Flying with pets

[SoBeVet]

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I'll be starting vet school in the Fall in the UK and will be taking my dog with me on the plane. I have never flown with pets before and would like to know if anybody here has had any experience traveling with pets by plane.

My dog is a 55 pounder and we are going through the 6 months PETS scheme for rabies at home. I'll be flying on British Airways World Cargo.

Thanks for any inputs!

 

[StartingoverVet]

All my travel has been in-cabin (smaller pets) but I have a few thoughts.

1) Europe uses a different microchip reader than the U.S. mostly. Make sure your dog is microchipped correctly.

2) I would use a GPS collar tracker anytime I put an animal in freight. When it gets lost as baggage (happens a lot), or gets loose (has happened) you will be able to find the dog without the airline's mostly useless help.

3) Make sure you travel at times that the temperature is safe. In the early morning or evenings in summer, in the middle of the day in winter.

4) They probably don't let you do this anymore, but you can always ask if you can see your dog loaded into the plane. With security it is doubtful they allow it.

5) Have any rich friends with private jets?

If I sound insanely paranoid, well, I have friends who have had problems and it is best to be overly careful.

 

[Whyevernot55]

So not reassuring. 😛

I may also be flying over to the UK with between 2 and 4 cats (oh dear), so I'm interested to hear responses.

 

[StartingoverVet]

So not reassuring. 😛

I may also be flying over to the UK with between 2 and 4 cats (oh dear), so I'm interested to hear responses.

Generally, most airlines only allow 2 animals per cabin (i.e. 2 in 1st class, 2 in economy, etc). Theoretically only 1 per person but many people stick 2 cats/puppies in a crate and get away with it. Hope you are flying with some other people.

I flew with my cat a few times. Nothing much to it. Make sure you have a carrier that fits below the seat (most people use a sherpa bag, but others can work just as well). Our cat didn't make a sound the whole time (she can be vocal), the person sitting next to us didn't realize we had an animal (it was a night flight). Try flying whatever time your cats are least active.

Be aware that you will HAVE to take the cat(s) out of the bag through security. Make sure they have some kind of lead so they don't get away. My cat hated the noisy security area, loved the airplanes.

Desensitize the cats to the carrier. Try feeding them in there, cat nip, toys etc so it is a fun place (just like for dogs). We used a calming spray as well.

If you have any other questions you can PM. I have travelled in cabin with my cat and my dogs and in my own planes as well (unfortunately not jets).

 

[SoBeVet]

LOL, yea not reassuring but it can happen.

I know the UK uses the ISO standard and so DEFRA asks to bring your own microchip scanner if its not the ISO standard chip. Paid a whopping $275 for my Home Again scanner.

The GPS locator is pretty neat but I'm sure its ridiculously expensive but I'll take a look into it!

I'm traveling during the hottest month for the UK and will be traveling by night. I was told that BA has temp and pressure controlled cabins specifically for pets.

Yea, I doubt that I'll be able to see my dog being loaded onto the plane but I have some connections to the airport and see if they can check the well being of my dog for me.

Thanks!

 

[Tech2Vet]

I've flown with my dog to the UK and back with Virgin. I was really happy with the whole process. The downside to travel to the UK is that a pet passport (or Pet travel scheme) is required. This entails a rabies vaccination, then a rabies titer then a 6 month wait and then tick and tapeworm treatment within 24 hours of the flight. This process has to be overseen with a vet who is USDA certified and you have to send off paperwork to the USDA to have it stamped etc. I would definitely recommend doing your own research as well. Here's a good starting point:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/index.htm

Best of luck...and if you have any questions, I'm happy to help 🙂

Edit:
oh sorry didn't see your other post....oh well i'll leave it up for anyone else who needs info on it
Also, my dog has a homeagain chip and there was no problem with them reading the chip (I didn't bring my own scanner)

 

[Whyevernot55]

Generally, most airlines only allow 2 animals per cabin (i.e. 2 in 1st class, 2 in economy, etc). Theoretically only 1 per person but many people stick 2 cats/puppies in a crate and get away with it. Hope you are flying with some other people.

