micro chip for dog

Coton90 said:

Our dog has been to Europe twice; actually she was born in St. Avold. We've never had any real problems with bringing her to the States and back, although the last time we flew from Germany to the US, the airline ticket counter gave us some grief about the carrier, even though this was an approved carrier. We made sure she had her rabies shot 30 days prior to flight and the proper health certificate.

We didn't have to go through the chip route because Fluffy came to us with an ear tatoo; so I can't help you with that. It was an either chip or tatoo policy. She also flies with us in the cabin, under the seat. Of course, your dogs are a bit big for that but do check out the approved carrier requirements, to avoid hassles.

Lufthansa has the best reputation for pets and has the largest space allowance. For this reason, we're flying into Frankfurt and driving to the South of France, but this may not be a solution for you.

One thing to watch is flying in the summer time. Some airlines will not ship pets in the summer. If the aircraft is delayed and stuck on the tarmac, the temperature in the cargo hold can be lethal. Good Luck.

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coloma gold said:

I understand that there is no quarantine for dogs being brought into France from the US as long as they have all their shots,etc. However, it is my understanding that the dog must have an international micro chip identification.. My vet can insert the micro chip for the US but was unfamiliar with the international chip.. Does anyone have info on this? Also, has anyone gone through this before and were there any problems in bringing in a dog or things that I should know? thanks....

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Bevdeforges said:

In the US, there are two different standards for the animal chips. You need to make sure that you are getting the right one, because they only have the chip readers for the "European standard" over here.

The brand name of the chip my younger cat has is "Back Home" which I understand is available in the US. The difference has something to do with the frequency of the signal emitted by the chip.

I was also advised by our vet that we should have (great, tell us now) had the cat tattoo'd with the letter P to indicate that he has a "puce" (or chip). The tattoo goes in the ear. Most folks here are used to checking an animal's ear for a tattoo if they find a lost cat or dog. They may not be so likely to check for the chip - unless they find the "P" tattoo.
Cheers,
Bev

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coloma gold said:

Thanks Bev... I will have the ear tattooed also. I am still trying to find our where I can get information on this "international chip". The requirements also include a Veterinarian certificate (certified by the Health Authority) accompanied with a Pet Passport (never heard of this before). Do you have any info on Pet Passports? I don't think our Health dept certifies the Vet certificate but I am checking further.

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Bevdeforges said:

In the US, there are two different standards for the animal chips. You need to make sure that you are getting the right one, because they only have the chip readers for the "European standard" over here.

The brand name of the chip my younger cat has is "Back Home" which I understand is available in the US. The difference has something to do with the frequency of the signal emitted by the chip.

I was also advised by our vet that we should have (great, tell us now) had the cat tattoo'd with the letter P to indicate that he has a "puce" (or chip). The tattoo goes in the ear. Most folks here are used to checking an animal's ear for a tattoo if they find a lost cat or dog. They may not be so likely to check for the chip - unless they find the "P" tattoo.
Cheers,
Bev

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Bevdeforges said:

The pet passport is what's called a "carné de santé" here in France. It's a little booklet the vet fills out with the basic health and vaccination record of the animal. I would ask the consulate if they have them or can point you to a source. Normally you get these from the vet in France, and apparently the format is standardized for use within Europe.

The consulate should have the bi-lingual health certificate form - for your vet in the US to fill out regarding fitness to travel and recent vaccinations.

You could also check with a pet transport company to see if they can give you the forms (possibly for a small fee).
Cheers,
Bev

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frenchie said:

Hi Coloma Gold,

How have you been doing?
The Pet Passport is an European thing, meaning you are not required to have it if your pet never resided in EU. However, you need to go to a vet and have them fill out a form prior to your moving.

Linky from the French consulate in San Francisco

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coloma gold said:

Pet transport company? We were anticipating on merely arranging with airlines to have him taken on the plane with us. He is a big dog (in an approved carrier)and I would think that they would place him in the pressurized cargo hold for the trip and then we would pick him up at the other end.. Am I wrong as to the procedure?

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Bevdeforges said:

You've got it right. You don't have to use a pet transport company, but I did and found that they were more than willing to dispense information and some forms long before I decided to engage their services. But the health certificate forms should be available through the consulate - possibly even on their website if you know where to look.
Cheers,
Bev

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Bevdeforges said:

You've got it right. You don't have to use a pet transport company, but I did and found that they were more than willing to dispense information and some forms long before I decided to engage their services. But the health certificate forms should be available through the consulate - possibly even on their website if you know where to look.
Cheers,
Bev

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Coton90 said:

We are flying into Frankfurt and with good old German efficiency, the Embassy website has the bi-lingual forms available (Alles in ordnung!). According to the German Embassy website, tatoos are acceptable in place of the microchips until 2011. Our dog had her tatoo before they became fashionable.

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Bevdeforges said:

I was going to Germany anyhow, but according to the pet transport service I used, Frankfurt is supposed to have the best animal handling facilities of any airport in Europe. And Lufthansa is (or was at the time) one of the better airlines for transporting pets.

As far as "certifying" the health certificate, this was all handled by the transport company I used. Apparently their vet was able to certify the certificate, but I don't know exactly how that works. Check with the airline you're using if the consulate doesn't have the information.
Cheers,
Bev

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coloma gold said:

The one main question I have after reading the literature is that the veterinarian certificate is supposed to be certified by the health agency... Our health dept does not "certify" the veterinarian certificate. I guess I will have to ask the consulate in San Francisco about this.. thanks, everyone for the info... I think my wife is more concerned about our dog getting their safely than me..ha-ha..

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Coton90 said:

According to the German Website, the Dept. of Agriculture certifies the certificate:

German Missions in the United States - Pets: Cats, Dogs, Ferrets

The site has links to DA offices.

I asked our vet about this and they said they send the forms to the DA.

Make sure your dog crate meets your airline's criteria or you'll have a nasty surprise.

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