Time for Tommy's Rabies Injection
Tommy the springer spaniel is due for his rabies jab before 7th.May so I took him up to the veterinario in town who doubles up as the public health inspector. We usually see his daughter for the injections but she has recently married and lives in Rota (donde están los americanos) where there is a big American base. It was set up as part of Franco's bid to be accepted into NATO after supporting Hitler. (allegedly).
In order to transport dogs (and cats and ferrets) back to the UK, rabies injections must be kept in date (annual). The strict regulations have recently been relaxed. Before, if you missed the anniversary it could mean a 6 month wait before he could re-enter Blighty.
The vet is a chatty type. His wife works in the shop and is very pleasant. I was told about a new vaccine to prevent Leishmaniasis (or Leishmaniosis). At the moment there is no cure for this deadly disease which is transmitted by a tiny fly ( el flebotomo) which we call a sandfly but it is more likely to be found in the countryside inland. The disease is quite common in southern Europe. The insect flies at night and only above a certain temperature. Many dogs round here are left out all night by their owners and these are the most susceptible. The parasite attacks the internal organs and can be fatal. The symptoms can be controlled with drugs. Now a new vaccine is being trialled which is thought to be 80% effective and will cost 120€ for the first year.
As usual, the vet made a mistake when filling in the details in Tommy's 'pet passport'. He always gets the date wrong. The authorities at the border are really strict. 'Out of practice' he said.
Tomorrow there is a 'do' at the headquarters of the Hermandad of Nuestra Señora Santisima Maria, la Virgen de Dolores Coronada. Food and booze for a small entrance fee. I think we may be going after our planned meeting with Angel the hotshot lawyer and possible land grabber.
04/05/2012
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