Fit to travel certificate

Re: Fit to travel certificate

Claire McConnell — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 21:28:04 GMT

Hey

Just an update for you all (sorry its late but busy busy busy!)

I did get clinical history from vets which all seemed fine. Thought I might phone previous vets if necessary but didnt end up doing so after examining cat.

I examined the cat which I thought was in poor BCS (as many newly diagnosed T4 cats are) and it also had a stonking grade 4 hm and was tachycardic so after discussion with owner I didn't sign certificate even though T4 bloods collected were normal. Even minimal restraint for blood sampling made the cat very difficult to handle and fractious and I really didn't see that sending it on a plane to Canade would do the cat much good.

Maybe it would have been fine but I didn't want it on my head....

Re: Fit to travel certificate

Hannah Wynne Richards — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:04:27 GMT

It may be totally above board-and they're just staying temporarily with family-but in that case why not allow you to contact previous practice ? That's what makes this very fishy to me I would say that they've got something to hide-maybe they've left outstanding debts-or maybe a clinical history will reveal why this cat is not fit to travel I would tell them that I wasn't prepared to touch them with a barge-pole unless I recieved contact details and a full history from their previous practice

Wynne

(not naive old grad )

Re: Fit to travel certificate

Lorna McHardy — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:48:01 GMT

[quote user="James Laidlaw"]Whatever you do, try and get as much information from their previous vet as possible, at best, call and discuss with their previous vets. Sounds odd to me, ESPECIALLY with no contact details.

[/quote]

That's really not that unusual... a lot of practices register new clients when they arrive and just take the name for the booking. Agree about the information-gathering, though... good practice anyway.

Re: Fit to travel certificate

James Laidlaw — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:59:20 GMT

Their inlaws would surely have a number to be used for contact though...?

Re: Fit to travel certificate

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 21:11:30 GMT

[quote user="newgradvet"]I am a little confused at why the cat was diagnosed at a vet practice in Kent 2 weeks ago, however the owners now live in Suffolk near my practice, but are on Monday moving to Canada![/quote]

They could easily have sold their house in Kent and be living with the inlaws in Suffolk until they fly out. With an imminent emigration this might not be as fishy as you are thinking.

Re: Fit to travel certificate

James Laidlaw — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:23:26 GMT

Whatever you do, try and get as much information from their previous vet as possible, at best, call and discuss with their previous vets. Sounds odd to me, ESPECIALLY with no contact details.

Re: Fit to travel certificate

Claire McConnell — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 19:45:51 GMT

Thanks for all of your advice. I believe from the receptionist message it is a "fit to travel" letter/certficate that I need to produce.

Unfortunately I can not contact the owners before the consultation as no contact details. Not yet registered with us but has the appointment booked to register when they arrive.

I am a little confused at why the cat was diagnosed at a vet practice in Kent 2 weeks ago, however the owners now live in Suffolk near my practice, but are on Monday moving to Canada! We have the previous record so I think its just going to be a case of seeing what they say and how the cats clinical exam and T4 levels are when I see it.

Thanks for all your advice

Claire

Re: Fit to travel certificate

Utlendigur — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 19:30:21 GMT

Yes, when we queried it, it was about the possibility of weather extremes when the animal was on the ground or being loaded/unloaded, but it was the airline that requested it.

Re: Fit to travel certificate

Tim Cheyne — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 18:46:33 GMT

[quote user="Utlendigur"]3. acclimatisation certificate - which some airlines require to certify that you believe the animal can cope with the range of temperatures it might encounter while travelling. [/quote]

I have dealt with travelling pets where an airport will not accept animals when the climate falls outside certain conditions (too hot, too cold, etc) but I have not had enquiries about in-flight conditions, probably because animals travel in a hold that is heated and pressurised to the same levels as the passenger cabin.

Tim.

Re: Fit to travel certificate

Virginia Campbell — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 18:22:17 GMT

[quote user="newgradvet"]

We have not seen the cat before but it has alreday been id chipped, and had its rabies vaccine and pet passport issued.

[/quote]

Have the owners sold their house and moved to rented accomodation closer to you and further from the original vet prior to the move to Canada?

If not then I would be prepared for the possibility of being presented with a cat with a completely rubbish heart that somebody else has refused to give a fitness to travel cert.

