Travelling with your pets

Are you travelling with your pets this summer – here are some tips and products that will help to ease their journey.

To sedate or not to sedate…

One of the questions we get asked very frequently when it comes to pet transport is “Will / Can my pet be sedated when travelling?”

The answer to this is always “NO”!

All sedative medication has profound effects on your pet’s cardiovascular, respiratory, and central nervous systems. Most sedatives drop blood pressure and alter heart rate and respiratory rate as well as our pet’s ability to regulate body temperature.

I’m sure you will agree that we don’t want this to happen when our pets are in transit or in the hold of an airplane.

There are, however, many things we can do in preparation and during travel that will ease your pet’s anxiety and reduce stress levels as well as increase comfort and well-being.

1. Make sure your pet is familiar with the travel crate.

As they will be spending several hours in their crates, we want them to feel safe and comfortable in them. You can familiarise your pets with the crates at home. Introduce the crate some weeks before travel and put a favourite blanket or bed inside. This works particularly well for cats as they love nests or caves in which they can feel safe. You can also feed your pets their meals or treats inside the crate and make them a positive place to be.

2. Feliway and Adaptil

These are synthetic pheromone products that promote feelings of calm and well-being in our furry friends. Also known as the “positive feline pheromone”, Feliway is an artificial version of the scent produced by cats’ facial glands and Adaptil is a canine appeasing pheromone, produced by the mother-dog when nursing her puppies.

Both come in a diffusor form, which is great to use in a new house or environment but also in handy spray bottles which can be used to spray the inside of their travel crate.

3. Royal Canin Calm Food – for cats and dogs under 15kg

This dry food contains alpha-casozepine and L-tryptophan, which both contribute to calmness and well-being. We would recommend that you change to or mix in the Calm diet about a week before you travel as well as a week after you reach your new destination.

5. Zylkene

Zylkene is a natural product, proven to help manage stress in cats and dogs.

The active ingredient (alpha-casozepine) is a milk protein that has the ability of impacting brain receptors, resulting in a calming effect on your animal.

Zylkene comes in convenient sprinkle capsules that can be sprinkled in your pet’s food. Again, we recommend that the capsules are given about 1 week prior to as well as during and after travel for best results.

All the above products are available at German Veterinary Clinic, and we are more than happy to advise you on what would work best for your pets and come up with a bespoke travel plan for them.

In addition to the above mentioned, knowing that your animal’s journey has been professionally planned, that all vaccinations and documents are in order and that the best route has been selected for your pet’s journey, is one of the best ways you can help to prevent stress and anxiety for yourself and your pets.

With over 15 years of experience in International Pet Transport and in the region, we at GVC can provide you with a professional, efficient, bespoke pet travel service for your pets.

If you have any questions at all relating to Pet Transport, please contact us at transport@germanvet.ae