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Tail Travel is a family-owned and operated pet transport business based in Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory of Australia. Tail Travel has successfully coordinated air freight transport requirements for 1000s of animals Australia wide. We have agents in the capital city of all Australian states and Territories as well as agents located close to many major regional airports. Although we specialise in reptiles, dogs and cats, Tail Travel can organise air freight from the smallest insect to the largest animal for you. We freight with Qantas and Virgin airlines and their affiliates. Tail Travel understand how precious your animals are and treat them as if they were our own!

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Brachycephalic Breeds - Tail Travel

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All About Travelling with Brachycephalic Breed of Dogs and Cats

Key Points

·       Your Brachycephalic animal must be between the ages of 12 weeks and 7 years of age for Virgin and between 12 week and 12 years of age for Qantas.

·        Brachycephalic breeds need larger crates

·        Need to have a specific brachycephalic breed fit to fly examination two weeks before flight

·        Brachycephalic breeds can only be sent to certain locations and not all airports are available (see list below)

·        A member of Tail Travel has to lodge and collect your brachycephalic animal

·        It’s vital that your brachycephalic breed animal is in good health before its flight.

The furry pets have become an indispensable part of the pet owner’s family. In fact, pet owners have now started taking their pets along with them on their travels as pet transport services make travelling with pets much easier. However, some dog and cat breeds need extra care while travelling, such as Brachycephalic animals. 

The brachycephalic animals are snub-nosed or flat-faced. They need additional attention and protection while travelling, whether in a car or an aeroplane, because of their health needs and added risks. So, why they are at an added risk?, what can we do to mitigate those risks, and some expert travel tips. 

 

Brachy Breed Animals

Brachy breed animals have shortened or flattened noses. The brachycephalic breed is gaining immense popularity as pets globally. 

 The snub-nosed or flattened nose dogs include:

  • Affenpinscher
  • American Bully
  • American Bulldog
  • Australian Bulldog
  • Boston Terrier
  • Boxer
  • Brussels Griffon / Griffon Bruxellois
  • British/English Bulldog
  • Chow Chow
  • Dogue De Bordeaux
  • English Toy Spaniel/King Charles Spaniel
  • French Mastiff
  • French Bulldog
  • Lhasa Apso
  • Neapolitan Mastiff
  • Japanese Chin/Japanese Spaniel
  • Pekingese
  • Pug:

·         Dutch Pug

·         Chinese Pug

·         Japanese Pug

 

Shih-Zhu (Tsu) (Tzu)

Tibetan Spaniel

Valley Bulldog

Brachycephalic breed of cats includes: 

  • Himalayan Cat
  • Exotic Shorthair Cat
  • Persian Cat

Unfortunately, these snub-nosed or flat-faced dogs and cats are at a higher risk of health complications because of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS).

Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction Syndrome (BAOS)

Short-muzzled pedigree dogs and cats face health complications because of their short snouts and compromised respiratory systems. Due to this disorder, they have difficulty breathing and suffer from stress. In addition, abnormal brachycephalic anatomy makes it problematic for short-muzzled animals to thermo-regulate, and they can oxygenate poorly even under normal conditions. 

The breathing difficulties intensify in warmer conditions or when they are anxious due to unfamiliar surroundings like transport containers. In addition, the change in temperature and air quality inside the plane makes them vulnerable to overheating and stress. 

Signs or Symptoms Associated With BAOS

·        Snoring

·        Noisy Breathing

·        Reverse Sneezing

·        Shortness of Breath

·        Low Oxygen Concentration in Blood

·        Nasal Congestion

·        Excessive Flatulence

·        Coughing

·        Fainting or Collapsing

·        Exercise Intolerance

·        Hot Conditions

·        Stress

·        Obesity

·        Previous Respiratory Issues

·        Over Excitement

·        Previous Incidences of Heat Stress

Airports Brachycephalic Breeds can travel to.

Qantas

All Qantas Serviced Airports

·         Adelaide  

·         Brisbane  

·         Cairns  

·         Canberra    

·         Coolangatta 

·         Darwin    

·         Hobart   

·         Launceston

·         Melbourne 

·         Perth   

·         Sydney

·         Townsville

Virgin

·       Adelaide  

·       Brisbane

·       Hobart

·       Melbourne

·       Perth

·      Sydney

Tips To Make Air Travel Easy

Below are some tips to make air travel safe and comfortable for your brachycephalic breed furry friend. 

 

·        Select a Brachycephalic-friendly Airline

 

Many pet-friendly airlines can safely transport your brachycephalic breed animals. These airlines take all possible safety precautions while flying flattened-nose dogs and cats. Both Qantas and Virgin will allow Brachy breeds to travel under certain conditions. Both Qantas and Virgin require brachycephalic animals to be placed in larger crates then a normal animal. Qantas require a crate 10% larger whilst virgin require a 20% larger crate  

 

·        Right Crate

 

You must buy a slightly bigger crate so that your furry friend has some extra space and allows an increase in airflow into the crate. The additional airflow comforts the brachycephalic breed and reduces the animals stresses and breathing issues. Both Qantas and Virgin require brachycephalic animals to be placed in a larger crate than a non-brachycephalic animal. Qantas require the crate to be an extra 10% larger whilst Virgin require the crate to be 20% larger. Getting your animal comfortable with the crate can be a big step before flying, so crate training can help your furry animals acclimatise to a crate before flying in it. This training makes travelling in the flight more comfortable and less stressful.

 

·        Healthy and Fit Brachycephalic Animals

 

Healthy pets with normal weight and fewer medical conditions make better air travellers than obese pets as airways of overweight brachycephalic breed animals can collapse on getting stressed or overheated. Make sure your animal is healthy to fly, if your animal becomes sick before it’s flight it might increase the risk of complications and therefore we would rather re-schedual it’s flight then risk the animal.

 

·        Veterinary Advice

 

Visit a veterinarian before flying your pet to ensure your pet is healthy and fit for travel. All brachycephalic animals have to have a medical “brachy fit to fly” by a vet within two weeks of travel. This fi to fly is a specific medical examination that vet has to sign off on before you pet will be allowed to fly. These medicals can be obtained from Tail Travel and should be taken to your vet of choice so they can check each creteria. This medical maybe take more time to complete and be more expensive than a regular fit to fly.

Please be aware that a regular fit to fly medical wont be accepted by the airline carrier for brachycephalic breeds and the animal will be rejected at the terminal.

 

·        Hydration

 

Ensuring your pet is well hydrated before, during and after the flight is very important. Attach a water bowl to the crate door for your pet during the flight. A Tail Travel member will make sure that you animal has water at time of lodgement.

 

·        Best Time to Travel

 

We recommend that brachycephalic breeds don’t fly during the hot parts of the day during the summer months. This avoids your animal to be exposed to hot conditions which can lead to stress and breathing difficulties. Virgin has a policy that it doesn’t fly brachycephalic breeds to typically hot areas and generally wont fly further north than Brisbane. You can take an experienced animal travel company’s assistance to create a travel plan for your furry friend.

 

·        Get Expert Help

 

Make prior safety arrangements to ensure the safe travel of your brachycephalic breed. Animal travel companies can help you check airline compatibility and make arrangements on your behalf. 

 

You can contact us at Tail Travel Pet Transport for making safe and secure air travel arrangements for your pet. As a pet shipper, we are mindful of all special conditions related to this venerable breed and make sure that the specific welfare requirements are met for safe air travel for your animals.