Motorhoming with pets – European vets

HarryWallop

HarryWallop

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Hi. I am a journalist, writing for a national newspaper about UK pet owners taking their pets over to Europe because in many cases fees for surgery/check-ups are much cheaper in Europe.
Obviously, if you are a motorhome owner it is much easier to take your dog or cat with you abroad.
Would any one who has done this be prepared to have a chat with me?
Many, many thanks
Harry Wallop
 
We take our cat with to Europe in our motorhome , but not because of cheaper vets bills.
 
HarryWallop said:
Hi. I am a journalist, writing for a national newspaper about UK pet owners taking their pets over to Europe because in many cases fees for surgery/check-ups are much cheaper in Europe.
Obviously, if you are a motorhome owner it is much easier to take your dog or cat with you abroad.
Would any one who has done this be prepared to have a chat with me?
Many, many thanks
Harry Wallop
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Like to tell us which newspaper
 
Vets bills may be sometimes cheaper but that depends on the individual vet.
It would need to be a big saving to compensate for the cost of taking them.
Our dogs always go with us but not to save on vets fees.
 
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I can't see many Brits wanting to take their pets to Europe specifically for vet treatment - especially with all the farting about with AHCs that now needs to be undertaken to get there. Maybe if a pet needed expensive specialist treatment there could be a cost saving, but the animal would have to be fit enough to travel in the first place. I would say that the most common reason for Brits seeking out a European vet is to obtain an EU Pet Passport.
 
There was a discussion a while back about cruciate ligsment surgery costs in France vs UK - that might be worth searching back for.
I’d rather you wrote an article about the costs of taking pets into the EU using the ludicrous AHC scheme as that is an issue affecting far more people.
 
Grianan said:
There was a discussion a while back about cruciate ligsment surgery costs in France vs UK - that might be worth searching back for.
I’d rather you wrote an article about the costs of taking pets into the EU using the ludicrous AHC scheme as that is an issue affecting far more people.
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Yes, this!

Vets cost about the same as the UK in our experience but the AHC is a pain in the backside.

Time the Government sorted it.
 
maz said:
I can't see many Brits wanting to take their pets to Europe specifically for vet treatment - especially with all the farting about with AHCs that now needs to be undertaken to get there. Maybe if a pet needed expensive specialist treatment there could be a cost saving, but the animal would have to be fit enough to travel in the first place. I would say that the most common reason for Brits seeking out a European vet is to obtain an EU Pet Passport.
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Depends on the urgency.
I travelled to Spain with a dog that had what I called a "low speed limp" but see a rabbit, squirrel, horse or deer and he was off like a shot. Having been through the normal anti inflammatory and pain killers he was still limping when we left.
After a few recommendations of a good local vet I paid him a visit. We went through the same process again, after 2 weeks he was still limping.
UK vet (in 2016) had said next step would be X-Rays at approx £600, Spanish vet concurred, we didn't discuss costs, he chucked me a lead lined outfit and we set about getting a 50kg Rhodesian Ridgeback, who past puppyhood had never wanted to be picked up, on to the table, flipped on to his side and X-rayed. It didn't go too smoothly, but we got it done.
To cut a long story the total bill was under 200 euros.
He pulled up outside his surgery in a battered, 10+ year old Renault Clio, and was a very helpful honest man.
He was happy to send the images on to me by email for free, something my UK vet would almost certainly have charged for as they wanted 12 quid a time to fill in half a page of A4 for an insurance claim at the time.
Since then I've always said I would go to Spain for non urgent treatments, partly in gest, but if it fitted in and could be part of a trip away I would for sure!
The whole AHC /Pet passport is a whole new can of worms. Unfortunately I had to say goodbye to my buddy I refer to in this story in April, but I will be getting another dog shortly and will definitely attempt to get him an EU passport to make crossing the channel a much cheaper experience.
 
Why don’t you investigate Vets ripping pet owners off to provide AHC’s?
A cut and paste excercise and it has to be repeated every 4 months.
Don’t blame the EU some people wanted all EU regs to be put on the bonfire.

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Onemanandhisdog said:
Since then I've always said I would go to Spain for non urgent treatments, partly in gest, but if it fitted in and could be part of a trip away I would for sure!
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Yes, that makes good sense. (y)

BTW, my dog has a 'psychological limp' that she puts on when she is disgruntled about something. The cure is to say 'Where's that squirrel?' - the limp magically disappears! :rofl:
 
maz said:
Yes, that makes good sense. (y)

BTW, my dog has a 'psychological limp' that she puts on when she is disgruntled about something. The cure is to say 'Where's that squirrel?' - the limp magically disappears! :rofl:
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That’s very interesting!

Since we got home yesterday from 5 weeks away, Buzz has been looking very depressed and has today developed a limp 🤔

I will try the Squirrel Trick tomorrow 😂
 
As many others on here, we have only seen vets in Europe to get a Spanish pet passport, a Portuguese rabies booster & both French & Spanish health checks prior to coming home. The health checks were on different trips.
I'm happy to speak to you if you like, the biggest scandal here is the Animal Health Certificate - expensive & a new one needed every trip.
 
HarryWallop
Many travellers choose the Motorhome way of holidaying because they like to take their companion pets with them. The current AHC - Animal Health Certificate was designed for the movement of commercial animals and is not suitable for one dog or cat. It takes a vet an inordinate amount of time to complete and only vets that are on the particular register (it costs) are allowed to complete it. Many vets do charge a lot for these reasons.
Unfortunately, in the grand scheme of things, our community is a very small proportion of travellers and so particular legislation to help us to continue to travel easily with our pets is a long way down the list.
Many of us have visited a european vet to obtain an EU pet passport, we are used to visiting them anyway as rules on getting a vet to administer worming treatment before every return to UK, have not changed.
I have not heard of anyone travelling just for veterinary treatment.
 
Having my distrust of the government and suspecting many UK wealthy vets are tory voters I'd be reluctant to see an article highlighting that people are getting eu passports etc for their pets to get around the ahc certificate. One things for sure if the tories think UK is losing out on money to Europe they'll be looking for any reason to stop it.

My dogs were born in Europe that's why they have eu passports. They're immigrants, the daily mail doesn't like immigrants.

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Northernraider said:
Having my distrust of the government and suspecting many UK wealthy vets are tory voters I'd be reluctant to see an article highlighting that people are getting eu passports etc for their pets to get around the ahc certificate. One things for sure if the tories think UK is losing out on money to Europe they'll be looking for any reason to stop it.

My dogs were born in Europe that's why they have eu passports. They're immigrants, the daily mail doesn't like immigrants.
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Funny but so true.
 
Northernraider said:
suspecting many UK wealthy vets are tory voters I'd be reluctant to see an article highlighting that people are getting eu passports etc for their pets to get around the ahc certificate.
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I know a few, quite a few, vets as you might expect with my daughter being one. I don’t think any are Tory voters and certainly none are wealthy. The surgery where my daughter works welcomes those who save them the bother of doing an AHC by getting a PP.
My daughter cannot afford to go on the register of those vets who can do an AHC and wouldn’t want to if she could.
 
Riverbankannie said:
I know a few, quite a few, vets as you might expect with my daughter being one. I don’t think any are Tory voters and certainly none are wealthy. The surgery where my daughter works welcomes those who save them the bother of doing an AHC by getting a PP.
My daughter cannot afford to go on the register of those vets who can do an AHC and wouldn’t want to if she could.
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I just know all the ones round here are pretty wealthy . I deliver to a few of them lol .

Certainly don't see any old battered Renault clios.

Some of the private plates would cost more than my motorhome
 

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