I flew with my cat a few times. Nothing much to it. Make sure you have a carrier that fits below the seat (most people use a sherpa bag, but others can work just as well). Our cat didn't make a sound the whole time (she can be vocal), the person sitting next to us didn't realize we had an animal (it was a night flight). Try flying whatever time your cats are least active.

Be aware that you will HAVE to take the cat(s) out of the bag through security. Make sure they have some kind of lead so they don't get away. My cat hated the noisy security area, loved the airplanes.

Desensitize the cats to the carrier. Try feeding them in there, cat nip, toys etc so it is a fun place (just like for dogs). We used a calming spray as well.

If you have any other questions you can PM. I have travelled in cabin with my cat and my dogs and in my own planes as well (unfortunately not jets).

Well, gong overseas they can't actually be IN the cabin - they have to travel as luggage or cargo.
I'm not worried about the restrictions, just about my cats in a plane for like 15 hours, plus travel after the plane ride. They're all good in carriers, and one is leash trained. The two older girls have been on a short plane ride before, when they were young.

 

[StartingoverVet]

LO

I'm traveling during the hottest month for the UK and will be traveling by night. I was told that BA has temp and pressure controlled cabins specifically for pets.

Just to clarify, it is when on the tarmac you have to worry. Not in flight.

I don't think any dogs would survive sub zero temps of flights at 40k feet or the lack of oxygen without pressurized holds. (fun fact Time of useful consciousness at 40k feet without an oxygen system is about 15 seconds...)

 

[StartingoverVet]

Well, gong overseas they can't actually be IN the cabin - they have to travel as luggage or cargo.
I'm not worried about the restrictions, just about my cats in a plane for like 15 hours, plus travel after the plane ride. They're all good in carriers, and one is leash trained. The two older girls have been on a short plane ride before, when they were young.

That is definitely not true. It does depend on the airline. Perhaps there are some countries that have more strict rules but it is not an international rule (first hand experience). If it is U.K. reg then I would fly into France first!

 

[Whyevernot55]

That is definitely not true. It does depend on the airline. Perhaps there are some countries that have more strict rules but it is not an international rule (first hand experience). If it is U.K. reg then I would fly into France first!

Actually, it's according to the DEFRA Pets Travel Scheme. From their website:
"Pets travelling to the UK by air will travel as cargo, unless they are a registered assistance dog entering with an approved airline, on a route that permits them to travel in the cabin."
and
"You may not bring a pet into the UK from a private boat or plane."

 

[StartingoverVet]

Actually, it's according to the DEFRA Pets Travel Scheme. From their website:
"Pets travelling to the UK by air will travel as cargo, unless they are a registered assistance dog entering with an approved airline, on a route that permits them to travel in the cabin."
and
"You may not bring a pet into the UK from a private boat or plane."

Fly to France. Take the chunnel? Probably can't bring em that way either but worth checking. UK is a pain.

 

[SoBeVet]

We can't take pets into France first. To pass the quarantine customs inspection we have to take specific airlines with specific routes landing in specific airports. It sucks monkey butt!

For example, I'm flying out of Miami so they have 2 approved routes from MIA which is on BA World Cargo or Virgin Atlantic directly to Heathrow airport in London. Thats it.

Plus, since we will have student visas, they require for us to fly directly to the UK in order to have our visas stamped and ready to go. We can't even fly to Ireland since its technically not part of the UK.

If we go by sea, the only approved route is taking the Queen Mary 2 from New York. I know 2 ppl are trying to do that.

 

[lizinwonderland]

.

 

[SoBeVet]

sobevet, can you send me a link to the airline you are using? i have a 35# dog that i'll be taking with me to school as well and i'm finding a very difficult time finding an airline! also, how much is this costing you??

