Pell Posted May 26, 2014 Report Share Posted May 26, 2014 Before I go and investigate this further, I thought I'd ask the knowledgeable forumites... have the quarantine rules for pets changed? I seem to recall having read that somewhere... something about pets not needing quarantine if they lived with you for 6 months? We have two wonderful animals which we were going to leave behind with a trusted friend, the only reason being that they would not be able to deal with the lengthy quarantine, but if there is any chance at all that they could come with us, it is worth exploring.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMullers Posted May 26, 2014 Report Share Posted May 26, 2014 Hi PellThe rules have indeed changed. In the past it used to be 7 months, now it has changed to 10 days in Oz But be warned, the new quarantine costs are very expensive i.e. a cat used to cost $29 a day in quarantine, now it has rocketed to $149 a day.Here is a link that will also give more clarity on this change.http://www.daff.gov.au/biosecurity/cat-dogsHope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renny Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 (edited) Eish quarantine for our two dogs has gone up from R7000 to R20000edit....sorry, terrible math, it is actually R30000 now!! Edited May 29, 2014 by Renny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 It was great to hear the news earlier this year that quarantine had been reduced to just 10 days in Oz and no quarantine in SA. There is a strict inoculation and blood testing schedule that must be followed in SA about 6/7 months before your fuzzy departs SA for Oz. I have been putting off doing the research and just discovered that the quarantine is going up on 1 Jul from about 49 dollars a day to 149 dollars a day. So 10 days quarantine is about R 14500. Plus the flight of about R 23000. Add the blood tests, the crate, flight from Sydney to Melbourne and now it's sitting at about R 43 000 - R45 000 for 1 dog 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toitjie Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 Flight @ R23000? Thats very high. Lucy landed december and her flight was R 5500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 That was the quote from the pet travel agent. It includes all the permits, transport, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renny Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Totjie who did you use? Best price was R15000 i got for my two small dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toitjie Posted June 2, 2014 Report Share Posted June 2, 2014 Mine was still on the old system. Used keringa. They did the booking of the flight from joburg to sydney and i had to pay them. Total cost for lucy including flight, 7 months quarantine and additional costs of shots and vet and disc was around R50 000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmac Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Hi,Just regarding the "strict inoculation and blood testing schedule" - could this be done by a local vet? We left our dogs with my folks in Bela Bela and now having 2nd thoughts as I didn't realize how attached we were to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Yes. Blood tests and inoculations can be done by your local vet.You will need to visit the state vet twice but the animals do not have to accompany you on the visit. It is just for them to check the rabies test results and to confirm that all inoculations, etc have been done.It has not been a very difficult procedure so far. Under the quarantine sticky I have posted a few links to very informative websites. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmac Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 (edited) Yes. Blood tests and inoculations can be done by your local vet.You will need to visit the state vet twice but the animals do not have to accompany you on the visit. It is just for them to check the rabies test results and to confirm that all inoculations, etc have been done.It has not been a very difficult procedure so far. Under the quarantine sticky I have posted a few links to very informative websites.Thanks so much Magenta for your help - will go through the links (tried looking around the site but can't seem to find it - could you provide a direct link?).1. I'm just finding out whether the vet near my folks (bela bela which is 100km north of Pretoria) is a government approved vet - I'm guessing if they are, they can get the blood tests done there. Twice though they need to visit a "government office" - what does that mean and where is one located in that region?2. Both our dogs have a microchip from IdentyPet (http://www.identipet.com/) - it mentions "Dogs must be identified by a microchip that can be read by an Avid, Trovan, Destron or other ISO compatible reader." - where can I find out whether their microchip is acceptable?3. I would like to kick-start the process this weekend, as we're leaving for Oz the following weekend but will be leaving the dogs with my folks to carry out the rest of the vaccinations, procedures, etc. and due to my stupidity not starting the process 6 months ago, there are time constraints, and afraid I may not have enough time to figure out exactly what needs to happen on the first visit to the vet this weekend, any guidance would be much appreciated (if you could just provide a step-by-step guide for the first visit).4. When they need to eventually leave SA, would my folks just need to take them to the airport? who would sedate them? what's the process?Your help would be greatly appreciated - you know that feeling when you've realized you've made a terrible mistake and feel there's no turning back - thats how I'm feeling about having our dogs not join us there in Oz, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Edited August 19, 2014 by acmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 I have fortunately had a lot of time on my hands the last few months so I have done a lot of research