I would always recommend a pet owner has pet insurance but there are some variations within this. For most people an unexpected veterinary bill can be unwanted and difficult to pay. The great thing about pet insurance is that you can budget for a monthly amount and know that you should not need to pay more apart from the excess. For some breeds, those with many animals or those animals with pre-existing conditions the premiums can become so high that saving that money (often in a separate bank account) can work out as a more sensible route. The last thing to consider is the type and brand of insurance. Some providers are better than others and the level of cover can vary hugely, with some policies not covering much at all despite what you are told. If in doubt look for reviews online or have a chat with a vet about those policies they recommend.
I HAVE SEEN STORIES OF ANTI-FREEZE POISONING IN THE PAPER RECENTLY, HOW COMMON IS THIS?
Unfortunately this is quite a common issue seen by veterinary practices. The main reason is that anti-freeze is very sweet tasting and both cats and dogs will happily lick it up. It is found in radiator coolant, screenwashes and some de-icers with many of us having it in garages and sheds, especially in winter. Once it has been ingested it causes damage to the kidneys and kidney failure very quickly. Signs to look out for are being sick, drinking a lot, dribbling and potentially fitting. You can now buy products that have a bitter agent added to make it not so attractive for animals and children to drink (Halfords sell a screen wash with this added).
I PLAN ON TRAVELLING TO FRANCE AGAIN THIS YEAR BUT SOMEONE HAS SAID THE RULES HAVE CHANGED, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
Passports have been standardised across the EU but the changes are minimal for older animals. The main change is for young animals entering the UK. No animal can be vaccinated against rabies before 12 weeks of age and then they have to wait three weeks before entry to the UK. This means that any puppies or kittens offered for sale from Europe should be a minimum of 15 weeks old and if they are younger they have likely been illegally imported. This is very important as many puppies offered for sale online are brought in from Europe and these changes are designed to reduce this. The basic requirements for a passport remain: having a microchip, being vaccinated against rabies, waiting 21 days before travel from the UK and the animal being treated between one and five days before return to the UK with a wormer by a vet who certifies the passport.
Do you have a pet or animal health question? Send it to us at: . Cees will endeavour to answer all questions, whether published or not!
Cees Bennett BVetMed MRCVS Veterinary surgeon and Joint Venture Partner at Peterborough Vets4Pets 231-233 St Paul’s Road Peterborough PE1 3RL Tel: 01733 890777 & Bretton Vets4Pets Inside Pets at Home Unit 2 The Bretton Centre Peterborough, PE3 8DN Tel: 01733 261094
