Animal Movement and the CVI
Recently I had the opportunity to work with a group of Bucks as they were being sold to a farm in Ontario, Canada. This was a privilege because the border between the US and Canada for sheep and goats has been closed for a long time now due to an outbreak of Scrapie in the mid 2010’s. These animals had a very special permit and I was selected as the veterinarian in charge of the health papers. With great power comes great responsibility!
It got me thinking about making a post to discuss animal movement domestically (from state to state) or internationally (from US to another country). A lot of farmers, producers, and pet owners don’t really understand why we need to have paperwork that accompanies these animals or what paperwork they actually need. SO, I am going to give a brief introduction to the CVI (Certificate of Veterinary Inspection) here in the US!
The CVI is a document that must be filled out by a USDA accredited veterinarian that has inspected the animals prior to transport for communicable and infectious diseases. But why is that important?! Well, animals can be carriers for all sorts of different diseases and parasites that can be spread by moving infected individuals to a new naive or disease free area. A great example is Rabies. For a long time, Rabies was eradicated in Ontario’s pet population. They ensured this by aggressive vaccination rules and requiring all pets entering the province to be vaccinated and examined for signs beforehand. Unfortunately, raccoons, bats, skunks, and deer are NOT inspected and the disease has crossed the border in the wildlife population. Another example is Rinderpest. A nasty viral disease, also known as cattle plague, is a contagious viral disease affecting cloven- hoofed animals (mainly cattle and buffalo). In 2011, rinderpest became the second disease to be declared officially eradicated, following eradication of the human disease smallpox in 1980^. It cost billions of dollars in lost livestock all over the world. Producers and veterinarians were able to eradicate this disease worldwide through culling programs and STRICT movement laws. So by having an accredited veterinarian inspect the animals and be educated in the shipment needs of different states and countries, we can ensure that only healthy animals are being moved. You can imagine that this only benefits animal welfare as well!
So when may you need a CVI?
Fairs and Shows *may require one. Each fair or show is different, so make sure you have done your research beforehand.
Travel out of State. Any time a farm animal is being unloaded in a new State/Province, they need a CVI. Each State has different requirements, but your veterinarian should be able to help guide you on what is needed. Testing and Statement guidelines can change based on species, age, gender, and purpose of the animal.
Travel out of Country.
What is required for a CVI?
Your veterinarian needs some basic info from you. Provide the full name, address, phone number, and email of the current owner (or facility in which the animals are currently housed and where they will be loaded), the destination (fair ground, sales barn, or new owner), and the trucker/carrier (if this is the same as above, you still need to tell them that).
You will need to know exactly who is going and have their basic info. Almost all movement requires animals to have an official eartag/microchip/tattoo number associated with each number. Most commonly this is a silver metal State tag for cattle, or a Scrapie tag for sheep and goats. If you are not sure the exact number of animals yet, you are better to have more on the form than you need!
Next, your vet will determine if testing or a permit number is needed depending on the type of travel^^. An example, male rams require B. Ovis blood testing before travel out of State. Sometimes testing and obtaining permits can take some time.
Book an inspection appointment. The vet needs time to book your appointment within their schedule, as well as may need testing and administrative time to complete phone calls, fill out paperwork, or interpret results. The CVI is valid for 30 days once signed, and it must be signed by the USDA accredited veterinarian that did the inspection within 10 days of that inspection. So give your vet at least 2 weeks advanced notice of your expected ship date! Most food animal vets are also USDA accredited. The inspection can be visual, or hands on. Again, every species, breed, purpose, age, and gender has different risk factors.
What happens if the vet decides that the animal is not fit for transport or fails the disease inspection? Well, that is ok. This is why we do these inspections. But you are not allowed to move that animal. It will need to stay home and be treated appropriately.Your veterinarian will not sign CVI documents for contagious or infectious animals. It is better to know ahead of time, then face being fined later or being denied entry to your destination.
Day of travel, you should make sure all animals look healthy, keep your copy of the CVI with you and the trucker, and make sure the truck or carrier that the animals are traveling in is cleaned and disinfected from the last shipment.
So make sure you discuss with your veterinarian before hand in you have any plans this summer for showing animals or selling out of state. Please feel free to email KMP Farm Vets if you have more questions regarding ruminant movement, in or out of Michigan!
Resources:
^ - Rinderpest - World Organization for Animal Health
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^^ - USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - State Regulations for Importing Animals
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/entry-requirements/us-state-and-territory-animal-import-regulations
