Have your pet treated against tapeworms

From 1 January 2012 tapeworm rules apply to pet dogs only. Not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours (1-5 days) before its scheduled arrival time in the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme, your dog must be treated against tapeworm and the treatment recorded in the EU pet passport or the third country official veterinary certificate.

• No treatment is required for dogs entering the UK directly from Finland, Ireland or Malta.

Your dog must be treated against the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis using an approved/licensed veterinary medicine whose active ingredient is Praziquantel, or an equivalent product. You should check with your vet to ensure the correct treatment is used.

A qualified vet must carry out and record the treatment in your pet’s passport or third country certificate. You must not administer the treatment yourself.. The treatment must be carried out every time your pet enters the UK.

If, before you enter the UK, less than 24 hours has passed since the treatment, you will have to wait until the full 24 hours have passed before you can enter with your pet. If the treatment was done more than 120 hours before you enter the UK, you will have to have your pet treated again, have the treatment recorded in the relevant document, and wait at least 24 hours before entry. In these circumstances the waiting period and treatment for tapeworm can be carried out in quarantine.

Pets being taken abroad from the UK on day trips will need to have the treatment carried out in the UK not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours before they enter the UK on the return journey. In these circumstances, it is recommended that a further treatment should be administered 28 days after return.

Pet owners are reminded that it is considered good practice to regularly treat their animals against a range of ticks and tapeworms as part of their routine health management, especially if travelling abroad. Veterinarians are advised to discuss with their clients the appropriate course of action.

Dog owners should practice good hygiene when handling their animals. The NHS provides public health advice on contact with pets and preventing tapeworm infection.

Why dogs have to be treated for tapeworm

The tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis can cause a serious or fatal liver disease in humans. Symptoms include abdominal pain, jaundice, fever and anaemia and tapeworm cysts may develop in the liver. Treatment may involve surgery or lifelong chemotherapy. Without treatment the disease is usually fatal. This tapeworm is not found in the UK, but is present in France, Germany, and other parts of continental Europe. The treatment needs to be given not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours before the dog enters the UK to ensure that the tapeworm eggs are not shed in the UK.

Qualitative risk assessments have been carried out on the risk of incursion of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis and various tick borne diseases.

• Qualitative Risk Assessment: tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis (PDF)
• Qualitative Risk Assessment: tick borne diseases (PDF)

See also

• travelling with assistance dogs