Flying dogs at high altitudes

[231LV]

My wife and I are planning some trips up to North Dakota this summer for family visits and typpically fly in the higher teens and flight levels. I'm just wondering what other owers do flying their dogs up at higher altitudes? What kind of O2 requirements would be required and how do you get a mask on them?

[anthonydesmet]

My wife and I have been traveling with our Chow and German Shepard for the last seven years. Sleepy time for dogs around 12-15k whisk is my normal cruise altitudes. If I anticipate going up  over 15K we have two dog muzzle O2 masks we can put on them.  
 

 

[gsxrpilot]

Ours has been at 16,000 a few times without any ill effects. We also have a muzzle O2 mask that she can wear in the flight levels.

[PT20J]

Years ago, Gordon Baxter wrote a hilarious story about someone flying with a cat in an animal carrier. Somehow, the cat got loose and started shredding everything in sight including the pilot. All attempts to catch it only resulted in further laceration. Finally the pilot reasoned that the cat had smaller lungs than he did and began to climb. At some point the cat went to sleep and was returned safely to confinement.

Skip

[N201MKTurbo]

57 minutes ago, PT20J said:

Years ago, Gordon Baxter wrote a hilarious story about someone flying with a cat in an animal carrier. Somehow, the cat got loose and started shredding everything in sight including the pilot. All attempts to catch it only resulted in further laceration. Finally the pilot reasoned that the cat had smaller lungs than he did and began to climb. At some point the cat went to sleep and was returned safely to confinement.

Skip

I flew my cat from Denver to Phoenix once. Didn’t put him in a cage, just carried him to the plane and told him it was ok. He just curled up on the passenger seat and hung out the whole way.

[BillC]

 I regularly fly with my dog back and forth from Maine to Florida at 8-9000’ Can I fly higher? Sure. But why would I subject my beloved dog to altitudes that are sure to cause her stress, not to mention the physical problems associated with high altitude flying. To save some fuel? Get there a little quicker? To fly over weather? Those excuses are bull crap. No one is holding a gun to your head if it’s weather your trying to avoid. Wait for better weather before departure or land until the weather clears. If your doing it to save some fuel then maybe the cost of flying is more than you can afford.  Adding a fuel stop is not the end of the world. You and your pet could probably use a bathroom stop anyway. To say pets don’t suffer from altitude sickness is baloney. Read articles published by WedMd and others. They clearly state what good rules to fly your pets by. I will never subject any animal to any altitude above 9000’.  Even with pet O2 masks, I don’t believe is a safe thing to do. My dog won’t tolerate  anything on her face for very long. To do otherwise shows me you have no love for your pet and shouldn’t have one.  This means you GSXRPILOT. Sixteen thousand feet without pet O2 is the stupidest thing I’ve heard yet.

  I am always amazed at how some pilots flying unpressurized airplanes regularly fly into the flight levels. If you want to do it solo or with another human on oxygen, fine. Don’t subject your pet to it.

  

   

[carusoam]

Tell us how you really feel about pets, Bill...

 

Do the Pilots n’ paws groups give any guidance on conveying souls on board...?

Best regards,

-a-

[carusoam]

There have been plenty of threads regarding pets and flying...

https://mooneyspace.com/search/?q=Pets&quick=1

-a-

[BillC]

On 2/10/2021 at 11:41 PM, carusoam said:

Tell us how you really feel about pets, Bill...

 

Do the Pilots n’ paws groups give any guidance on conveying souls on board...?

Best regards,

-a-

I think dogs are gods greatest creations. Nuff said?

When I file IFR with pets I always add in the comment section what animals I have on board and write “save the animals first” Last flight while in cruise the controller asked “how are the animals doing?”  I tell them “great, thanks for asking”. We both laughed.

 

 

[carusoam]

My dog hasn’t been above 9k’ yet...

she’s asleep at 1k’agl...

-a-

 

[BillC]

She’s a beautiful girl Anthony.

[Will.iam]

When I was 16 I flew with a neighbor in his Seminole Twin. We were going over the Sierra Mountains. He was putting on his oxygen and offered me one as we were climbing passed 12k. I asked if I could have them ready but not turn them on as I wanted to know what my hypoxic symptoms would be.
He said sure and even asked if I wanted to hand fly it as well. I accepted and we climbed to 16k. After about 15 mins he had to remind me to watch my heading as I was drifting a bit. Asked me how I was doing and I said fine but having to concentrate a bit more like I was getting a bit drunk. At 30 mins he said time to start descending how are you feeling and I said ok but feeling tired.  I was surprised that I didn’t have more adverse effects but was shocked to see my fingertips were slightly blue in color. After we passed through 12k my fingers turned back to normal.  I’ve since been in altitude chambers and at 25k when I go off the mask it is very rapid changes and I turn into a bumbling idiot in under a minute. I think every pic should get a chamber ride at least once so you know what your symptoms are as each person is different and hopefully still have the cognitive ability to recognize you’re going hypoxic and can correct the problem.  Had one guy just kept saying the same word over and over like a stuck robot. Another guy writing an answer to a math problem just drew a few waves and then a flat line across the page and onto the desk, quite symbolic of his brain thought patterns really. 

