Microchipping a pet

desertrose

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I was wondering if any of you had their cat/dog microchipped in BsAs. I am also looking for a vet that does the rabies blood test that the EU requires for entry. A clinic where I can get both would be joya :D Thanks for any recommendation!
 
Here is the list of EU approved labs that perform the Serology test for the rabies antibody:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/approval_en.htm
We had to do this when we transported our cat from Thailand to Germany. We had our vet in Bangkok draw the blood and he packaged it and sent it directly to the EU approved lab. Our vet in Bangkok had done this for other clients and he used the UK Lab Biobest on the list. The closest one to Argentina is in either Chile or Brazil. Please note that the blood should not be drawn any sooner than 30 days after the animal receives the rabies vaccine. The test is also valid only for 6 months. It took about 6 weeks to get the results, so this is important in the timing of your departure. We started the process for Miss Kitty about 6 months before our departure.

By the way, our vet (in Thailand) highly recommended we chip our cat a week or two BEFORE she got her rabies vaccination. This was because it would be easier to prove the documentation of her vaccination against her chip number. Otherwise, officials could say - how do we know you chipped the animal that was vaccinated...or something to that effect. So just recommending you chip before vaccine and not on the same day. And then blood test 30 days or more after the vaccine.

By the way, we travelled from Germany to BsAs with our cat, she is as we speak climbing over the keyboard. I spoke to the authorities at the Munich airport as well as the govt approved vet that issued her health certificate and both assured me that Argentina is a so-called "listed" country and does not require the lab test for re-entry into Germany. She has an EU Pet Passport documenting her chipping and vaccine status and that will be enough for re-entry. Thailand was not a listed country and therefore required the blood test. Which country will you take your pet back into the EU? There are more stringent requirements for entry into the UK. But if you are going into Germany for example, it may be possible that the test will not be required. It is heart-stopping expensive, it cost us around $400 USD, but maybe it was because we used the UK lab.

Here is a link to the most complete official EU document on Health Requirements for non-commercial movement on animals into the EU, complete with the Annex listing Argentina as a "listed" country:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:2003R0998:20080624:EN:PDF

PM me if you have any questions, I don't claim to be an expert, just have done a lot of research on this subject and perhaps I can help. Our cat has travelled from Melbourne to Bangkok, Bangkok to Munich, and now Munich to BsAs. She should have her own frequent flyer card!
 
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