Flying with dog in baggage compartment

charlotte,

Did I read your post correctly -- you're only coming for three months and you're bringing your dog? Or did you mean to say you're coming IN three months instead of FOR three months?

Charlotte - there have been many past threads on the topic of flying with dogs. You can run a search on that to find lots of great advice. BeckyR recently posted the following about water for dogs on a long flight day:

"When you put your dog on a plane, I've found that the best thing to do is freeze a 2 liter bottle of water and punch small holes in it and sit it in an aluminum pan...the water will thaw a little at a time and give them something to drink...you will still have a wet hound at the end of the journey, but hopefully not dehydrated."

Sounds like a great and practical idea to me.

Yes, I am coming to STX on April 29th and have rented a condo for 3 months, possibly 5 months. I have just never flown with a dog before and am worried about her in baggage.

I am an airline pilot. The issue with flying with live animals is that the cargo compartment heat can be left off or turned off for pressurization reasons. If the crew was not made aware that an animal was in the comparyment the compartment heat may be turned off if cabin pressurization becomes an issue.

When I transport my dog in the cargo compartment I make a trip to the flight deck and tell the captain/co-pilot myself that there is live cargo in the hold.

That eliminates any possibility the crew may be unaware of the precious cargo they are carrying.

Makes me feel much better.

Regards
JET

Charlotte-

I flew 6 dogs here, so here's a wee bit of advice: Ask the flight attendant to check with the baggage handlers and verify there is a dog on the flight - and do this at every leg - ask the attendant to call down to the baggage place and not only ask if a dog has been loaded, but a brief description. If they can tell you what the dog looks ike, then most likely it is on the plane...watch and try to book your seat on the side they load baggage from (I think the right side if you're sitting in the plane looking forward?)

You MUST mark your crate with LIVE ANIMAL and do it in the largest letters you can, in the brightest red you can - have your name and address/phone prominantly displayed.

Every single person we dealt with on every move of every dog was more helpful than you can imagine...if you have a layover, the people at the desk will usually be happy to call down to cargo and check your pet's status. I probably drove everyone insane, but everyone certainly took it in stride.

There is something called Rescue Remedy available at Petsmart - it is an herbal, non narcotic that just relaxes your pet a little and gives them less to stress about. I highly recommend it.

Good luck -

Becky F

If you are only staying for 3 months then that would have you leaving middle of the summer. You might want to check the airline as some are no longer accepting animals as cargo from middle of May-September. Could make it tough to get back with your pooch.
The freezing water works best. My landlord attaches a frozen slab water dish to the inside of his dog box so she normally does not get too wet.

David,
How is the water dish attached to the crate. Can you velcro to something frozen. Thought I would freeze a quart tupperware bowl, cut out the top area so the dog can get her nose and mouth in there to drink the liquid. I was concerned about the movement of the cage with water sitting in the bowl.

FYI. They sell water bottles that are specifically designed to attach to a dog crate. Check your local pet store.

I have a small jack russel terrier. is she a small enough breed to fly with me? How do I go about finding out how much it costs to take her?

Call the airline you would most likely be flying on and ask. Each will probably have their own animal surcharge for pets flying inside the cabin and they change over time.

I paid $75 for my dog to ride in a carrier under the seat at my feet when I brought her to STX a little over 2 years ago.

You also have to have a veterinarian's certificate signed within 10 days of the flight for current vaccinations and exam. Sometimes they look at the certificate and sometimes they don't. If you switch airlines on your way here, you might have to pay the animal surcharge to each airline.

You can get the ones that look like hamster water bottles, I think at Drs. Foster and Smith online. Still - freeze the water so that it trickles and doesn't gush in case of a jostle or something.

When we put the pan with the 2 liter bottle in the bottom of the crate, we just epoxy-ed an aluminum pan in, then squished the 2 liter bottle in....the pan came out out without much hassle once we had the time to fool with it after moving!

Thanks everyone for helping me with my questions... Great board!!!