and have started the process myself.This is the post I was referring to.http://www.daff.gov.au/biosecurity/cat-dogs/step-by-step-guides/category-3-step-by-step-guide-for-dogshttp://www.daff.gov.au/biosecurity/cat-dogsThis website allows you to calculate the dates of what must happen and when it must all happen.You are only allowed to leave 6 months after your dogs have had their blood drawn for rabies testing. This test can only be done 1 month after their last rabies vaccination. I made the mistake of leaving the rabies vaccination a bit late, and this is now going to cause a possible delay to our departure. The rabies test costs about R 2000 per dog. That is the first OUCH.....and unfortunately it gets worse. The quarantine for 10 days costs about R 15 000 per dog. I think that there is probably a discount when you have more than one dog.The import permit costs about R 4 900 per dog. This can be done online. There is a site that gives you step by step instructions of how to complete the form online. http://www.daff.gov.au/biosecurity/cat-dogs/how-to-complete-the-import-applicationThe flight for my dog from CPT to SYD is about R 22 000, including the crate. There are quarantine facilities in Sydney and Melbourne but from SA the direct flight only goes to SYD, and this is where most of the quotes are for. I think they quote according to crate size, not sure about weight. I have a Weineraner, to give you an indication of size.From SYD to PER is about R 9000At the moment I am looking At about R 55 000. I love my dog. She is like my child. But even I know that this is a lot of money. We unfortunately do no have anyone that we can leave her with in SA. With 3 dogs, you will be paying a lot of money, and as Chzaau said, you need to check to see how many dogs are permitted in 1 house.All in all though, it is a very simple, straight forward process. The websites give you a list of what exactly needs to be done and when it must be done. Good luck Hope this info gives you a place to start.The government vet is the state vet. My vet was able to tell me where the state vet was in the Western Cape. It was at the agricultural department. Your vet should be able to tell you. I had to take the rabies test results with, inoculation book and proof that my dog was chipped. The second visit requires a letter from your vet confirming that all the necessary tests and other inoculations have been done. It costs R 100. This what my state vet told me but I would phone your one and ask them.I phoned Identipet and they emailed me a certificate to say that my dog was chipped. The state vet was happy with that. With all the tests that are done, the microchip number is used as a reference.Step one is to have the rabies shot. The rabies test can only be done 1 month after this. The blood is sent to Pretoria and they send the vet a fax a week or so later with the results. The original results will be posted to your vet. This is what you need for the state vet. You have to go to the state vet before applying for the import permit and then you book quarantine. Then it is a case of 2 more visits to your vet and then one to state vet. I am fortunate in that a very good friend of mine works at my vet, so I email her what needs to be done at the visit the day before, just so that if the any questions from their side, I have time to figure it out. And I like people to know what inoculations, etc will be needed.The animals are usually not sedated when they travel. They can be given herbal calming medication but they must be awake. The animal travel company that you use will have an office close to the airport. Usually the dog is take there and they will then prep the cage for the trip and take the animal to the actual airport.I would also suggest crate training your dog to get them used to being in a crate for the flight. My Weimaraner is not a fan of cages so we need to buy a crate ASAP to start the process. I found a website the other day with tips for crate training.http://handypetcarriers.co.za/pet-crate-tips.htmlI don't know much about the ins and outs of the visa (we went through an agent) but the animal part, I have done a fair amount of research. It is a very expensive process and I want to do as much of it as possible myself.Oh, you also need measurements for the dog to determine the size of the crate. The picture at the bottom of this site http://handypetcarriers.co.za/pet-carrier-specifics.html will show you what to measure. And most dogs hate a tape measure, so use a sewing measuring tape Hope this helps 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmac Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 (edited) Hey Magenta, thanks so much for the for sharing your knowledge - not sure what we'd do without people such as yourself. Anyways, so I've already gone to the site where it lays our what needs to happen [http://www.daff.gov.au/biosecurity/cat-dogs], but what I'm just a little confused with is it has links "Visit your vet", but if you clikc on the link, the long description is " Take your pet to the Government Approved Veterinarian and ask them..." - now would I need to visit the government approved veterinarian or will my local vet do? Edited August 19, 2014 by acmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 It's a pleasure. Glad I can help.Usually your local vet is the government approved vet. I was very confused about this in the beginning but other forum members took their dogs to their normal, local vet for inoculations, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmac Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 It's a pleasure. Glad I can help.Usually your local vet is the government approved vet. I was very confused about this in the beginning but other forum members took their dogs to their normal, local vet for inoculations, etc.Brilliant!!! that's great news. thank you so so so much, my scotties and I are incredibly grateful wooohoooo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renny Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 