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I will be flying home for Christmas this year. I got a Saturday morning flight at 5:50am. I will also be bringing my dog who has never flown and he is 8. I figured the hour flight will be less stressful for him then the 4-4.5 hour car ride. In our car rides he is use to not stopping or drinking/eating. He does get nervous and can throw up. He is not the friendly type of dog, but in nervous situations he is quieter. I did just buy him an airline approved carrier. He is just about 9-10 lbs so he will be carried on. Any advice, tips or tricks for a flight?
I plan on giving him a nice evening walk the night before and a good early AM walk. Should I see the vet about sedatives? Thanks for any help
I was going to strongly advise the drive but since he is going in the cabin he will be safer.
You should talk to your vet about medication options. Last time I was on a plane with someone who had a small dog it got suddenly and inexplicably agitated when it never had before. The woman was sitting in the row ahead of me and had something to give the dog to calm (and quiet) it down.
Otherwise just make sure you dog is hydrated. I know it’s tempting to limit water so there are no accidents but with such a small dog just line the carrier with wee wee pads. Small dogs can get dehydrated quickly, even during a flight delay so I wouldn’t limit water before the flight.
I was going to strongly advise the drive but since he is going in the cabin he will be safer.
You should talk to your vet about medication options. Last time I was on a plane with someone who had a small dog it got suddenly and inexplicably agitated when it never had before. The woman was sitting in the row ahead of me and had something to give the dog to calm (and quiet) it down.
Otherwise just make sure you dog is hydrated. I know it’s tempting to limit water so there are no accidents but with such a small dog just line the carrier with wee wee pads. Small dogs can get dehydrated quickly, even during a flight delay so I wouldn’t limit water before the flight.
Yeah, he will be in the cabin with me. I would never put him in cargo! I'm flying Southwest if it helps.
Are the medications safe? I've seen a lot advising against it. He doesn't like being in carriers much, but he is quiet on car rides, at the vet. It's at home and on walks where he gets barky. I was wondering if I should put a trash bag around the lining of his cart and then put some pee pads then his blanket and a pee pad. This way if he pees or throws up it won't soil the lining.
How much water should I give? Most things say to limit water before the flight. I just wasn't sure how long I should cut back. Though he normally doesn't drink much during the hours we are flying.
Yeah, he will be in the cabin with me. I would never put him in cargo! I'm flying Southwest if it helps.
Are the medications safe? I've seen a lot advising against it. He doesn't like being in carriers much, but he is quiet on car rides, at the vet. It's at home and on walks where he gets barky. I was wondering if I should put a trash bag around the lining of his cart and then put some pee pads then his blanket and a pee pad. This way if he pees or throws up it won't soil the lining.
How much water should I give? Most things say to limit water before the flight. I just wasn't sure how long I should cut back. Though he normally doesn't drink much during the hours we are flying.
I have no idea about what medication, just something to ask your vet.
As for the carrier. I would just stack a bunch of pee pads in there nd not worry about a trash bag.
I would just let him have access to water normally until you leave for the airport.
I found some treats on Chewy.com that help anxiety. My Charlie has gotten anxious since he's been diagnosed with Cushings and sometimes in the car he gets shaky, panting and barky. He loves going for rides --errands, dog park, walk, etc. Longer rides can get rough so I give him 1 every morning " his vitamins"
NaturVet Quiet Moments Calming Aid Dog Soft Chews
I think it's helping him - you might want to try them - I give every day
He does pretty bad in the car with vomiting and it will be winter so I didn't also want to risk super bad weather for driving.
Understand. I wouldn't feed him the morning of the flight.
If he's not crate trained, you absolutely need to acclimate him to the crate before the flight. Even if he is crate trained, I would get him used to the new carrier. It will be less stressful for him if he's used to being crated in this particular carrier.
Understand. I wouldn't feed him the morning of the flight.
If he's not crate trained, you absolutely need to acclimate him to the crate before the flight. Even if he is crate trained, I would get him used to the new carrier. It will be less stressful for him if he's used to being crated in this particular carrier.
He's crate trained, but he is from a puppy mill so he doesn't mind laying with his pee/poop. Thats a good idea. Once i get the new one I will start putting him in it sometimes. I will also use it for our thanksgiving trip home.
I agree with some of the others put a layer of pee pads on the bottom of the crate as you want something you can toss especially if he pees or poops while waiting for the flight as even when a dog flies as baggage they will not accept the crate if it stinks.
I adopted Chaos as a puppy from a Texas shelter and flew her home to California. She had to fly as baggage as she was too big to fit under a seat. I had a folded towel in the bottom of the crate and on the way to the airport she pooped and it was loose and smelly. I remembered passing a PetSmart on the way to get her so stopped there and borrowed some scissors to cut the towel in half and threw out that soiled half. PetSmart let me use a sink to wash off her smelly bottom so we arrived at the airport sweet smelling and the accepted her.
So yeah you do want something absorbent that you can throw out if need be lining the crate and still have something absorbent lining it for the flight.
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