Brachycephalic Pets
DR GERRY PAHL
VETERINARIAN PERSPECTIVE
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Let's take a closer look into what makes these pets special, and how as a veterinarian, I am able to provide the specialised care that these precious pet travellers require.
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What is a snub-nosed pet?
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A brachycephalic animal has a short and flat snout as a result of years of breeding to develop this characteristic. There are many well-loved and recognised breeds of cats and dogs that are snub-nosed, including the following:
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Dogs
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Bulldogs (all types)
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Pugs
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Pekinese
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Shih Tzu
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Boston Terrier
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Boxer
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Chow Chow
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Cats
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Persian
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Himalayan
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Exotic Shorthair
Some snub-nosed pets have difficulty with their breathing, and this can vary in severity between animals. In addition, older animals may also have associated lung disease and/or heart disease.
A detailed medical examination is recommended prior to considering pet shipping and relocation pet moving by air travel.
If your pet has a clinical history of respiratory or cardiac disease, I will request copies of your pet's case notes from your local vet for evaluation it is important for me to fully assess your pet by working with your current veterinarian as their medical support and health advice up to the time of your family enquiring to move your pet with me is important. For this reason and as I have been in my own well established practices in Hong Kong for over 25 years I have very good relationships with many veterinary surgeons in Hong Kong and am well known as one of Hong Kong's leading veterinarians and can therefore make the very best and most individual assessment of your snub nosed pet and its Fit To Fly status.
When it comes to pet moving and air travel, these breathing issues can often be exacerbated, especially if the animal is excited or stressed. This usually causes the animal's body temperature to increase. However, unlike humans, cats and dogs can't sweat, which is a vital bio-physiological "cool down" method . Animals rely on panting to reduce their body temperature, and in animals with obstructed airways, this process is not efficient enough, which can cause them to overheat. Although pet travel and pet shipping for relocation purpose is normally a very safe process, overheating is the biggest risk factor for pet moving by air travel for all pets, regardless of breathing ability.
For this reason and with my extensive veterinary knowledge along with chairing the IPATA research and development task force for snub nose safe pet shipping and air travel I can offer you the very best and most up to date industry standard knowledge for pet moving and pet shipping your snub nosed pet. With my veterinarian knowledge and professional communication with your current veterinarian I can confidently support your pet move with a relocation process that I am very involved in from start to safe end destination relocation.
My team and myself can support you
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Treatment for Brachycephalic Pets
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As a veterinarian, I see brachycephalic animals all the time in my clinic. In some cases, it is very clear that the animal is having issues breathing, and in severe cases, has a condition known as
Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway syndrome, or BOAS.
This is more often an issue for dogs than for cats, though cats may also have some difficulty breathing.
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The gold-star treatment for BOAS is corrective surgery, with the aim to open up the upper respiratory tract to allow for an easier time breathing which decreases the stress on your pet. I recommend that this should be performed as early as possible, preferably as a young adult. The performed surgery will improve overall quality of life, and reduce the risk of developing long term respiratory issues such as bronchitis and fibrosis. This surgery is highly adaptable depending the specific needs of the animal, and the severity of the obstruction. After surgery, there is a huge improvement in the animal's ability to breathe, which in turn allows them to be a lot more active and healthy.
I Have a Snub-nosed Pet. Can they fly?
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Over the past few years, many airlines have tightened their policies regarding the transport of brachycephalic animals. In fact, now the majority of international airlines either completely ban or place severe restrictions on the shipment of these animals. In some cases, special arrangements need to be made for airlines to allow travel.
One example of this is snub-nosed pets travelling from Hong Kong to Singapore. Due to airline restrictions, these pets have had to travel in style by having to be booked on a freighter cargo plane, with me as their personal escort! I accompanied these animals on their flight and monitors them closely, after all, it is all about getting them safely from A to B. please note: this service has been suspended during recent pandemic restrictions
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Over the past 5 years, I have been the chairperson for the IPATA Research & Development Task Force. The task force was established with the understanding that the inherent risk associated with pet travel is very individual, with some pets at high risk for travelling, and the majority being completely fit and healthy. Consequently, the current airline restrictions often result in perfectly healthy pets being unable to relocate with their loving families. The importance of individual assessment has been a main focus for the task force, and through our research as well as my veterinary experience, we have developed the BOAS Fit to Fly checklist, a tool that can be used by vets to thoroughly assess the individual risk for an animal before they fly. In the advent of this professional advice, we are hopeful that there is a promising future ahead for these special pets, as airlines, such as Qantas, reassess their policy, allowing the healthy snub-nosed pets to fly.
It is now very exciting that as of November 2022 our IPATA fit to fly BOAS certificate which I have researched and developed with my IPATA Vet colleagues has been accepted by Cathay Pacific here in Hong Kong.
This means that Cathay have approached me and I have gladly accepted to so the BOAS certificates for Snub Nosed breeds on their flights from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom and Hong Kong to Australia. I am thrilled to see these precious pets get to the United Kingdom and Australia and proud that my dedication to these breeds and their beloved owners is finally making industry standard breakthroughs for snub pet travel.
You do not need to be alarmed when considering the relocation of your snub nosed pet, however careful pre-export health evaluation and specific crate consideration should be standard practice in this situation which I can provide.
The pet shipping team here at PetExportVet are more than happy to assist you through this process, and I will support your snub pet travel relocation and move every step of the way.