wht can I give my dog to make him sleep on a flight?

Question

if he doesn't sleep he barks and cries and I'd really like to avoid that...

Answer 1

Since you will need to obtain a Health Certificate for your dog from your vet before flying, mention your dog's anxiety while you are there. Your vet may or may not wish to prescribe a mild sedative.

I would strongly advise you to not medicate your dog without your vets recommendations. I would also absolutely not take advice about sedation from strangers on YA. None of us know your dogs medical history, none of us have examined your dogs, and none of us have read through his medical records.

Good luck!

Answer 2

If the dog is very small and is travelling in the cabin check with the airlines for the regulations, but for dogs travelling as cargo, or accompanying a passenger but NOT in the cabin, giving a dog a sedative is not allowed. You will (or should be) asked by the airline agent accepting your dog. This is for your dog's well being as a sedative can affect a dog's ability to regulate his body temperature. You might try taking him for a good walk before you leave for the airport so that he is more likely to sleep on the journey.

Answer 3

Well without getting tranks from your vet it's just about impossible to guarantee that she will sleep. But you can play with her really really well before your flight and hope that she will be so tired that she will want to sleep on the flight. They also have supplements that calm a dog so maybe if you combine lots of play and the calming supplement to her water you can have a pretty sleepy puppy on the flight. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

You should check with the airline if any medication is allowed. Most airlines don't allow you to "sedate" a dog that is to be brought on the flight. If an emergency were to occur the dog could not properly fend for it's life. Some airlines only hold this restriction to bigger dogs held in cargo.

Just double check, you don't want him to be turned away when you need to get on that flight!

Answer 5

You will need to see a vet and have his heart assessed prior to giving any sort of tranquiliser to aid in sleeping during flights.

The down side of tranquilisers (used in sedation without cardiac and breathing suppression) such as Acepromazine is that they make it difficult for the dog to control their temperature and so they can become very cold or very hot. Young dogs are better at combating this than older animals.
Also with most tranquilisers animals can break thorugh the effects and become hyper excitted rather than sleepy.

You can use Valium also however it won't make them sleep it will just relax them.

Best to speak to your vet and discuss the plus's and minus's for each drug available.

Answer 6

This is something you should ask your veterinarian about. Yes, sometimes antihistamines work at making a pup drowsy, but in others it makes them hyper (as in humans).

Your vet can assess your dog's anxiety level and can prescribe a sedative to calm him down. Plus, with most airlines you need a health certificate (which requires an exam), so you'll be needing to go to the vet anyway.

Answer 7

Don't fly. It's dangerous for the dog. I would not avoid giving my dog anything to make him/her sleep!

Answer 8

My dog is allergic to grass and I give him Benadryl (Vets recommendation) Makes him sleep well.

Answer 9

Call your vet. You need something that won't interfere with the dog's breathing.

Answer 10

Ask a vet so you know you won't accidentaly kill him!