Taking a dog on plane...

[rae582]

Okay, ladies, I'm hoping you all have some good advice for me because I am freaking out! I will be traveling back to the East Coast for Thanksgiving and Christmas with my dog, Mya. She's an 18ish pound puggle (pug and beagle mix, pics below for cuteness/ reference ) and I got her a travel bag so I can put her under the seat in front of me on the plane but how do I keep her quiet?? I've never taken a dog on a plane before!! I'm planning to just give her a ton of treats but I hope she doesn't start with the beagle howling, that would be so awful! Any advice would be awesome!

[Ash Mark's.]

I would ask your vet if they can get you some kind of sedative so that, hopefully, she'll just sleep the whole way.

[carolinagirll]

Drugs call your vet

[Bridget<3Avery]

There isn't too much you can do. Some airlines don't allow dogs or cats to be given prescribed sedation on the plane just because of the risk that something can go wrong. You can ask your veterinarian if giving benedryl to make her more sleepy would be okay. It's sometimes a controversial topic depending on how up to date your vet is.

I would be hesitant to give her any food though because you don't know if she'll need to take a big one on the plane. They don't usually allow you to remove your pet from the carrier during the flight.

[rae582]

Oops, forgot about that part - I already asked her vet and they told me that they wouldn't give me sedatives because then the dog wouldn't be able to regulate her body temperature at altitude. I don't know, maybe that's a bunch of bs?

[Ash Mark's.]

Originally Posted by rae582 Oops, forgot about that part - I already asked her vet and they told me that they wouldn't give me sedatives because then the dog wouldn't be able to regulate her body temperature at altitude. I don't know, maybe that's a bunch of bs?

If your vet says it's a bad idea, it probably is. Before you leave for the airport just make sure you're outside with her for awhile so she has time to do her business, and try and get her energy out so that she'll be tired when you leave for the airport, and hopefully that will get her to sleep the way

[Bridget<3Avery]

Originally Posted by rae582 Oops, forgot about that part - I already asked her vet and they told me that they wouldn't give me sedatives because then the dog wouldn't be able to regulate her body temperature at altitude. I don't know, maybe that's a bunch of bs?

Nope not bs at all. It's one of the side effects.

[BlueBird]

Just put some comfort items in the bag with your doggy and it should be fine. Sometimes they make noise but they'll quiet down. Mine never does but he's a trained service dog. The only time he's ever had a problem was when the plane had major mechanical issues and was making some strange noises - but so was everyone else on the plane.

You can help things a little by getting your dog used to being the bag and untouched ahead of time - just for practice. He won't like it, but it will help on the actual day of travel.

Also, Im sure you have but double and triple check with your airline that they allow carry-on pets that are not service animals. Get it in writing and print it out - keep it with you. Sometimes people will hassle you but stand firm as long as you've covered your bases.

I don't recommend a heavy meal before the flight, or a ton of treats. Maybe a rawhide or other chew bone that he's used to, to help keep him busy.

[rae582]

Thanks all! When she was a puppy my vet had me give her children's liquid benadryl after her vaccinations just in case she were to have an allergic reaction (apparently pugs often have reactions to vaccines). She never did but I guess I could give her that if all else fails. I'm hoping the fact that she will be with me will comfort her. And I've already trained her to get in and lay in her bag with it all zippered up and then I've also pulled her around, lol. I figured I'd get a bag with wheels in case she got too heavy to carry! I guess we'll see how it goes, I'm just like a nervous mother traveling with kids!

[Bridget<3Avery]

Originally Posted by rae582 Thanks all! When she was a puppy my vet had me give her children's liquid benadryl after her vaccinations just in case she were to have an allergic reaction (apparently pugs often have reactions to vaccines). She never did but I guess I could give her that if all else fails. I'm hoping the fact that she will be with me will comfort her. And I've already trained her to get in and lay in her bag with it all zippered up and then I've also pulled her around, lol. I figured I'd get a bag with wheels in case she got too heavy to carry! I guess we'll see how it goes, I'm just like a nervous mother traveling with kids!

Sounds good. Just double check with your veterinarian to make sure they think it's a good idea to take the Benedryl. Veterinarians have differing ideas.