So, it’s time to travel with your pet. Whether your trip is planned or unexpected, why is it important that temperatures matter? Simply put, extreme weather outside your door or at any place you stop along the way or at your destination can put your pet at great risk when traveling, especially when flying.

How to protect your dog or cat in extreme temperatures

High temperatures

How does a cat or dog regulate its body temperature during periods of high temperatures? Our fur babies do not sweat through their skin as much as we do. Their coat helps protect them, keeping them warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They can perspire through their ear canals and the pads of their feet, but they regulate their body temperature primarily through their respiratory system (panting). Excessive panting promotes dehydration, and that is why having water available to them when traveling is important.

Low temperatures

If dogs and cats are exposed to low temperatures for long periods of time, body temperatures can drop and hypothermia can develop. As time passes, their body’s ability to bring itself back to normal temperatures diminishes. Depression of the circulatory, central nervous, respiratory, and immune systems commonly develops. It all leads to difficulty breathing, which is never good for any of our four-legged friends.

Every animal is different in how they handle changes in temperature. Size, age, breed, type of coat, and health all play a part in protecting your cat or dog from variations in body temperature. Snub-nosed breeds are particularly at risk due to their inability to breathe efficiently. This can lead to rapid dehydration.

Obviously, dogs and cats that have thick undercoats, like Huskies, Samoyeds, Malamutes, Persians, and Maine Coon Cats, for example, are better protected in periods of cold weather, while Chihuahuas, Sphynx cats, and other small, short-haired breeds are more susceptible to cold temperatures. It makes sense, right? Does it work the other way around? Not necessarily. It depends on your pet’s normal environment and what temperatures they are accustomed to.

Adapting to a change in environment

If your dog or cat is traveling from a warm climate to a cold climate, it is important to offer protection to them until they can become accustomed to lower temperatures. One way to help is with a self warming pad. This nifty pad can be used in a crate, carrier, cage, or car and will hold your pet’s natural body heat to be reabsorbed back into its body, helping to keep it warm. Don’t forget sweaters for short-haired dogs and cats in low temperatures.

If you are relocating from an environment with cold temperatures to one with warm temperatures, the key is hydration. Make plenty of water available to your dog or cat. Keep them inside during midday hours, when temperatures are the most extreme. Walks should occur before the sun comes up or after it sets, if possible. Monitor your pet’s panting to be sure it is comfortable in warmer temperatures. Put your hand on the asphalt. If it is too hot for you, it is too hot for your pet’s paws.

How to travel with your pet in periods of low temperatures

Ground transport

Let’s first consider ground transport, as it is a less stressful way to travel with a pet. Obviously, if you are traveling in a car, conditions will be stable for your dog or cat because you will have control over temperatures in your car, that is, if you are in it. If you leave your pets in your car unaccompanied, temperatures can rise or fall very quickly in summer and winter, even if you leave the window open a bit. It takes only a few minutes to become risky for them, especially in periods of higher temperatures.

Remember, too, that our friends need pit stops when traveling, and protecting their pads is important in both the summer when asphalt is hot and the winter when sidewalks are icy and snow is on the ground. Dry their pads well, removing any snow or ice that is caught in their pads. (Cats will especially love this.)

Although transport is longer by ground, this type of transport is not subject to summer or winter heat or cold embargoes set by commercial airlines. (More information is below.) Your pet rides inside a vehicle that is heated or air-conditioned for its comfort.

If ground relocation is the best way to move your pet and you cannot accompany it or need stress relief, consider using a pet transport service. We have relocated thousands of cats and dogs within the lower 48 US states comfortably and safely. Our drivers are compassionate, experienced, and USDA-certified professionals who love what they do as well as their furry passengers. All pet owners are informed of their pet’s progress every 3–4 hours with texts and pictures.

Ground transport is truly the least stressful means of transportation for your pet.

Commercial air transport – when temperatures matter

When flying in the cargo hold of a commercial airline, the time when your dog or cat is most at risk is not after takeoff or at 30,000 feet. They are most at risk of cold or hot temperatures while on the ground during periods of holding, loading, and taxiing. Most cargo areas are not heated or air-conditioned efficiently. It can get mighty cold (or hot) waiting for hours before loading. Live animals are generally loaded after all the luggage. They wait on the baggage carrier or the tarmac until it is their turn. Also, if the airport is busy and there is a wait to take off, tarmac temperatures can affect the cargo hold until the aircraft’s heating or cooling systems kick in. (Similar to conditions in the cabin.)

If you are flying your dog or cat in the cargo hold, your airline will not accept live animals when temperatures on the tarmac fall below 45°F (7°C) or higher than 75-85°F (29°C) anywhere on your route (origination, layover or destination). Temperature limits will depend on the airline’s pet policies and your pet’s breed.

Some airlines may accept an acclimation certificate issued by your veterinarian if your pet lives in a cold climate and is of a breed that is accustomed to lower temperatures. No such certificate is available for higher temperatures, and rightly so. Like a hot car, periods of high temperatures are extremely risky, even for healthy pets.

What can owners do to avoid pet travel during periods of extreme temperatures?

Travel in Spring or Fall

The best time for pets to travel is in the spring or fall, when temperatures are not extremely hot or cold, no matter how you choose to transport your pet. Temperatures matter when it comes to your pet’s safety and comfort.

Travel During Non-Holiday Periods

Drive or book your flight on a Tuesday or Wednesday when demands on the cargo hold are not as excessive. If you drive, traffic will be lighter these days. If you are traveling for a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, go several days early before the rush and return during the week after the holiday, if possible. Be prepared to leave early and avoid rush-hour traffic.

Drive or Fly Directly

Unless you are traveling in an RV, get to your destination as soon as you can so you can introduce your pet to a stable environment. If you are flying, opt for a direct flight. It may be more expensive than itineraries with a layover, but it is far less stressful for your pet. Never change airline companies along the way, if at all possible. If you change airline companies on an international trip, your pet will be subject to import regulations in the layover country.

Acclimate Your Pet to Travel

Acclimating your pet to its crate or carrier is simply the best thing you can do to ease the stress of travel for your cat or dog. The time spent training your pet to recognize its crate or carrier as its “safe place” will be well worth the effort.

Lots of short trips in the car will help your dog or cat get used to leaving its environment. Training them in this way will be a bit less stressful for them. Get your pet a good restraint, whether a pet carrier or a booster seat. If flying, get a good pet crate and get your pet used to it as early as possible.

Life Happens

We do not always get the opportunity to plan our travels. Life brings sudden changes, and all of us want our pets with us when it is time to go. If temperatures are low or high, then consider changing airports where temperatures are cooler or warmer, if possible. Talk to your airline about holding and loading procedures once your pet is checked in.

If your destination is too hot or cold when you need to travel, you may need to leave your pet with friends or family until such time that it is safe for them to travel. Yes, it’s inconvenient, but safety always comes first, and to lose a pet is surely a tragedy. It’s better to fly your best friend alone or go get them later, when temperatures are more tolerable. Remember that temperatures matter!

Find more information on traveling with your pet.