Flying -- Sedation?

[Nikitta34]

Originally Posted by lynnelily

I'm flying Wednesday with my 4 month old puppy and she is 2 lbs after a big meal. I hope she does alright she will sleep in the carrier for naps if I leave it open alright but gets upset if I zip it and cries. Is it safe to give one this small any thing if needed? Her cry is more like a tiny mew do the airlines kick you off your connecting flights if their is crying? I'm taking my 7 year old granddaughter home and flying back Sunday.
Just to vent a bit it upsets me that they won't let me bring a carry on bag because her carrier count as my carry on I called Airtran and asked. It goes under the seat not in the overhead and should be considered like a purse plus I'm paying extra it just doesn't seem fair

Hi Lynnelily,
Congrats on your puppy! As for traveling with her, I'm sure she will be fine. The airlines won't kick you off if she is mewing or whining, or even if she barks a bit. They only will kick off a dog who is sick, aggressive, or a real nuisance.

As for the carry on bag, I usually still take a small bag. Most airlines allow you to take a small purse/laptop bag and a carry on bag. If your granddaughter is flying with you, you can always say that the bag is hers. I doubt you will have a problem with that. Actually, I just checked the AirTran website and it says that you can have a small purse and carry on, so two bags. The carrier can count as your purse, and then just have another small-ish carry on. Visit AirTran Airways - Carry-On and Checked Baggage Policies for AirTran's baggage policies.

Okay, and the grand daddy of all travel advice..... This is a post that I made a while back and actually put on my YT blog for reference. Hopefully you find it useful. I highly recommend that you bring NutriCal on your flight. I put a little dab of it in an emptied out Blistex chapstick tub. How long will your flight be? Let me know and I can try to give you some advice on when to feed, etc.

Also, when you get to the Rabies certificate bit, don't panic. Your dog is too young to receive the vaccination, so your vet should put something to that extent on the health certificate.

Originally Posted by Nikitta34

Hello and welcome to YT! My dog and I are veteran airline travelers and I've posted a lot of advice in the Traveling with Yorkies section of YT. I will copy and paste a little bit of what I've posted elsewhere, but you should definitely check out the traveling section for more help.

Your dog will probably (hopefully!) just curl up in her carrier and sleep the entire time. However, you might want to do the following things:

Before the flight:- Get her used to being in her carrier and being carried around.
- Have her health certificate (issued within 10 days for most airlines) and proof of rabies vaccination (must have been issues 30+ days prior). The airline will ask for the health certificate, but you probably won't need to show them the rabies cert. However, customs can legally request the rabies cert when you arrive at your destination (depending on state law), so better safe than sorry.
- Don't feed her in the hours before the flight so she doens't have to poop in the airport/on the plane.
- If you are concerned about hypoglycemia and her not eating for several hours, give her a small meal and/or some NutriCal, or feed her a normal meal early enough in the day that she can poop before you get on the plane.
- If you want to take NutriCal on the plane, either get a prescription label for the tube, or put a small amount into a cleaned-out Blistex (or lip gloss) tub.
- Take her for a good walk before she gets in her carrier. This will help tire her out and calm her down.
- I walk Meg in a quiet area of the airport, and put down a pee pad so she can take care of any business before we get on the plane.
- Some people say to restrict water before the flight. While I don't try to force Meg to drink, I will give her some water both before and during the flight. I know I get dehydrated on planes, and I imagine it's the same for her.
- Pack some wipes, paper towels, and a bully stick or toy (although Meg has never played with a toy when she's in her carrier).

On the plane:
- Make sure there aren't any drafts under the seat. Sometimes there is an A/C or heat vent right by the floor, so bring a blanket or jacket to drape over the carrier if need be. Check the temperature periodically to make sure she isn't too hot/cold.
- You will probably find that if your dog can see you, she will whine to be up with you. Try to position the carrier in such a way that she can't see you.
- Some people like to take their dogs out on the plane, but unless you have a service animal, this is against the rules. Be prepared for harsh words and to have to put her back in her carrier. (On the other hand, some flight attendants won't mind at all.) Note: if she's happy in her carrier, don't take her out. She will probably hate going back in it after she's had a taste of freedom. If you do take her out, keep a leash on her as she could easily escape and be stepped on or crushed. And if you take her out, be courteous to your neighbors and ask if they mind.
- Give her little sips of water every 30-45 min or so. Some people do not give any water, so this isn't necessary. If she's sleeping, let her sleep. I bring a small little ceramic bowl for this purpose. Note: only fill it up a TINY bit or turbulence or a bump of your foot could soak the carrier.
- If there is turbulence, hold the carrier/dog in your lap and speak in soothing tones.
- Put a pee pad in the bottom of your carrier, in case of either accidents or water spills.
- If you think she needs to pee during your flight, or if you want to let her out of the carrier without getting in trouble, take the carrier to the bathroom and let her out. Use a bathroom with baby changing table if you want to let her stand on something. I put Meg's pee pads down on the changing table and let her do her business there. Don't do this when there is turbulence though, or you will have one super scared doggie clawing up your chest.

