How Safe is Flying With Your Chihuahua?

We’ve all heard horror stories of pets getting loaded onto an airplane, only to be found deceased upon arrival. Although these stories tend to get sensationalized, about 2 million pets are flown safely inside the USA every year, and only about 250 dogs have died in the past decade. Total incidents compared to safe flights is less than 0.01%.

We took a look at the Air Travel Consumer reports for the past three years and read every single incident. No chihuahuas have died or been injured as far back as we have read. The majority of incidents involved dogs injuring themselves trying to escape from kennels, brachycephalic breeds (mainly bulldogs) expiring from the heat in the cargo hold, and dogs who were very sick passing away during the flight.

How to Keep Your Dog Safe

Chihuahuas are the smallest dog breed and are lucky enough to be allowed in the cabin with their owners. This is also the most comfortable way for them to fly, so if you are still in the process of choosing an airline, choose one that will let your dog fly in the cabin with you.

While a few airlines will let you hold the pet for very short flights, most of them require the dog to be in a carrier at all times. The carrier must meet strict guidelines in size and may be denied if it is even 1” bigger than their maximum size.

People traveling with dogs are restricted in where they can sit, for example, they cannot sit on a bulkhead row or an emergency door row. This is in part for safety, and in part because the dog must be stowed under the seat in front of you for the entire flight for most airlines.

You can help make the flight more comfortable for your dog by kennel training them prior to the flight so they aren’t panicking from being enclosed.

Transportation.gov recommends kennel training before flying with your dog, as well as checking that the kennel latches securely. Other recommendations from the website include not feeding your dog six hours before your flight and taking them on a potty walk before and after the flight.

Vet Visits Are a Must

Before flying with your dog, take your dog to the vet for an examination and let them know you plan to fly with them. Most airlines require a certificate of health to fly anyway, as well as all vaccines to be up to date.

In our research, most dogs who passed during the flight from natural causes died from heart, lung or airway issues. Ask your veterinarian to make sure your dog is healthy enough to fly and listen to them if they express concerns. If it is not safe to fly, it may be better to look into alternative transportation for your dog.

If you think your pet may be nervous for the flight, they can also provide a sedative to help your pet. Never give your dog a sedative without consulting your vet first. If your dog is not ordinarily sedated, ask your vet for an additional test dose so you can see how the dog reacts to the sedative before getting on a flight.

Think Twice About Cargo

Some airlines don’t allow dogs in the cabin at all. Some only allow the dogs in the cabin for specific flights. In all the incidents that have happened relating to pets and flight, all but one of them happened in cargo.

Sometimes, cargo handlers don’t handle the kennels kindly. Sometimes you are promised the dog will travel in an air-conditioned vehicle, and instead they are left to bake on a hot summer day on the tarmac.

Inside the cargo hold, dogs can be subject to extreme fluctuations in temperature and even pressure. While it’s likely your pet will arrive safely (remember that 0.01% incident rate) it’s also likely they won’t have an enjoyable trip in the cargo hold.