If your dog or cat will be coming to Hawaii from Guam, Australia, New Zealand, or the British Isles (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, Bailiwick of Jersey, and Bailiwick of Guernsey), you can skip the FAVN test completely.
Tip: The countries listed above have very low or no cases of rabies due to strict laws and as such as exempt from this step.
If your pet is coming from Guam, an additional affidavit must be completed.
The OIE-FAVN test is a blood test that measures your pet’s immune system response to the rabies vaccine, to see if enough antibodies are being produced after vaccination.
If your pet meets the qualifications of a guide dog or service dog, this test must be done after 12 months of age to meet the Department of Agriculture’s requirement. For all other dogs and cats, there is no age requirement.
After your pet receives its second rabies vaccination (as described in Step 3), wait at least 21 days before bringing your pet back to the veterinarian to have a blood sample taken for the OIE-FAVN test.
This will give your pet’s body enough time to develop antibodies in response to the vaccination, making it more likely that your pet will pass the OIE-FAVN test.
In order to pass the test, your pet’s blood sample must show an antibody response that is greater than or equal to 0.5 IU/ml. Once your pet passes the OIE-FAVN test, that test result remains valid for 3 years.
Before you bring your pet to the veterinarian to have a blood sample taken, determine which approved lab you’ll be using to test your pet’s blood sample.
If you’re a beneficiary of the U.S. Department of Defense, you have the option of saving a little money (and possibly some time) by using the DOD Food Analysis and Diagnostic Laboratory in Texas.
Otherwise, you must use the Kansas State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Once you know which lab you’ll be using, download and print the necessary forms for that lab.
When you call to make the appointment with the veterinarian to have your pet’s blood sample taken, offer to provide them with the lab’s submission instructions and submission form so they can be reviewed before your appointment.
Many veterinarians are familiar with the process involved in submitting blood samples for OIE-FAVN testing, but some may want to review the details beforehand.
If you will be using the Department of Defense lab, you must prepay the lab fee by submitting payment with your pet’s blood sample. But if you will be using the Kansas State University lab, ask your veterinarian if you should come to your appointment with prepayment, or if they’d rather add the fee to the bill for your appointment (and then KSU lab will bill the veterinarian).
Tip: If you don’t prepay KSU, this will not delay the processing of your pet’s blood test.
Here are the lab fees and prepayment options for both approved laboratories:
Step 5: Flight Booking
Step 6: Kennel
Step 7: Import Form
Step 8: Health Certificate
Step 9: Flight Prep
Step 10: Moving Day