ELEMENTS OF A RABIES CERTIFICATE:

1. Date Vaccinated
2. Date Vaccination Expires
3. Rabies Tag Number
4. Name of owner
5. Owner address
6. Name of pet
7. Microchip Number – It is very important that the pet is microchipped before the rabies vaccine and that the number is printed on the rabies certificate. Chip type must be compliant with the destination country.
8. Telephone number
9. Species
10. Sex
11. Date of Birth (DOB) or Age
12. Weight
13. Breed
14. Color
15. Rabies vaccine serial/lot number, date of vaccine expiration, brand name, producer, type, and duration. All countries accept killed virus rabies vaccines. Most will accept the PureVax feline vaccine (live canarypox vector).
16. Veterinarian Signature, ideally hand-written in blue ink
17. Veterinarian name
18. Veterinarian practice address

It is important that this information is as consistent as possible. If your rabies certificate says that your cat is “purple with green spots” but your international health certificate says “green/purple”, then that is not ideal. Breed, sex, date of birth, owner’s name and address, etc. All should be correct and match.

These tips are presented as a way to help owners smooth the international travel process. As always, check with USDA-APHIS for the most accurate, authoritative information. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel

EVESHAM VETERINARY CLINIC

800 ROUTE 73 SOUTH

MARLTON, NJ 08053

eveshamvet.com

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Core Vaccinations:

The following vaccinations are required for almost every dog, with limited exceptions.

• Rabies (Merial Imrab 3 TF), a viral disease that causes a fatal encephalitis.  The rabies vaccine is required by law in New Jersey.  Rabies is carried by bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes, though it can infect any warm-blooded animal, including humans.  Upon vaccination, your dog will be issued a rabies certificate.  The first rabies vaccine is good for one year.  Every vaccine after that is labeled for three years of immunity.
• Canine Distemper (included in DHPP).  Vaccination against this often fatal, hard-to-treat disease is absolutely essential. Highly contagious, it is spread by discharges from the noses and eyes of infected dogs. Symptoms can include listlessness, fever, coughing, diarrhea and vomiting; convulsions and paralysis may occur in the disease’s final stages. The distemper virus attacks many organs, including the nervous system, which may be permanently damaged, even if the dog recovers.
• Canine Parvovirus (included in DHPP), Very contagious, debilitating and widespread, the disease caused by this virus emerged in many parts of the world only in 1978. Spread through infected feces, the highly resistant virus can remain in the environment for many months. Symptoms of Parvo infection include high fever, listlessness, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Vaccination is the only certain method of preventing this potentially fatal disease, which is most severe in young pups and elderly dogs.
• Infectious Canine Hepatitis (included in DHPP), Caused by Canine Adenovirus Type I, this disease is transmitted among dogs by contact with secretions, such as saliva, infected urine or faeces. Its symptoms are similar to those of the early stages of distemper. Causing liver failure, eye damage and breathing problems, the course of this disease can range from mild to fatal. Vaccination remains the best protection.
• Parainfluenza (included in DHPP), a virus that causes respiratory disease.
• Leptospirosis (found in DHLPP, Lepto vaccine, and Lepto/Lyme combination vaccine), a bacterial disease which attacks the kidneys and liver.  There are several strains of leptospirosis.  It is spread through the urine of wild animals.  It is zoonotic, meaning it can also infect humans.

Optional Vaccinations:

• Lyme Disease (Borreliosis), a tick-borne disease that causes lethargy, joint pain, and reduced appetite.
• Bordetella (Kennel Cough, Infectious Tracheobronchitis), Just as with the human common cold, this respiratory-tract infection is easily transmitted from one dog to another, so vaccination is imperative if your pet will come in contact with many other dogs in such situations as obedience training or boarding at a kennel.  Kennel Cough can be caused by various airborne bacteria and viruses, including Canine Parainfluenza virus, Canine Adenovirus Type II and Bordetella bronchiseptica.  You’ll first notice its onset by your dog’s dry, hacking cough, sometimes with a small amount of clear or foamy white fluid brought up at the end.  The Bordetella vaccine is required by most kennels.
• Canine Influenza (Dog flu), a viral respiratory infection.  It is rare but potentially fatal.  The influenza vaccine is required by some kennels.

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