We are already in Aus and my dogs are in PE with my parents to help.with final.vet visits. We are making use of Petport foe the flights and also opted to let our dogs stay with petport in their kennels the last 6 days. This way they will do the final vet checks and make sure all the paperwork is in place.Just make sure about the crate that you will be using. It needs to be a certain type and standard for travel to Aus and its apparently different than it would be for normal donestic flights in SA. We have just received our invoice for the two dogs quarantine stay in Sydney. It totals at $3500 for the two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmac Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 We are already in Aus and my dogs are in PE with my parents to help.with final.vet visits. We are making use of Petport foe the flights and also opted to let our dogs stay with petport in their kennels the last 6 days. This way they will do the final vet checks and make sure all the paperwork is in place.Just make sure about the crate that you will be using. It needs to be a certain type and standard for travel to Aus and its apparently different than it would be for normal donestic flights in SA.We have just received our invoice for the two dogs quarantine stay in Sydney. It totals at $3500 for the two.We got a quote from www.keringa.co.za/ and for our 2 dogs for a 30 day stay, along with flight costs and crate, along with last few vaccinations, it comes to R45k total...not too bad I thought.that obviously excludes quarantine costs on other side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmac Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 (edited) Just on the initial visit to the vet for the vaccination against rabies - it says the following:...your pet to the Government Approved Veterinarian and ask them to: a.) Scan their microchip and confirm it matches all health records; and b.) Vaccinate your pet against Rabies; and c.) Write a note for you to take that confirms they performed (a.) and (b.)Regarding (c.)...what kind of note is it...is there a form I need to take along? Edited August 19, 2014 by acmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 No form. They just want written confirmation. I actually didn't get a letter from the vet. They put a sticker in the dog's inoculation book. Oh, I forgot to mention, when you go to the state vet the first time, there is a form that they need to complete - you get the form on one of those website I think. I can email it to you if you PM me your email address. Quarantine is AUD 149 a day a dog .... I think. About R 15 000 for 10 days. The dogs do not have to spend time In Kennels or quarantine in SA but it is handy to ensure that all procedures are 100% correct before the dog leaves SA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmac Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 Thank you!! I've just messaged you. Yeah, ridiculous how they've upped the fees on that side - www.keringa.co.za have quoted us for a 30 day stay for the both of them, +flights, +crates, +last final vaccinations, etc. for R45,000 for the both of them, which I thought wasn't bad. I assume they sedate the dogs before the flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmac Posted August 20, 2014 Report Share Posted August 20, 2014 Just a little confused with the second vet visit as it mentions "Take a blood sample to test for Rabies", but the following step is "Visit your government office" where the description suggests that the prior step not only is just the taking of the blood sample, but the testing of the sample too - is that correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Posted August 20, 2014 Report Share Posted August 20, 2014 Your local vet draws the blood and sends it to Pretoria to be tested by a special testing laboratory. You cannot go to the state vet until this special lab has posted the official results of the rabies test to you or your vet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmac Posted August 20, 2014 Report Share Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) ahhhhh ok, cool, thanks a mill Magenta.Last question (I know you're rolling your eyes )...on the initial vet visit it mentions "Scan their microchip and confirm it matches all health records"...if they've never been scanned before, there will be nothing to match?I put together checklists for each of the vet visits - so along with the stamp in the dogs inoculation book, these could just provide additional evidence for piece of mind (as I'm paranoid) - hopefully these can help some of you fellow forumiteshttps://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BwRF9_HwsNHNX2FwMHRqQThnQUE&usp=sharing (P.S. DISCLAIMER: Although I think I've ensured all info has been supplied that is required, I don't take any responsibility for anything I may have left out by accident) Edited August 20, 2014 by acmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Posted August 20, 2014 Report Share Posted August 20, 2014 No worries, glad I have been able to help. The vet just needs to scan the microchip and he/she then uses this number as the reference for the rabies blood test. It will probably help to have the chip number from Identipet to ensure that the number matches.As far as I know, the Ozzie officials are not going to call your vet and check that each step and instruction has been followed precisely (i.e confirm that the microchip number matches all health regards). When I first read all the steps it was overwhelming and nothing made sense. The more I read it, the more sense it made. It is quite a straight forward process. Take the list of steps to the vet to discuss it. Are your dogs up to date with all their inoculations, etc? Other than rabies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmac Posted August 20, 2014 Report Share Posted August 20, 2014 Brilliant!! thanks again. Will let you know how it goes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.