Hey, whats your departure airport?? They may use different airlines than the ones they offered for leaving from Miami.

I went directly to British Airways World cargo website and bought my tickets through their BA website. I tried using frequent flyer miles but all the flyer mile seats were taken (and I booked back in February for my August flight).

I booked a round trip since it was cheaper to do that than get a one way. I set my return flight for when I fly back for Xmas in December.

In total my round trip was around $1400. Another curious thing is that you have to pay $30 extra to reserve a specific seat. I need to fly either up front or on the wing cuz I get severe anxiety attacks when going through turbulence and the back end of the plane is where u feel it the most.

Also they only allow you to check in 1 bag. You pay extra to check in more than one. (Rip off!!) Im taking 2 bags in total and that extra bag cost me $48.

For my dog, I just called BA and we can't book our pets in our flight until 2 weeks before our flight. I have no idea how much thats going to cost for taking pets.

So as of right now, in total with everything, I'm paying $1478 (except pet transport fee).

EDIT: Here is the link for the approved routes when flying with pets with the specific airline and airports

 

[Tech2Vet]

Hey, whats your departure airport?? They may use different airlines than the ones they offered for leaving from Miami.

I went directly to British Airways World cargo website and bought my tickets through their BA website. I tried using frequent flyer miles but all the flyer mile seats were taken (and I booked back in February for my August flight).

I booked a round trip since it was cheaper to do that than get a one way. I set my return flight for when I fly back for Xmas in December.

In total my round trip was around $1400. Another curious thing is that you have to pay $30 extra to reserve a specific seat. I need to fly either up front or on the wing cuz I get severe anxiety attacks when going through turbulence and the back end of the plane is where u feel it the most.

Also they only allow you to check in 1 bag. You pay extra to check in more than one. (Rip off!!) Im taking 2 bags in total and that extra bag cost me $48.

For my dog, I just called BA and we can't book our pets in our flight until 2 weeks before our flight. I have no idea how much thats going to cost for taking pets.

So as of right now, in total with everything, I'm paying $1478 (except pet transport fee).

EDIT: Here is the link for the approved routes when flying with pets with the specific airline and airports

Wow that sounds like a real hassle...I would definitely suggest checking out Virgin Atlantic. I always fly with them and they were so helpful with flying my dog. They even let me upgrade (when I had already used most of my miles previously) when I flew on the same flight back with my dog because I said I was stressed having her on the same flight. They also give you a little goodie bag for your dog (always nice to get a little something).

 

[Jill418]

Hey there! I've never flown with a pet before so I am curious as well about flying within the United States! I'm flying from San Francisco to Boston, MA in late May with my cat..... I just bought my plane ticket and reserved a cat seat as well.

What I've learned:

-tix to fly with cats within the states are about $100 (in addition to your own ticket cost) (at least on Jet Blue)
-cat needs to be under 20 lbs to fly under the seat
-the carrier has to have visuals on each side (mesh or something similar) so cat can see out (and authorities can see in)
-JetBlue doesn't give you a confirmation ticket or e-mail about it so you might want to double check they got your reservation in advance


What I want to know:
-how do cats generally handle the air pressure and noise? Any bad experiences from anyone, or mostly good?

-any suggestions on calming a (rather frequently) tempestuous cat? My cat is a total sweetheart but she is extremely hyper (and can be grumpy) at night and I've never traveled with her farther than the vet (20 minutes away by car). I am flying a red-eye so I'm concerned my neighbors may not sleep if she is meowing (though she has a kitten-like MEW luckily).

-are there mild sedatives (preferably REALLY mild and all natural) that are worth trying?

-how do you deal with the cat needing to relieve themselves? Do they just not go for the duration of the flight (mine being about 6 hours)....?


Thanks all!!

