How do I keep a pet calm and comfortable on a long journey abroad?
Preparing the animal for the crate weeks in advance, the food, water and toilet plan, why sedation is usually the wrong answer, and settling in at the other end.
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Time
- 1 hr
- Read
- 6 min
- Safety
- warning
Short answer
Start crate training six to eight weeks before you travel so the crate is a familiar place rather than part of the ordeal. Plan food, water and toilet stops around the route, keep the animal cool, and do not sedate for air travel unless a vet has specifically prescribed it for that journey.
The paperwork for taking a pet abroad is a separate problem from the welfare of the animal during the journey, and the second one gets almost no attention until the week before. A long drive, a ferry crossing or a flight is many hours of confinement, noise and unfamiliar handling, and how well the animal copes is largely determined by what you did in the weeks beforehand rather than by anything you can do on the day.
Safety
What you'll need
- An airline- or ferry-approved crate or carrier
- Unwashed bedding that smells of home
- Water and a spill-resistant bowl
- A vet appointment to discuss fitness to travel (optional)
- Absorbent pads for the crate (optional)
Step by step
- Ask the vet whether this animal should make this journey at all.A flat-faced breed, an elderly animal, one with heart or respiratory disease, a very young one, or one recovering from surgery may be a poor candidate for a long journey, particularly by air. That is a conversation to have months ahead, because the answer sometimes changes the plan entirely.
- Get the correct crate early and make it the animal's own.Airlines and ferry operators specify size, construction and ventilation, so buy the one that meets the requirement rather than the one you already own. Then put it in the living room with the door open, feed meals in it, and let the animal sleep in it. Six to eight weeks of that turns the crate from a cage into a den.
- Build up the time inside it gradually.Door open, then closed for a minute, then five, then an hour, then an hour in the car with the engine running. Always pay well and always end while it is still going well. The aim is an animal that walks in voluntarily on the day.
- Practise the actual conditions in small doses.Recordings of engine noise at low volume, the crate being lifted and carried, being handled by someone who is not you. Each of those happens on the day, and each is much less frightening if it is not new.
- Plan food and water around the journey rather than the clock.A light meal several hours before departure rather than immediately before, and water available up to the point of travel. For a flight, follow the airline's instructions on attachable bowls; for a drive, offer water at every break. Do not withhold water for long periods to avoid accidents.
- Plan the toilet stops into the route.For a drive, a break roughly every two hours somewhere safe and enclosed, with the lead clipped on before any door opens. Line the crate with absorbent pads for a flight or a long crossing, and take spares — accidents on a long journey are normal and are not a failure.
- Do not sedate for air travel.Sedatives interfere with breathing and with temperature control at altitude, and most airlines will not carry a sedated animal. If the animal genuinely cannot cope, that is a reason to reconsider the journey or use a different mode of transport, not a reason to medicate it. For road travel, a vet can prescribe licensed anti-nausea or anxiety medication if it is appropriate for that animal.
- Manage temperature actively at every stage.Heat is the main risk in transit. Avoid travelling in the hottest part of the day, use window shades in the car, direct air conditioning towards the animal, and never leave a pet on a ferry vehicle deck in warm weather — check the operator's rules, since some require pets to remain in the vehicle and others provide kennels or pet cabins.
- Label the crate properly and identify the animal twice.Your name and mobile number, the destination, and 'live animal' with an arrow showing which way is up. A collar tag with your travel number as well as the permanent one, and a microchip record that is up to date — the chip is what reunites an animal that gets loose in an unfamiliar country.
- Plan the arrival, not just the departure.Set up one quiet room at the other end with the same bedding, bowls and litter tray before the animal comes out of the crate, exactly as you would after a house move. Expect a day or two of unsettled behaviour, keep feeding and walking times as close to normal as you can, and know where the nearest vet is before you need one.
Tips
- Whatever else you pack, put the unwashed bed and a worn item of your clothing in the crate. Familiar smell does more to settle an animal in transit than anything you can buy.
- Take a photograph of the animal in the crate before you hand it over, and keep the crate's dimensions and the animal's weight on your phone. Both get asked for.
- Check whether your pet insurance covers the animal abroad and for how long. Many UK policies limit or exclude overseas cover, and veterinary costs abroad are usually paid up front.
Common mistakes
- Introducing the travel crate in the week before departure — The crate then becomes part of the frightening experience rather than the one familiar thing in it. Six to eight weeks of ordinary use at home changes the whole journey.
- Sedating an animal for a flight — Sedatives affect breathing and temperature regulation at altitude and most airlines refuse sedated animals. It increases risk rather than reducing distress.
- Withholding water to prevent accidents — Dehydration is a far greater risk on a long journey than a soiled crate. Use absorbent pads and offer water; do not ration it.
- Feeding a full meal immediately before departure — It makes travel sickness considerably more likely. A light meal several hours ahead is the usual advice.
If it doesn't work
Animal refuses to go into the crate
Cause: It has only ever meant something unpleasant — Fix: Stop, and go back to feeding every meal in it at home with the door open for a fortnight. Forcing an animal in on the day sets up the whole journey badly.
Dog drools and vomits on long drives
Cause: Motion sickness — Fix: Travel on a light stomach, forward-facing, cool, with smooth driving, and ask the vet about licensed veterinary anti-sickness medication well before the trip.
Airline will not accept your breed
Cause: Brachycephalic embargo — Fix: Treat it as information about risk rather than an administrative problem. Consider a road and ferry route, or leaving the animal with a licensed boarder at home.
Animal will not eat or settle at the destination
Cause: Normal post-journey disruption — Fix: One quiet room with familiar bedding, the usual routine, and time. A cat that has not eaten for around a day, or any animal that seems unwell, needs a vet where you are.
Questions people ask
Can I sedate my dog for a flight?
You should not, and most airlines will not accept a sedated animal. Sedatives affect breathing and temperature regulation at altitude. If the animal cannot cope with the journey, the honest answer is to change the plan rather than medicate it.
How far in advance should I start preparing the animal?
Six to eight weeks for crate training, which runs alongside the much longer lead time the paperwork needs. The crate has to be an ordinary part of home life before it becomes a travel container.
Should I withhold food and water before travelling?
A light meal several hours beforehand rather than immediately before, and water up until travel. Never restrict water to avoid accidents — dehydration is the bigger risk on a long journey.