The animals people most want to sedate, the old, the unwell and the frightened, are the ones IATA says it's most dangerous for. So we plan the move around him instead.
Give the crate time
The right crate, early, in the room the family uses, and the five steps at his pace. A crate he treats as his room is the calmest place he can be on the day.
The way he flies matters most here
In the cabin, where the airline and route allow it, a person is with him the whole flight. On some routes a founder flies with them: the same flight, and the airport handling at both ends done personally. More about that.
A route chosen for him
- Fewer legs, and less time on the ground between them.
- A departure and a month that suit the airline's heat limits for him.
- An airline that will carry him at all, which for a snub-nosed animal is already a short list.
What to tell us
- His age, anything your vet is treating, and written instructions for any medicine: the condition, the dose, the timing, and whether it's with food.
- What actually frightens him. A dog who hates the car and a dog who hates strangers need different days.
- Whether he's ever been in a travel crate, and for how long.
- Your real dates, including the ones that aren't fixed yet.
In India, Priya and Nikhil come to your home to meet him before anything is booked, which is when a nervous animal stops being a line on a form.
Source: IKAN Lola's published guidance on sedation, medication and restrictions. Nothing here promises a welfare outcome, because no honest page can.