During the planning and marketing of the ‘Preventing Parasites – Protecting Pets’ seminar, held on 28th October in Bristol, the issue which struck me most was that many veterinary professionals were unaware of the upcoming changes to PETS. At the seminar it soon became clear that, although many knew about the changes, the implications became clearer to everyone as the day developed, as did the sense of concern.
In order to avoid quarantine, the current PETS rules state that all dogs, cats and ferrets must be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies and have a blood sample taken to prove immunity prior to undergoing a 6 month wait before being allowed to enter the UK. Pets must also be administered with tick and tapeworm treatments 24–48 hours before entering the UK.
Under the revised travel regulations which take effect from 1st January 2012, as well as changes to the rabies vaccination requirements, tick control will no longer be mandatory for animals entering the UK. With up to 15 000 animals travelling under PETS each month, the possibility of exotic ticks (and their associated tick-borne infections) entering and establishing in the UK becomes increasingly likely.
Such diseases include Babesia canis vogeli and Ehrlichia canis which can cause serious disease and sometimes death. These diseases are transmitted by the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (the brown dog tick) which is a tick traditionally from warmer climates but which is increasingly being found in the UK. Concerns are that that R. sanguineus is zoonotic and could cause a major human health risk in the UK should it become established. Incidents of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) entering the UK are currently rare, but they do indicate the ability of exotic ticks to establish in the UK and transmit diseases despite current legislation. It is therefore of great concern that many thousands of animals could enter the UK each year without any compulsion to treat against ticks.
Travel regulations have never been designed to protect pets against parasites. Their intention is to protect human health and the spread of exotic diseases between countries. This is why many people find the removal of the mandatory tick treatment so baffling.
Pet parasite protection is now, therefore, an additional consideration for the owner, and it is more important than ever that we effectively get the message across to pet owners that parasite protection is important!
The ‘Preventing Parasites – Protecting Pets’ seminar looked to provide professionals with all the information they would need to carry out informed discussions with clients about the need to continue tick control when travelling abroad. The presentations provided an overview of the history and changes to PETS as well as taking a closer look at rabies, Echinococcus multilocularis, ticks and TBDs and other vector-borne diseases such as leishmaniosis and dirofilariosis. Other presentations looked at how professionals could get the message across to pet owners and also at how ESCCAP UK could help.
Applications for the seminar were high and due to availability, location and timing, many people were unable to attend despite their interest. Because of this, ESCCAP UK decided to film all the presentations and make them available online for free viewing. To view these presentations and gain CPD points visit www.keyskill.com and click on the ESCCAP UK channel.
ESCCAP UK encourages all pet owners to consult their veterinary practice when preparing their pet's parasite protections plans, and so it is vital, now more that ever, that professionals have the information to hand to give to pet owners.