 

[heylodeb]

My dog (in my avatar) was flown from Durban, South Africa to San Francisco, CA about 3.5 years ago. We used a company that arranged everything. Personally, I think it was worth the slightly extra cash because they built her a special crate that was max dimensions with the most possible comfort. She was also taken off the plane in Denmark where they put her into a kennel for the night and gave her a chance to stretch her legs.

It took her about 3-4 days to recover from jet lag (which I didn't even think about her having at the time!) and she STUNK. I don't know WHAT she smelled like but it was horrible. It wasn't poop or pee, it was just this god awful smell. An hour at a professional groomer (1st and only time for her!) took care of it but eww....

Anyway, you guys aren't flying QUITE that far but if there are any professional companies that do this here in the states, I would recommend it. Just a little piece of mind.

 

[heylodeb]

and about sedatives:

My vet in south africa actually refused to give us sedatives for her trip. She said that even if she was given the sedatives when she was dropped off at the cargo spot, they would be mostly worn off by the time she was in the air. She also said that they are dangerous because of the fact that they are system depressants which are not good when changing altitudes, pressures, etc. No way to tell how the body is going to handle those changes.

oh yeah..it's uncommon but happens often enough to be mentioned: pets die. "healthy" happy dogs have heart attacks on plane rides. it's very stressful and frightening and some who have unknown pre-existing conditions can just lose it up there. I took the risk because I was selfish and wanted my baby stateside with me...but make sure you're prepared for that possibly ugly side...

 

[chris03333]

-are there mild sedatives (preferably REALLY mild and all natural) that are worth trying?




Thanks all!!

Many airlines will not let your pet on a plane with sedatives (animal sedated in plane, leads to death more often than those not sedated).

 

[Jill418]

Many airlines will not let your pet on a plane with sedatives (animal sedated in plane, leads to death more often than those not sedated).

Ah, very good to know. I am really terrified even of the idea of sedation for her. But I did want to ask in order to understand if it is ever done on airplanes. But if animals aren't allowed to be sedated on planes, then there is clearly enough of a risk to nix the idea. I certainly wouldn't risk her health in any way.

Thank you. Do you have other recommendations on how to minimize her stress while flying, and how to handle a potentially adverse reaction to flying (ie large amounts of meowing that would keep neighbors awake)?

 

[ShelterGirl]

Ah, very good to know. I am really terrified even of the idea of sedation for her. But I did want to ask in order to understand if it is ever done on airplanes. But if animals aren't allowed to be sedated on planes, then there is clearly enough of a risk to nix the idea. I certainly wouldn't risk her health in any way.

Thank you. Do you have other recommendations on how to minimize her stress while flying, and how to handle a potentially adverse reaction to flying (ie large amounts of meowing that would keep neighbors awake)?

Keep the kennel/bag covered with a towel during the flight (like you would with a feral trap).
Sit near the engines. No seriously, it drowns out meowing pretty well!

I've only flown once with a cat in the cabin (and once with cats in cargo), but those things worked pretty well for me.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Thank you. Do you have other recommendations on how to minimize her stress while flying, and how to handle a potentially adverse reaction to flying (ie large amounts of meowing that would keep neighbors awake)?

My 2 cats flew over to japan a couple summers ago and one apparently meowed the whole way. The distress "mow mow mow". The plane is pretty loud anyway so I don't think anyone else heard... My older sister and her husband invested in first class tickets for my girls so it was a bit roomier so they didn't have anyone directly cramped with them, but I don't think it was much of a problem. They also got these super cool flight approved carriers that smush to under-seat storage size during take-off and landing, but expand so that they can take up more room once in the air.

 

[flyhi]

Concerning the microchips: if you have a non ISO chip, do not provide a reader and they cannot read it....guess what? They can quarantine or deny entry.

Most companies allow you to rent them. You put up a hefty ($400?) fully refundable deposit and I think it's like 30 bucks for 30 days. You have to pay to ship it back as well. My numbers are off because it's been awhile, but definitely worth checking into if you don't want to buy one.

