Pet Travel Agent - Personal Dilemma
The most common question asked when shipping pets is “Should I sedate my pet?” The airlines will not accept a sedated pet. Pets actually travel better when they are not sedated. They usually just curl up and go to sleep. I had a conversation with a retired cargo agent with United Airlines about his experience with pets on the job. He told me that the only time in his career that he ever saw problems with traveling pets was when they had been ‘drugged’. He explained to me that when you give the pet medication it makes them feel funny and then they panic. Suddenly they feel funny, they are hearing unfamiliar noises and they are confined in their travel kennels. They start to pant and get over heated. I guess you could best describe it as they “freak out”!
I have told hundreds of clients the issues of sedating pets for travel and the harm it causes.
NOW WHAT DO I DO?
This week I purchased a little second home in Southern Utah. It is beautiful there and I can always work my company virtual. I of course want to take my 2 dogs Oodles and Soozie! Soozie is great in the car and taking a 4 hour road trip will not faze her. Now Oodles is another story. She pants and shakes the minute I open the car door. It isn’t like I never take her in the car. She goes to the doggie day care every week to play and every single time she is a basket case. I have tried purchasing a doggie seat where she can sit up and see out-did not work. I have put her on the front seat with the seat warmer on-still a wreck. I have held her on my lap, tried to offer her treats, bones and still she just basically hates it. So now what do I do? If I want to take both of them to Southern Utah am I going to let the poor thing just deal with it or should I slip her a Dramamine? It is amazing how easily I can tell my clients to absolutely never sedate their pets when they travel and I am even considering doing it to my own pet! Only option: talk to my vet! I will update you after I talk to him about it.