If you’re considering traveling with your dog, there are a number of important considerations. Dog transport does carry risk. If you’ve looked into this at all, you’ve probably been warned or heard about horror stories, particularly with travel by airplane, of dogs dying during the flight, or being injured, or even lost. Obviously the risk of these things happening is relatively small, or no one would ever think of putting dogs in transport dog crates and transporting them by airplane, or using pet travel carriers of any type.
Even though thousands of pets are safely transported via rail or air every year, this is not a signal to pet owners that they can become complacent if they need to travel with their pet, or send their pet via dog transport methods alone. Think how you would feel if disaster struck while your dog was traveling, and you had not properly prepared for the dog transportation.
The number one suggestion to all pet owners is to completely avoid sending your dog traveling in an airplane unless it is absolutely necessary. Many veterinarians and humane organizations are constantly reporting about dog injuries from air travel due to dogs which desperately attempt to claw its way out of the crate in order to escape. Some of them actually do escape and become injured in the cargo bay. Travel pet carriers have a much better track record, simple because they are by nature smaller, and pets in travel pet carriers usually travel in the passenger compartment under your seat.
Before proceeding with dog transport of any type, it’s a wise decision to see your veterinarian for a general checkup for your dog to ensure that he is in fact in good health, and well enough to travel safely. He could be suffering from a medical condition that could put him at risk during travel that has never been pointed out to you, or that has only recently arisen.
If the trip will take a few hours, try not to have your dog travel during the heat of the day. An early morning or an evening flight will be far more comfortable for your dog so as to avoid hot weather. If cold weather is the issue, then the middle of the day is fine, and in fact preferable.
Puppies, in particular, are likely to suffer from stress or anxiety if put into transport dog crates in the cargo area of the plane. Unless your puppy is already very large, it is really important to ensure that if flying is your only option, that you will be permitted to bring him with you in the passenger compartment.
Not all dogs can easily cope with the experience of being locked up in transport dog crates and placed in the cargo hold during an airplane ride. Every dog owner knows what his or her dog’s personality is like. Trust your gut instincts on whether or not you think your dog can handle the flight.
Separation anxiety is a real condition that should not be overlooked. It is estimated that almost 20% of all dogs suffer at some level from separation anxiety. These personality types make very poor candidates for dog transport by airplane, unless they can travel in the passenger cabin with you (which medium and large dogs obviously cannot). Such dogs should not be left alone and when their condition reaches elevated levels, it is not uncommon for a dog to literally chew through a metal cage in the attempt of trying to escape, causing severe injuries that can cause the dog to bleed to death. It may be possible to treat your dog with natural anxiety remedies, or you may even want to talk to your vet about a sedative if you think your dog will react badly to being transported.
Luxury pet carriers are popular these days. But if you’re doing any serious traveling around with your dog, or transporting your dog anywhere, you may want to skip stylish pet carriers for less flexible transport dog crates.
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