[Hank]

7 hours ago, carusoam said:

My dog hasn’t been above 9k’ yet...

she’s asleep at 1k’agl...

-a-

 

Looks like my little guy! A lifelong flyer at 7500-9500, in his crate on the back seat. Just like a car ride . . . .

[Ibra]

10 hours ago, PT20J said:

At some point the cat went to sleep and was returned safely to confinement

Glad he did not try going inverted in IMC, I am sure cats manage it just fine 

[KB4]

11 hours ago, carusoam said:

Tell us how you really feel about pets, Bill...

 

Do the Pilots n’ paws groups give any guidance on conveying souls on board...?

Best regards,

-a-

I believe it’s recommended no higher than 8500-9000. For dogs with squished noses think pug, it’s recommended lower as those breeds have breathing issues. 

[Ragsf15e]

11 hours ago, BillC said:

 I regularly fly with my dog back and forth from Maine to Florida at 8-9000’ Can I fly higher? Sure. But why would I subject my beloved dog to altitudes that are sure to cause her stress, not to mention the physical problems associated with high altitude flying. To save some fuel? Get there a little quicker? To fly over weather? Those excuses are bull crap. No one is holding a gun to your head if it’s weather your trying to avoid. Wait for better weather before departure or land until the weather clears. If your doing it to save some fuel then maybe the cost of flying is more than you can afford.  Adding a fuel stop is not the end of the world. You and your pet could probably use a bathroom stop anyway. To say pets don’t suffer from altitude sickness is baloney. Read articles published by WedMd and others. They clearly state what good rules to fly your pets by. I will never subject any animal to any altitude above 9000’.  Even with pet O2 masks, I don’t believe is a safe thing to do. My dog won’t tolerate  anything on her face for very long. To do otherwise shows me you have no love for your pet and shouldn’t have one.  This means you GSXRPILOT. Sixteen thousand feet without pet O2 is the stupidest thing I’ve heard yet.

  I am always amazed at how some pilots flying unpressurized airplanes regularly fly into the flight levels. If you want to do it solo or with another human on oxygen, fine. Don’t subject your pet to it.

  

   

Just curious, do you protect their hearing?  Our airplanes are loud!

[kortopates]

I've been flying with dogs for a few decades in my Turbo Mooney, I am on my third. First two where Labs, current third is a Terrier rescued mutt. I've always introduced them skowly to flying so that they get comfortable. I sought the counsel of our Vet with the first, and the primary concern was cars sickness and anxiety. This was well before the days of mutt muffs and muzzle O2. Although the Vet advised dogs don't live long enough to worry about hearing damage, I was convinced they didn't like the loud the engine noise. So we fashioned a pair of needs pads into a home made mutt muffs before mutt muffs came out. But once comfortable they have all done fine at altitude through the upper teens.  They all lie down in cruise, but as soon they feel the power reduced for a descent, all have sat up to look out the window to see where we are heading. 

[ilovecornfields]

My dog is pretty good at diagnosing his hypoxia symptoms so I just leave a couple of oxygen lines hanging for him to bite into when he gets hypoxic.

[David Lloyd]

Would you use oxygen around a dog named Sparky?

[Nokomis449]

Me too me too!!!

[aviatoreb]

4 hours ago, ilovecornfields said:

My dog is pretty good at diagnosing his hypoxia symptoms so I just leave a couple of oxygen lines hanging for him to bite into when he gets hypoxic.

Cute.

Does he use an iWatch to watch his O2sat?

[ilovecornfields]

1 hour ago, aviatoreb said:

Cute.

Does he use an iWatch to watch his O2sat?

We go by the rate at which he consumes bulky sticks. If it takes him longer than 15 minutes to devour a bully stick then he’s hypoxic.

As an aside, my son was mortified when he learned where bully sticks came from.

[Hank]

4 hours ago, Nokomis449 said:

Me too me too!!!

Me three! Found a rare in-flight photo of the puppy!

It's hard to tell, but he's 11 years old in this picture, going strong and will soon turn 13.

[carusoam]

Hank’s first pic almost got away...

-a-

[M20F]

On 2/10/2021 at 4:07 PM, 231LV said:

My wife and I are planning some trips up to North Dakota this summer for family visits and typpically fly in the higher teens and flight levels. I'm just wondering what other owers do flying their dogs up at higher altitudes? What kind of O2 requirements would be required and how do you get a mask on them?

I flew in the back seat of a AC560 from 06C to KJMS at FL190 with no O2 and survived.
I also smoked probably a half a pack of cigarettes during the trip as well.  Think Fido will do fine.