Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain

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Tapeworm treatment for dogs

A vet must treat your dog for tapeworm every time you want to bring it to Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland). They must record it in either the:

You do not need to treat your dog for tapeworm if you’re coming directly to Great Britain from Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta or Norway.

Your dog can be refused entry or put into quarantine if you do not follow this rule.

The treatment must both:

  • be approved for use in the country it’s being given in
  • contain praziquantel or an equivalent proven to be effective against the Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm

Information your vet needs to record

Check the vet has put the following details in the ‘Echinococcus treatment’ section of your dog’s pet passport or health certificate:

  • the name and manufacturer of the product
  • the date and time they treated your dog
  • their stamp and signature

When to give the tapeworm treatment

The treatment must be given:

  • no less than 24 hours before you enter Great Britain
  • no more than 5 days (120 hours) before you enter Great Britain

Example

Your dog is treated for tapeworm at 1pm on Monday. You must arrive in Great Britain after 1pm the next day (Tuesday). You cannot arrive after 1pm on Saturday.

If your journey is delayed

If you’re delayed and arrive more than 5 days (120 hours) after the treatment, your dog may need a new treatment before you return to Great Britain.

Check with your travel company what you need to do (for example your airline).

Short trips of 5 days or less

If you’re leaving Great Britain and returning within 24 hours, you must get your dog treated by a vet before you go.

If you’re returning within 5 days, you can also get your dog treated before you go.

You must:

  • wait 24 hours after the treatment before you re-enter Great Britain 
  • return within 5 days (120 hours) of the treatment

If you’re not sure when to give the treatment, ask your vet before you travel.

Example

Your dog is treated for tapeworm at 1pm on the Monday before you travel. You cannot return to Great Britain before 1pm the next day (Tuesday). You must return to Great Britain before 1pm on Saturday.

If you do not travel within these times, you’ll need to get another treatment abroad.

You should treat your dog again within 28 days of returning to Great Britain

View a printable version of the whole guide

Part of Bring your pet to Great Britain: step by step

  1. Step 1 Check if you can bring your pet

    1. Check if you can bring your pet
    2. Find out how you're allowed to travel to Great Britain
    3. Check different rules for guide and assistance dogs

  2. Step 2 Get your pet microchipped

    1. Check the rules for microchips

  3. Step 3 Get your pet vaccinated against rabies

    1. Check the rules about rabies vaccinations

    You must wait for a set period of time after vaccination before you can travel.

    Depending on the country you're travelling from, you might also need to get a blood test.

  4. and Get tapeworm treatment

    If you have a dog, you may also need to get tapeworm treatment before you travel.

    1. You are currently viewing: Check the rules about tapeworm treatment

  5. Step 4 Get a pet travel document

    1. Check which travel document you need