As for taking the dog out in the airports, I do this for Meg and have never run into problems, but some airports may not allow this. Some also have dog run/bathroom areas designated in certain terminals (although I have never seen one firsthand).

As for a carrier, I use ahttp://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/ima...mazon_icon.gif Bergan Comfort Carrier and have been very happy with it. Meg is 5 lbs and does really well in the size small (although I wouldn't put a bigger dog in the size small).

I actually saw a Bergan knock-off at Target for like $19 or something. It was exactly the same as the carrier I have, just half the price. Looked like really good quality, too.

Others on YT really like Celltei and Sherpa carriers, too. If you do a lot of traveling, you may want to invest in a carrier on wheels.

Whatever carrier you go with, make sure to acclimate your dog to the carrier. First put a toy in it (or bully stick) and let the dog go in to get it, explore around a bit, etc. Then put him in and carry him around the house for 5 min. Give lots of praise and treats. Do this again the next day. Your dog will hopefully come to think of the carrier as a safe, happy little nest.

Make sure that you have a spot reserved for your dog when you book your ticket. Domestic flights allow 1-3 dogs in the economy section of a flight, and if there are already 3 dogs in economy, you will not be able to take your dog as your carry on luggage. I personally would never put Meg in the cargo/baggage area.

Good luck, and PM me if you have any questions.

[Cat Hunter]

I worry about the cabin pressure giving him sore ears because of the pressure, he only weighs five lbs. Also how strict are the airlines (I am flying US air) that I have to keep him under the seat in front of me? He will be much calmer if he is in my lap than stuck under a chair. I am just afraid that he is miserable on the plane and cries the whole 2 hour flight!
Any advise will be greatly appreciated

[ArmaniMan]

Originally Posted by Cat Hunter

I worry about the cabin pressure giving him sore ears because of the pressure, he only weighs five lbs. Also how strict are the airlines (I am flying US air) that I have to keep him under the seat in front of me? He will be much calmer if he is in my lap than stuck under a chair. I am just afraid that he is miserable on the plane and cries the whole 2 hour flight!
Any advise will be greatly appreciated

Hi and Welcome to YT!

I frequently fly with my two yorkies (5.5 and 4.5 pounds) from NY to Las Vegas which is about a 5 hour flight. They both do great. There are stories about flight attendants allowing you to take your dog out of the bag however, I have never encountered a flight attendant like this. The LAW is that your dog must stay in their carrier and on the floor for the entire flight, so you should expect this- if you encounter anything else you will be lucky- but you shouldn't count on in. On my last flight, the attendant did let me keep the carrier on the seat next to me (it was an empty seat). However, I still had to keep it closed. I have taken mine to the bathroom and let them use a wee wee pad on the floor- the flight attendants have had no issue with this- I take them into the restroom in the bag and come out with them back in the bag. My dogs have always done fine.

On my last flight, during takeoff you could hear another little dog barking in the back of the plane- no one made a fuss or anything and the dog settled down after a few minutes.

Good Luck- I really think we make it more stressful then needed- I know I was a wreck the first time I flew with each of mine- I was so nervous and stressed out and they really don't act too bothered by it at all.

[roseslevi]

Originally Posted by Cat Hunter

I worry about the cabin pressure giving him sore ears because of the pressure, he only weighs five lbs. Also how strict are the airlines (I am flying US air) that I have to keep him under the seat in front of me? He will be much calmer if he is in my lap than stuck under a chair. I am just afraid that he is miserable on the plane and cries the whole 2 hour flight!
Any advise will be greatly appreciated

Ask your vet about giving him some benadryl for the flight. Once you go through security you can give him some. It usually makes Levi sleepy. I have done this a couple of times on flights. Also make sure you "practice" the benadryl a few times before your actual flight, just to make sure it agrees with your dog. Your vet will help you with the dosing.