Traveling overseas with your dog is not really a matter of fun like other recreation trips. It is no doubt a very much complicated and time-consuming task. Being a proud owner of a fluffy fur baby, your dog’s well-being should be your prior concern while considering transporting your dog internationally. Many options avail you here but searching for and eventually, finding the service that you can trust is not very easy. This procedure requires lots of specific planning and precautionary preparations to make the shipping process smooth and safe for your dog, as well as satisfactory to yourself.
It is important to remember that to ship your dog internationally is not something that can be planned just before moving. Give some time to your dog and yourself to prepare for the big move. Make sure that you have taken all the necessary steps for a comfortable journey, as your canine friend is completely dependent upon you to get it to its new home.
Here are some useful guidelines to make the shipment less stressful for both you and your dog has given below:
- Get an IATA affiliated carrier for your fondle. The carrier must be well ventilated from four sides and a spacious room, so that your pet can easily stand up, turn and move around into it. The crate should have multiple exits and made of hard plastic instead of fabric. Make your pet familiar with the new crate by encouraging it to play and to spend leisures inside the crate.
- Gather all the essential documents that might be needed in the pet shipping process. When you are moving to a new country, you must have to arrange special road permits or endorsements for international pet shipment. Moreover,you must know about the pet policies as well as that particular country’s amenities regarding pet allowance in some specific places. Therefore, you must have certain legal papers to show to your new body corp.
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- Before shipping your dog, it is inevitable to take the animal for a thorough health check up to your vet who must have a registered vet license. All the vaccinations should be done and the records of those vaccines should be updated as well as the prescriptions also. The health certificates should be signed by an authorised veterinarian. Also, ask your vet about how to deal with the pet’s upset tummy and nausea during shipping. The process should not be older than 10 days.
- Tag a proper travel ID with your exact name, contact number, current and destination address, another alternative contact info to your dog’s collar. The pet crate should be labelled perfectly. When it comes to an overseas shipment, it is better to insert a customized microchipped ID under your pet’s skin, so that it can be found out in case any unpleasant incident happens.
- Make the feeding process done at least 3 to 4 hours before departure. Don’t overfeed your dog or starve it. You can give it little treats to satisfy it’s tummy grumbles. Also, keep your dog hydrated while traveling but never let it drink much. Instead dry supplements give it wet foods. It will satisfy both its hunger and thirst. Keep some ice cubes in the attached food bowl of the crate.
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- Avoid shipping your brachycephalic breeds dog like boxers, Pekingese dogs etc as Cargo. Those push nosed animals might have breathing problems and heart strokes due to high altitude air pressure in the cargo holds.
- Don’t use tranquilizers to your dog in the cargo holds, as sedatives may cause health issues to your fur baby or may be fatal because of other medications’ reactions. Rather, you can ask your vet if you can give the animal pheromones or Zylkene to keep it calm and settled during the transportation process.
- Try to book direct and uninterrupted flights for long overseas shipment. It will help you to avoid the hazards of flight delays and also keeps you and your dog away from any kind of inconvenience during frequent plane changes.
- Avoid shipping your dog during summer or holidays. Because of too much rush, there are chances of mishandling your dog to the cargo holds. Or else, your dog can be more freaky in the crowd.
- Try to book tickets for the flights that are extremely pet friendly and have good climate control accomodation. Book an airline that allows you to fly as per your convenient time.
- Pack a travel kit for your dog that must include your dog’s favourite treats, bottled water, one of its favourite toys, waste bags, disposable litter boxes, hand towels, tick eliminators, grooming supplies, first aid kit etc.
