Although many cats and some small dogs can travel in the cabin when accompanied by a human on most flights in the United States, most pets need to fly in the cargo area. Shipping a short nosed dog in the cargo hold requires extra precautions because these little friends often have difficulty breathing due to their short snout. Short nosed dogs (and cats) may have a respiratory condition that can become worse when flying at high altitudes or when the temperature fluctuates too much. Many airlines will not ship a snub nosed pet if the temperature exceeds 75 degrees Fahrenheit or goes below 10 degrees.
We take many precautions to ensure that your pet is safe when being transported in the cargo area of a plane. You can take steps to help prepare your animal for travel. For example, if your pet is not crate trained, you want to begin that process as soon as possible. 2-3 months in advance if possible. The more comfortable your pet is in the crate, the less stress they will have during travel. Many airlines require a crate one size larger than is standard for the size of your dog to give them extra room for air flow and movement. This is helpful for maintaining a safe body temperature and reducing stress which can aggravate respiratory problems. Part of our service to you is ensuring your dog has the properly fit crate.
Brachycephalic pets often experience difficulty breathing and adjusting to certain temperature conditions and are considered at risk by many airlines. By taking certain precautions and choosing the proper flight schedule on a dog/cat friendly airline the chances of any problems are greatly diminished. Many, but not all airlines restrict short nosed pet travel to moderate temperature months of the year and might restrict travel from mid May 15 through September and November through March. Dates vary from airline to airline, but we always have the most up to date information for our traveling clients.
We are very experienced at short nosed dog transport and we will take all precautions needed to ensure the safety and well being of your pal, that being said, snub nosed dogs with known breathing issues might not be suited to travel at all and this should be considered. Some dogs can be stressed easily on car rides or even having separation from their owners, and a long day of travel which includes loading and unloading in a noisy environment can make this stress worse, which can impact their ability to breathe and also cool down their own body temperatures. This is a decision that you have to make for your own pet in a discussion with your veterinarian.
Here are Milo and Stitch, another successful pet transport job with another joyful arrival.
