Most of your dog’s medical records are recorded in their passport which will be given to you when you collect your dog, along with any other paperwork.
The passports can vary slightly depending on which part of Spain the dog is from, however they all contain important information for you and your vet. The passports are all in English as well as Spanish, and it’s definitely worth having a quick look at all the pages to check when vaccinations and other treatments are next due.
OWNER
This is for your details, you can now add them to your dog’s passport. There may be previous owner details in there.
DESCRIPTION OF ANIMAL
Your dog’s details including (in some cases estimated) date of birth, breed, gender, colour etc.
The microchip number will also be in this section. It will have already been put in your name and you should have received an email from PetTrac to set up your account.
Do get your vet to check the microchip is reading ok on your first visit.
VACCINATION AGAINST RABIES
This shows when your dog had the rabies vaccination. You will only need this if you travel abroad with your dog.
ANTI-ECHINOCOCCUS TREATMENT
Worming treatment: the dogs will all have had worming medication whilst at the shelter and prior to travel. Please check what your dog has already had before medicating again.
OTHER ANTI-PARASITE TREATMENTS
Flea and ticks: the dogs will all have had some treatment, but it’s not a requirement for it to be in their passport, so if it isn’t, then do ask us and we can ask their rescuers and let you know. Again please do check what your dog has had before treating again, some adopters choose not to medicate their dogs for fleas and ticks all year round, maybe just late spring, or maybe not at all, but they do keep a close watch. There are also natural alternatives which many prefer. Of course this choice is individual and will depend where you live, where the dog walks and the ease of checking your dog regularly.
OTHER VACCINATIONS
General inoculations: these are listed in this section of the passport, often you will see initial ones and boosters with dates and details.
Please do go through these in detail with your vet as understanding exactly what the dog has already had can prevent unnecessary over medication of duplicate vaccines which is not good for the dog.
Kennel cough: the shelters we work with in Spain sometimes use general vaccinations that include kennel cough, so if you need to prove they have been vaccinated for kennel cough, please check by googling the name of the vaccination they have been given or ask us for help to confirm.
CLINICAL EXAMINATION
This shows when your dog was checked by a vet prior to travel.
OTHERS
Depending on the shelter, disease checks/tests are sometimes recorded in the passport and sometimes as a separate pdf file which is sent to you usually before you receive the dog. Please print the pdf and keep it with the passport.
The dogs all have negative test results (if not we will have been in touch and discussed it with you) but remember that Leish can give a negative result in the incubation period, so although rare it remains a possibility. You can read more about Leish here.
Some shelters/vets will also list the date the dogs have been neutered in this section.
The passport can be used as a continual medical record for your dog with your vet adding inoculations as given over their lifetime.
