Last Updated on 25 August 2021 by Colette
Traveling with a pet is usually not an easy task. You need to take care of your four-legged friend, collect all the necessary documents, visit the veterinarian, and do tons of other things to make sure your journey by plane will go smoothly. What are the basic facts and tips for preparing your home animal for a voyage? Is there any chance to make the trip less stressful for your pet? Discover the answers to these questions and much more below.
How To Prepare For The Flight?
Preparing for a journey by plane might appear to be a long and complicated process. However, if you follow these simple prompts, the entire trip will likely to be much easier for you and your pet.
Visit A Veterinarian
The most important thing you need to check is the health condition of your furry friend. Make sure it doesn’t have any serious chronic diseases or any conditions that might get worse during the flight. Moreover, some breeds might be too anxious or have an aggressive temperament, so you will need to get a receipt to get some sedative medication for your furry friend.
It is also important to know that veterinarians don’t recommend taking some pets to the plane. These are:
· Too young animals
· Too old pets
· Snub-nosed animals that might face difficulties with breathing during the flight, including:
· Pit bulls
· Chow-chows
· Pekingese
· Pugs
· Persians
· Burmese cats
Prepare The Documents And Proper Identification
Make sure you have a full package of documents for traveling with your four-legged buddy. These are usually a pet’s medical certificate and a copy of its vaccination. Moreover, some identification arsenal (microchip, ID tag, etc.) is also necessary. You will also need to add labels that contain the traveling info, your contact data, and other details to the pet’s carrier and its collar. Don’t forget to read the rules for traveling with home animals of the country you plan to visit since some regions might have additional requirements.
Take Care Of The Pet’s Diet Before The Flight
The most common mistake of many pet owners is feeding their animals right before the flight. Although your furry friend might feel hungry because of the stress, it is better not to give it any food about six hours before departure.
The last feed should meet the requirements of the regular pet’s diet. Furthermore, it should be rich in minerals and vitamins. For example, you can give your big-sized pup some dog food for large breed dogs that contains enough nutrients. If you are traveling with a cat, don’t forget to give your four-legged buddy its favorite food. Most caring cat owners believe that their home animals should get the best food to stay healthy and happy for a long time. You can read their reviews of feeding the cats with different types of food, such as fromm cat food review to pick up the best alternative for your furry mate.
Note: try to follow the eating habits of your furry mate before the flight. Avoid feeding your home animal with human food or any new products it has never tried before. Moreover, don’t give your animal any food right before the flight even if it makes an extremely sad face. Otherwise, your animal might suffer from nausea and sickness during the flight.
Exercise It
It is necessary to go for a walk and play with your pet before departure. This simple trick will help your animal feel more calm and easy during the flight. Moreover, it is not likely to face any pee and poop issues during the journey.
Don’t Use Any Tranquilizers
Many dog and cat owners believe using tranquilizers is a must before the flight. It is a common myth it is better to forget about. The fact is that each animal has particular health conditions that might worsen because of the tranquilizers. Moreover, this medicine has some side effects that can lead to serious issues with your pet’s overall well-being.
Most home animals behave in a normal way during the flight. Although some animals might feel scared or anxious, there is no need to use tranquilizers to calm them down. The only exception to this rule is a particularly prescribed tranquilizer by the veterinarian. Always follow the requirements of the pet doctor before and after the flight.
Choose A Reliable Carrier
A carrier will become a home for your animal during the trip. Therefore, it should be 100% reliable, convenient, easy to use, and safe. Make sure your buddy can’t open the carrier, do some experiments of placing your animal to the carrier at home and double-check that your furry friend feels comfortable in it. The reason is that many home animals are lost or injured because of using carriers of wrong sizes or improper quality during the flight.
All in all, having a flight with your pet is not easy. However, if you follow the rules above, you will likely have a trouble-free and comfortable voyage with your buddy.