Re: Fit to travel certificate

a.bardell — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:56:53 GMT

I did one of these for the states a couple of weeks ago, if you are a member of the BVA there is a template certificate with instructions you can download and fill in. this is what i did and had no problems

Re: Fit to travel certificate

Utlendigur — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:58:50 GMT

We have a breeder client who exports dogs to a variety of countries and there seem to be a variety of different certificates that can be needed

1. export health certificate - the "freedom from contagious or infectious disease one". (As far as I know with this if you spot fleas or ear mites then applying treatment is considered to be sufficient to say the animal is free from..)

2. fitness to travel - whether the animal is healthy enough to cope with the stress of travel

3. acclimatisation certificate - which some airlines require to certify that you believe the animal can cope with the range of temperatures it might encounter while travelling. VDS can give advice on this as the wording is quite tricky - can't remember it offhand but it's something about the animal's thermoneutral zone. Last time I had to do one it was a dog going to Texas booked in by reception as a "check up" in a 10min appointment in a busy surgery - took me over an hour to sort all the various paperwork as he wanted an export health certificate, certificate of entirety and accimatisation certificate and to top it all we'd lost the VDS tenplate

Re: Fit to travel certificate

Tim Cheyne — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:33:51 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"].......you are simply signing to state that you believe it is fit to fly - This was on the clear written instructions for the agents working on behalf of United airlines! No mention at all of freedom from infectious or contagious disease.[/quote]

Yes, I have done quite a number of these from here and the 'fit to fly' has always been a requirement of the airline, not the importing country.

Tim.

Re: Fit to travel certificate

Bob Russell — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:06:18 GMT

Actually for most countries you are simply signing to state that you believe it is fit to fly - in the same terms as in the PETS passport. I have just sent a cat to Texas with this box signed, no letter required. This was on the clear written instructions for the agents working on behalf of United airlines! No mention at all of freedom from infectious or contagious disease.

I had the letter all prepared for printing and signing!!

Re: Fit to travel certificate

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:59:54 GMT

[quote user="newgradvet"]

I am sorry if I sound naive but would appreciate some advice.

I have a cat booked in on friday to be examined so that I can hopefully produce a "fit for travel" certificate for the cat to be transported to Canada on Monday.

We have not seen the cat before but it has alreday been id chipped, and had its rabies vaccine and pet passport issued.

The cat was also recently (2.5wks ago) diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and is currently on vidalta 10mg SID. The cat has not yet had a follow up blood test. I have advised the owners I will want to do this on Friday with the check up.

After speaking to DEFRA, they can offer little advice, only to say that any vet can sign one (not only LVI's) and that it can just be typed in headed note paper.

I have a few questions: Firstly if this cat has something simple but infectious like fleas do I simply not sign the form and explain that to the owners that it has infectious parasitic disease and secondly even if the t4 on the bloods is back within normal range and the cat seems clinically well, how I am I meant to say this cat is fit to travel when we all know that hyperthyroid cats often have secondary HCM and therefore prone to heart failure etc...

Or do I just simply write that the cat is probably fit for travel however as it has hyperthyroidism it is an increased risk??

ALso does anyone have a basic template for a fit for travel letter/certificate?

Thanks

[/quote] All you have to say is that 'in your opinion' the said animal, at the time you examined it, is fit to travel by the proposed means of transport and 'as far as you are aware' it is not suffering from a contagious disease. At what point can you surmise that an animal may suffer from a complication of a known condition which is already under treatment? You're not signing to say this animal is completely healthy or that its condition is completely under control or that its lab results are normal so in this case unless it has a tachydysrhythmia it is probably fit to travel. It is however the client's responsibility to have had the animal treated so that it is fit to travel and given you time to do whatever tests or treatment is necessary so don't worry, if it has to fail it has to fail, its not like you're going to lose a disgruntled client, they're leaving anyway! If you're worried about fleas apply Stronghold or something and charge them.

Re: Fit to travel certificate

plantagenet — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:34:28 GMT

I am not sure that it is fit to travel with thyroid disease that soon after diagnosis. If bloods ok and clinically normal then I would probably be prepared to declare it fit. I would speak to the owners NOW to express your concerns, don't leave it to the last minute.

I usually see them for a check up well before the official exam. to fix things like fleas.

I had to do a similar exam on a dog with controlled CHF, and had long talks with the owners about increased risk. All was well but I was pleased to get a postcard to say it had arrived safely. I have not signed for a dog that was so highly strung I thought it would cook itself on the way.