Guidelines for Adventures with Your Pet

No pet lover wants to leave home without their beloved pet.

Gayle Martz, founder and President of Sherpa's Pet Trading Company, has traveled more than a million miles in the sky with her beloved Coton de Tulear, Su-Nae, and has some tips for traveling in the air and on the road with your pet.

Here are some guidelines for traveling in the air and on the road:

Familiarize the pet with its carrier before leaving home. Leave it open with a favorite item inside.

Carry a current health certificate from the veterinarian dated within 7 to 10 days of departure date. It's essential to check the specific requirements of the airline involved. Airlines usually only allow one pet per cabin so advise them well in advance. Many allow pets to travel in the cabin for domestic flights, while long haul traveling often restricts them to a special cargo section, where costs vary according to weight. Pet carriers also have to comply with strict specifications.

Make sure the pet has an identification tag on its collar with the owner's home address and phone number and the address and phone number of the destination.

Pack a travel kit with the pet's food, dishes, toys, bedding, medicine, and health documents.

Don't leave a pet alone in a zipped-up bag.

Take note of airline size requirements. the pet must be 18 or less inches lengthwise, 11 or less inches heightwise, and weigh 22 pounds or less.

Make a reservation and purchase a ticket for the pet.

Make sure the carrier has an absorbent liner installed — it's an airline requirement.

Contact the individual airline carrier for the under seat dimensions and specific regulations.

At the security checkpoint, inform the agent that a pet is in the carrier and can't be exposed to X-rays. The agent can use a hand-held metal detector to examine the bag.

Make sure the bag zippers are fully closed to prevent the pet from getting out.

When flying outside the United States, contact the embassy or consulate at least four weeks beforehand for quarantine or health requirements at the destinations.

Don't let the pet out of its bag or carrier at any time during the flight or at the terminal.

Don't feed the pet within six hours of departure or give it water within two hours of departure.

Never use tranquilizers unless directed by a veterinarian.

When traveling by car, make sure that your pet becomes accustomed to car travel gradually, so she doesn't ruin the trip with carsickness or excess anxiety.

For more information, visit Sherpa

Source: Sherpa