Moving Internationally with an Older Pet: Special Considerations for Senior Dogs and Cats
Moving internationally with a 12-year-old Labrador or a 14-year-old cat is a different conversation than moving with a young adult animal. The stakes are higher, the risk profile is different, and the decisions need to be made with clear-eyed veterinary input – not just optimism.
Have the Honest Conversation With Your Vet
Before planning any aspect of an international move with a senior pet, sit down with your vet for a frank discussion. Ask:
- Is my animal fit to travel internationally?
- What are the specific risks given their health status?
- Is there a point at which you would not provide a fitness-to-fly certificate?
- What monitoring should I do in the weeks before travel?
- What should I watch for on arrival?
A good vet will be honest with you. If they have concerns about cardiac function, kidney disease, or significant arthritis, those concerns are relevant. You need to know.
Pre-Travel Health Assessment
For senior pets, a pre-travel blood panel makes sense:
- Complete blood count
- Biochemistry panel (kidney function, liver values, glucose, electrolytes)
- Thyroid function (for cats – hyperthyroidism is common in older cats and affects stress tolerance)
- Cardiac assessment for dogs with murmurs
This gives your vet a baseline and may reveal conditions that affect travel safety decisions.
Managing the Journey
Crate comfort: Senior pets may have arthritis or joint pain. The crate floor needs extra padding – a thick memory foam mat rather than a thin rubber one. The crate must be large enough for the animal to shift positions without difficulty.
Route selection: Every unnecessary hour in a cargo hold is additional stress and physical discomfort for an older animal. Choose direct flights where possible, even if they cost more.
Temperature: Senior animals thermoregulate less effectively. Avoid summer cargo travel entirely for senior pets. Cool months are significantly safer.
Hydration: Older animals can dehydrate more quickly. Ensure water is accessible in the crate (a spill-resistant bowl attached to the crate door) throughout the journey.
After Arrival
Senior pets need time to recover from international travel. Plan for:
- A quiet first few days – no visitors, minimal change
- Familiar food (bring enough from home to avoid a sudden diet change)
- Veterinary check-up within the first week at your destination
- Patience – disorientation and unusual behaviour after a long international move is normal and usually resolves within 1 to 2 weeks
When Not to Travel
If your vet expresses serious concern about travel fitness, listen. A 14-year-old cat in renal failure and an 11-year-old dog with advanced cardiac disease are not good candidates for a 20-hour journey to Australia.
In some situations, the kindest decision is to keep your pet in its home country under trusted care until natural end of life, rather than subject it to a high-risk journey. This is a deeply personal decision – but it is one worth having the information to make properly.
Always involve your vet early in planning any international move with a senior pet.