Safe to Air Transport a 12 Year old Potbelly?

Question
Our potbellied pig Ludwig has been in our family for 12 years, since he was 6 weeks old. We are moving to Costa Rica from Arizona soon and the only way to get him to Costa Rica is by air. We can use a professional pet transport service, which is quite expensive (about $4,000) but necessary because they have air conditioned kennels -- otherwise, the airlines won't even transport animals from Phoenix in the summer. My question is, does anyone have any experience in how well elder pigs survive long air travel?  Ludwig has only made one trip by car in his adult life, from Tucson to northern Arizona, and he was utterly terrified the whole time, despite my sitting next to his kennel in the back of a Suburban. The airlines won't let me travel near his kennel. I'm afraid he might have a heart attack or die from stress. His health is generally good, except for terrible bad breath, which I suspect means gingivitis. He has arthritis in his back legs, and he is about 140 pounds, a little heavy but not too much. Because he panicks and will not mind when afraid, I assume he cannot be let out of the travel kennel until he arrives to his final destination (about 12 hours, at least) because it would be impossible to handle him or contain him when panicked. We love the little guy! Help!

Answer
I'm glad to hear you're taking Ludwig with you!

Most countries have rules and regulations on importing animals. Ludwig may need vaccinations or tests. Hopefully there is no quarantine requirement! You'll need to talk to the Costa Rican government to get the exact requirements, probably the Department of Agriculture.

Pigs can suffer from porcine stress syndrome, but if you get him used to sleeping in his crate or kennel now, the journey will be more comfortable for him because he will be familiar with his crate.

Two big dangers in flying animals is the lack of air pressure and temperature control in the cargo bins, so I agree that using the professional transport service is essential.

Another danger is dehydration. A non-spill water bottle can be put in his carrier, basically, these are giant versions of the water bottles used for hamsters and gerbils. But, you'll have to start teaching him now how to drink out of it. And, to encourage him to drink while traveling, you might want to add a touch of juice to the water in the bottle.

To get him used to his crate, try putting a few drops of vanilla in it, and feeding him treats there. To introduce him to the water bottle, I'd start by filling it with something he really likes to drink.

Priscilla Valentine has an excellent book that explains how pigs think, she is a professional animal trainer who also has lots of experience transporting animals. I often recommend her book to new pig owners, but I think it would also be useful for you. Pris is also wonderful about answering questions through her website http://www.valentinesperformingpigs.com/index.html  She may have some additional suggestions. Also, there are two Yahoo Groups devoted to pigs, PotSpot and PigInfoAndChat. The people in these groups are devoted pig lovers. Some of them have moved cross country with their pigs, and might have additional tips for you.

I hope you and Ludwig both have a smooth and easy move.