 

[Tiempo]

I know the UK uses the ISO standard and so DEFRA asks to bring your own microchip scanner if its not the ISO standard chip. Paid a whopping $275 for my Home Again scanner.

I hate to ask, but... any chance you can still get a refund on your scanner if you return it? Home Again chips are not fully ISO compliant but they meet some 'annex' standard that was due to be phased out a while ago, and they are still recognized by the scanners used when importing into the UK. I shipped my 3 dogs over here, and 2 out of 3 have Home Again chips (preexisting before starting the PETS scheme hoop-jumping).

As far as shipping, I was worried about leaving collars on my dogs at all while shipping (no collars on dogs in crates in my world!), but didn't want them to have no ID if they were to get out. So, a compromise to myself was to use the flat ID tags that slide onto the collar itself instead of hanging off of the D ring, leaving nothing to get caught on anything in the crate.

The crate will be plastered with your import documents and live animal stickers and bar codes and such, but I still wanted to have something unique to each dog. I planned to (but never got that far) have personalized stickers made for each dog just to make the crates stand out a bit and be unique - not just another crate. That didn't happen, but what I did was to write little stories for each dog on index card halves and plaster the stories to the little ledge just above the top of the door on the crate. I didn't think anyone would actually READ the stories, but just in case they did there was something unique about each dog on the crate. Don't think it did anything but make me feel a little better! 😉 Also, I did write in permanent marker on the crate of the deaf dog "I AM DEAF".

There's all the standard stuff like freezing water into the bowls that you've attached to the door of the crate, attaching a bag of food to the crate, and putting down absorbent material in the crate. For water, I used these bowls: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754659 with two in each crate, water frozen into both. Won't last long, but at least it is there to start. Food went into a heavy ziploc, in a heavy ziploc, in one of those tear resistant envelopes similar to what might be used to send things priority mail... Bottom layer in the crate was a rubber backed thin fleecy cloth (designed to provide a non-stick layer in crates), but I've heard of people using bath mats as well. Topped that with a towel, topped that with lots of long shreds of paper.

It's a nerve-wracking process, but all three of mine made it here safely!

 

[SoBeVet]

Thank you so much Tiempo!

Question though, how was the quarantine customs inspection when you picked them up (unless they delivered your dogs to Edinburgh)?

I'll take a look refunding the scanner, but I'll most probably keep it with me JUST IN CASE. Heck, if I don't need it anymore, I'll just sell it on Ebay. ;D

BTW, the frozen water idea is genius. Thanks for the tip!

 

[DVMDream]

If your are looking into alternatives for buying an expensive microchip scanner see if you can find a vet in your area (or shelter) that has the ResQ microchip. It is an ISO microchip and is recognized in the UK. It is much cheaper than buying a microchip scanner. Here is the website: http://resq.petparents.com/aboutMicrochips.cfm

This is the microchip we use where I work.

 

[SoBeVet]

Just remember that if you do decide to switch to the ISO chip now then you have to start the PETS quarantine scheme all over. Meaning, you have to do the rabies vacc again, then the titer, then another 6 month wait.

The UK are very strict about the order of these things. Such a headache!

 

[DVMDream]

Just remember that if you do decide to switch to the ISO chip now then you have to start the PETS quarantine scheme all over. Meaning, you have to do the rabies vacc again, then the titer, then another 6 month wait.

The UK are very strict about the order of these things. Such a headache!

That is ridiculous and incredibly stressful.

 

[Tiempo]

Question though, how was the quarantine customs inspection when you picked them up (unless they delivered your dogs to Edinburgh)?

