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Flying with a terrified dog
My dog, Luna, is 2 years old. She's terrified of loud noises. Not all of them, but sounds like thunders, so I'm assuming a flight could be a horrible experience for her...
I already started kennel-training her, and I'm looking for a cd with thunder storm sounds to help her deal with her fear of thunders.
I am also hoping that since there are a lot of thunder storms here this time of year, that she will learn that the kennel, a small and dark place, is her safe spot away from the noise. Yesterday for the 1st time she sat in the kennel when a storm was going on!!!
Anyway, we're flying at the end of September, we have an 11 hours flight from the States to France, and then another 5 hours to Israel.
What I'm worried about is, that in every big thunder storm, Luna breathes very heavily, sitts very close to me, her eyes pop out and she looks like her heart is just about to explode within her body. I'm really scared that she'll get a heart attack during the flight, especially since I won't be with her to relax her.
Do you think my fear is justified? I would love to hear your opinion and advice about this.
Thank you very much
- liat's blog
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Comments
Hi Liat, poor Luna! I
Hi Liat, poor Luna! I don't think a heart attack is a very strong possibility unless Luna has an existing heart condition. I am more concerned about her psychological state and what she will learn from this experience.
But please, see a vet and talk about your concerns. A good veterinarian will be able to assess her physical health and discuss medication. I am told that knowledgeable vets will no longer prescribe sedatives because these may not really give your dog any relief, in terms of reduced anxiety.
Certainly start with a sound desensitisation CD. Start off very softly, and pair each sound event with food.
What you are looking for is for Luna to look forward to hearing the sound. There should be outward physical signs of Luna's joy upon hearing the sound. Only then do you increase the volume.
If Luna is at all afraid of the sound, turn it down. Remember that dogs have very sensitive hearing.
If Luna is very comfortable with her crate, then start taking her on car-rides in the crate. The idea here is habituation to new experiences in the crate.
Be careful not to put her in any situations she is not ready for. Ideally you want to achieve errorless learning.
Mostly, plane travel is not as bad as we would imagine. If Luna could last a night away from home, say at the vet's, then she will probably cope with the air travel quite well.
If you have friends or family you trust, then you might even leave her for a night away from you every so often to get her used to being without you and used to being cared for by relative strangers.
Regards,
Aidan
http://www.positivepetzine.com
Flying with a terrified dog
Hi Liat,
I just want to echo what Aidan suggested and especially make sure that her kennel is a safe, comfortable place for her. I fly with my dog from Belize to the USA every year -- she's small enough to fly as an in-cabin pet under my seat. Is this a possibility for Luna?
We prepared by making sure she was very comfortable in her carrier in the house (lots of food treats), then taking her for longer and longer car rides that ended with a walk at a fun place so she saw the outcome of getting in her carrier was always positive. She's not crazy about loud noises either and does have some storm anxiety. However, I think the airplane sounds are quite a bit different -- maybe more similar to car noises, who knows. At any rate, she never appears anxious during the trip, even on take off and landing.
Other tips:
-try Bach Rescue Remedy, many people swear by it to calm doggy nerves
-don't feed prior to travel to avoid an upset stomach
-I've heard of people attaching a small ice block for a water source within the travel crate -- I think some of the dog travel sites have details on how to do this
-research all the paperwork you'll need for international travel; apply early to get it all in time
-make sure to have several copies of all of her necessary health papers to give to officials, retaining the originals yourself in a safe place
-make sure to attach her flight itinerary and contact information both at origin and destination to her kennel -- I include a recent photo of Maggie so that if the unthinkable happens and we get separated, I can pass out photos and information to officials
-make sure she is wearing ID
-if she will be traveling in a regular kennel, use plastic cable ties to secure the door shut (and carry spares) -- they can be broken when you need to get her out (or if airline personnel need to) and they will prevent the door from becoming accidently unlatched
-carry water and dry food with you in case you get delayed at your layover (this happened to us and we ended up overnighting with no luggage, so glad to have her food and "accustomed" water with us)
-carry plenty of papertowels and baggies, just in case
There are lots more practical tips you can find at the dog travel sites, but mainly I want to reassure you that with enough preparation -- and you have a good start if you are not traveling until September -- I think she should travel just fine. I think sometimes we humans are more nervous about it than dogs are, just due to normal travel stress and airport chaos. For Maggie, she's just delighted to be going on another long and rather weird "car ride!"
Good luck to you & Luna!
Carolyn in Belize
with Maggie the Havanese
thank you for answering
luna is too be to travel as in-cabin pet, she's about 50lb.
i already started giving her all the shots and vaccins she needs for the flight, that part is covered pretty well.
on top of all this, i found a little kitten last night, which luna amazingly seems to like, but he's going to be adopted, i don't think i can deal with moving 2 pets with me...
anyway, i'm gonna start the noise training next week
i don't want her to get drugs on the flight, but i was thinking about putting some rose water in her drinking water, supposed to have a calming affect. and also bought her some crystals that have the same affect...
i will keep you posted on how things are going. i'm on my way to the vet right now to get her tested for heartworms, i'll also ask about her flying...
thank you so much, liat
Good that you will consult your vet
Hi again,
Good that you will be consulting your vet. Definitely a good move.
I have a story to relate about drugged dogs -- a friend of mine gave his cattle dog a little Valium to calm him for a long flight involving a change over. Not much, just a little to take the edge off.
In Dallas, when the dog was to be transferred to the connecting flight, airline officials noted that the dog appeared a little dopey, not passed out, just not as alert as they thought he should be. So they sent him to a shelter to sleep it off, sent my friend on his way to his final destination -- that's right, would not allow him to stay behind with his dog.
The following day when Mac the dog was up and around, no worse for wear, he was shipped on to the final destination, at owner expense -- it was charged as a separate flight on a separate day, which indeed it was. The owner also had to pay for transport to and from the shelter and overnight at the shelter for his dog.
So the moral of the story is that some airlines anyway, do not want to take responsibility for even a mildly drugged dog. Not only that, my understanding is that altitude can enhance the affect of drugs on dogs. Do call the airlines you will be flying and ask them what their policy is on this subject. And, I am very glad to hear you will be talking with your vet about all of this!
In the meantime, I think making the kennel a happy, safe place for Luna is the way to go. Not only that, it will be a good skill for her to have all of her life. It certainly worked for us -- Maggie is about to make her 11th international flight. She was a timid, very fearful stray when she came to us as an adult dog, 5 years ago. She has gained enormous confidence through gentle and positive training so that I am not worried about taking her anywhere with us.
Good luck!
Carolyn in Belize
with Maggie the Havanese