Animals are increasingly becoming as well-traveled as humans, with the rate of pet travel increasing by 19 percent in the last decade, according to a 2023 study. Meanwhile, in the U.S., two million domestic animals board commercial flights every year.

But how safe is air travel for our pets? Veterinarians say that while there’s not one aspect of flight that is necessarily more dangerous or harmful than another, it depends on how prepared pet owners are — and the animal itself.

Are Airplanes Safe for Pets?

Planes may not be an environment your typical dog or cat is used to, but that doesn’t necessarily mean flying will cause their bodies to go haywire.

“You’ve been on planes as well. It’s something where you’re in a little bit of tight quarters, but your body doesn’t really work in a different way,” says veterinarian Elizabeth Rozanski, who also teaches at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Tufts University.

And like humans, the changes in altitude, air pressure, and temperature associated with flight can also register to pets as discomfort. From ear and sinus pressure to dehydration due to the dry circulating air, rarely are these physiologic changes detrimental to pet health.

The difference, says Kristin Zersen, veterinarian and assistant professor of small animal emergency and critical care at the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, is that your pet doesn’t logically know why they feel that way.

“I think of our pets like infants. We can’t communicate to them that there’s going to be pressure in their ears and their ears are going to pop and that’s okay, so that can be quite stressful,” Zersen says.

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Rising Stress Levels

Particularly for animals who are not used to long distance air travel, these new, unprecedented sensations can trigger stress. Even before taking off, the mere experience of a crowded, loud, and smelly airport can quickly overwhelm a pet who has never been exposed to that much activity before.

Studies on various animals have also found their stress levels do rise during air transport — especially during phases of planing and deplaning, for example. One study tracked the physiological responses of air journeys in 24 beagles and found the greatest increases in their heart rates occurred while loading and unloading.

“Our pets are very routine-oriented, and [travel is] a big disruption to their routine,” says Lori Teller, veterinarian and Texas A&M University clinical professor.

Compounding Stress and Signs

While in its kennel, a dog may pant more, lick its lips more often, or freeze, resembling a statue.

“It’s really important to know your pet and know what normal behavior is for your pets,” Teller says.

Researchers who surveyed dog owners on their travel experiences found that while fewer dogs showed signs of stress after flight, 70.1 percent of owners’ dogs showed at least one sign of stress at handover, and 72.4 percent did so during the journey itself.

Stress can compound itself, where it can grow into even greater stress responses. If natural behavioral responses to stressful triggers are limited by, say, the confined space of a kennel, that could in turn trigger raises in heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration.

In Teller’s experience, she says, it’s rare for her to see pets experiencing long-term effects after travel. Some animals may be clingier than usual or lose some appetite, but most, on the other hand, recover within a few days as they adjust to their new environments and routines.

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The Most Vulnerable Pets

While most pets are fortunately able to handle flights, there are certain breeds of dogs and cats that are far more vulnerable to the rigor of travel. Brachycephalic breeds in particular — or breeds with smushed-in faces like pugs or Persian cats — are much more susceptible to breathing difficulties and overheating during transport.

“Those animals, by far and away, are the ones at highest risk for dying during plane travel,” Zersen says. “That is because they have abnormal airways. When they get stressed, they start panting. Their airway swells and they die because their airway swells shut.”

Additional precautions that owners can take if they must fly with those breeds, Zersen suggests, are speaking with their providers about potential anti-anxiety medications. Even bringing along a wrapped ice pack inside their kennel could help keep any pet cool, especially during the summer months.

Older animals with chronic health conditions like heart disease or diabetes may also find their conditions exacerbated or worsened by plane rides as well — especially as oxygen levels change with altitude.

“I never want to tell somebody not to fly their dog, but I want to tell them to really think carefully about it,” Rozanski says.

Making Travel Easy for Pets

Before even stepping foot in the airport, though, one of the best ways to ensure travel goes smoothly for your pets is to prepare them — well ahead of time. Acclimating pets to the travel carriers they’ll be kept in is incredibly helpful in reducing stressful triggers associated with confined spaces and moving locations.

Keeping the kennel open, perhaps with some enticing treats inside, suggests Zersen, and having your pet spend more and more time in it will allow them to see it as a safe spot, even as they change environments.

Moreover, even taking your pet around for a joyride in the car can get them used to movement and clue owners in on whether they’ll need further intervention for motion sickness or anxiety — which could be provided via medication.

Sedation is an option, but vets like Rozanski, Teller, and Zersen try to avoid it if they can. If the animal has a history of separation anxiety or unceasing nervousness even with these other interventions, any instances of sedatives need to be trialed before travel so both owner and pet can get used to the proper dosage and effects.

“For the most part, it goes well, and I’m really happy for people to take their dogs places,” Rozanski says. “It’s just something where you should think about it carefully and make sure you’re truly ready to go and you have everything, before you just hop on a plane.”

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