I'll take a look refunding the scanner, but I'll most probably keep it with me JUST IN CASE. Heck, if I don't need it anymore, I'll just sell it on Ebay. ;D

Oh, if you're happy to keep the scanner then it probably is a good idea to have it to be on the safe side! Just trying to save you some money! 🙂

I did have a pet shipper pick up the dogs in London and drive them to Edinburgh (for a number of reasons). The dogs came over at the end of December, and there were a lot of delays due to freakish amounts of snow. As a result, they ended up being delayed at the PETS center and had to spend the night at Heathrow (but they were put into the kennels there and so had a chance to be out of their crates for a while before the drive to Edinburgh!) before being officially allowed into the UK the next day. Your dog will have cleared customs completely before you're able to get access to him as the airline transports them straight to the pet customs center. Not much you can do during the clearance process (except chew on your fingernails and hope that all the paperwork is correct and that your dog with two microchips has the right one scan and that the big one is friendly to everyone and that the deaf one doesn't escape because she can't hear anyone calling and that... 😉).

Seriously, I was SO nervous during the whole import process. Everyone in my class (that I know of) that brought pets over did get their pets here safely, so try not to worry too much!

 

[Whyevernot55]

Tiempo, this is great advice. What company did you use to transport your pets up to Edinburgh?

I am trying to decide whether to bring the cats with when I come, or have my mother put them on a plane for me later. I don't want to leave them behind, but logistically it might make more sense.

 

[flyhi]

RENT the microchip scanner for non ISO chips. You do not need to buy one. It is cheap. And yes, SoBe is right, if you insert ISO chip now, you start the PETS scheme all over......no time for that!

 

[Tiempo]

Tiempo, this is great advice. What company did you use to transport your pets up to Edinburgh?

I am trying to decide whether to bring the cats with when I come, or have my mother put them on a plane for me later. I don't want to leave them behind, but logistically it might make more sense.

We used Animal Couriers: http://www.animalcouriers.com/ No problems with them, and they made good time getting the dogs here.

I didn't have much of a choice about bringing the dogs over with me. I had applied late and couldn't get the PETS stuff finished in time, so my husband and dogs stayed behind. I'm sure there are advantages and disadvantages to both (bringing them with you or having them shipped), but we did pretty much the only thing we could and it worked out fine.

 

[SoBeVet]

Thanks Tiempo for your invaluable advice! You have no idea how greatly you eased my fears for my upcoming trip in August. 👍

 

[gone2dogs]

My interest was piqued by I think someone here (but now I don't see the post... maybe it was another thread) and also by the DERFA website about cruising over. Apparently you can cruise there on the Queen Mary 2 with your pet(s) in a special kennel on deck 12!

Here is a blog I found about it:
http://betterwords.typepad.com/pepperinparis/taking-a-dog-on-the-queen-mary-2.html

I haven't found anything about a price, but I'm sure it isn't cheap! I am still completely on the fence about applying to Edinburgh, and part of my concern centers around my 2 largish (55 and 70 pounds) dogs. For some reason the idea of being able to cruise over with them makes me feel a little more at ease (I'm sure that once I see the price, that feeling will subside though).

Also, for those of you who have looked this over more carefully than I, do you know how far in advance you are allowed to start the process? I know you need 6 months lead time, but is there an upper limit? One of my dogs is due for a rabies vaccine in September so I was considering starting the process at least for him but it would be almost 11 months before he would travel. Would that be too early? Also, anybody know how expensive the titer tests are? Given that my first choice school is in the country and who knows if I will even get in to Edinburgh, I wonder if it is silly (and expensive) to start this now, just in case.

 

[Whyevernot55]

gone2dogs, you should talk to flyhi- she's planning on cruising over with her two small dogs.
I believe the testing is good for 24 months once you've done it, so 11 months is plenty of lead time. I had my cats' tested with K-State ( http://www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/dmp/service/rabies/ ) laboratory, which does most of the testing for the US - each test is $50, but keep in mind you have to overnight the blood, which cost nearly $50 all by itself.

I started my cats' testing this past winter after I was accepted to Edinburgh, but before I'd heard from all my US schools because I wanted to have them READY to go in case I did. It was a good choice.