Consider carefully when flying with pets

Dear Readers: If you're planning an airplane trip with a pet, there's some important information you should consider before you board.
You definitely need to decide if it is safe for your pet to travel by airplane with you! Here are some issues to consider:
Flying can be strenuous for humans and pets alike. That's why pets that are very young, very old, pregnant, sick or injured should not fly.
If your pet is too big to fly crated in the passenger cabin, ask the airline whether live animals traveling in the cargo area are kept separate from dangerous cargo, like dry ice and possibly toxic chemicals. Depending on the season, will the heat or air below remain on during the flight, or will it be turned off?
Many airlines will not transport animals in the high heat of summer on some routes.
Talk with your veterinarian. Certain animals, like cats and snub-nosed dogs, might experience breathing problems in the cargo area of a plane because of poor ventilation.
Being prepared by knowing your pet and knowing what questions to ask the airline before booking will help you decide if a flight with your pet is the right or wrong choice. Heloise
Dear Readers: Peg Bottone of Middletown, N.J., sent in a photo of her cat Boo sitting at the family pool's edge, checking out two ducks swimming in the middle. It appears the ducks are content knowing that Boo will not take the plunge to get closer!
Go to my Web site, www.Hel-oise.com, and click on Pet of the Week -- you'll find Boo's picture there! Also, if you have a unique pet photo you'd like to share, send it to: Heloise/Pet Photo, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Here is a lifesaving hint for our pets:
Recently, our grandson and his wife were driving with their Labrador in the back seat of the car. The dog put her head out of the back window to get the breeze and somehow managed to activate the switch that closes the rear window -- she had to be freed before she choked to death. Until automobile engineers design and incorporate into cars the type of switch that won't close if something's in the way, please watch out for your pets and even younger children. Margaret Dyck, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Margaret, glad to know that the dog was not harmed. You would be shocked to learn how often this happens! Heloise
Dear Heloise: My daughter has a finch that she keeps in a small bird cage in her room. The seed hulls falling to the floor under the cage were becoming a mess until she pulled an old tube top up and around the bottom portion of the cage. The top keeps the seed hulls in the bottom of the cage and off the floor. Helen E., via e-mail
Send a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate