Travelling or Moving with Your Pet? Plan Their Medication First
A road trip to the cottage, a winter in Florida, or a move across the country: if your dog or cat takes medication every day, it's the one part of the trip that can't be fixed at the last minute. A missed dose, a bottle left at home, or a prescription that can't be refilled where you're going can turn a good trip into a stressful one.
Here's what we recommend pet owners sort out before they go.
1. See your vet 4 to 6 weeks before you leave
Book a check-up well ahead of the trip. It's the right time to:
- Make sure your pet is healthy enough to travel, especially older pets and pets with ongoing conditions.
- Ask whether any medication schedule needs to change while you're away (time zones, long travel days, a different climate).
- Ask for enough refills to cover the whole trip, plus extra.
- Get any paperwork your destination or airline needs. For international trips that usually means a health certificate, and some countries need tests done months in advance.
2. Pack more than you need
Bring enough medication for the whole trip plus at least a week extra in case of delays. Refills can be hard to get in another province, and harder still in another country, where a Canadian prescription may not be accepted.
3. Keep everything in the original pharmacy packaging
- Keep medication in its labelled container, with your pet's name and the directions on it. Border officers and airlines may ask what it is.
- Carry a copy of the prescription and your vet's phone number.
- If you fly, keep the medication in your carry-on, not in checked bags or in your pet's crate. Luggage gets lost, and cargo holds can get very hot or cold.
- Some medications have to stay cool. Ask us how to pack them for the trip.
4. Plan doses around the travel day
Write down when each dose is due on the travel day and the first few days after. If you cross time zones, ask your vet or pharmacist how to shift the schedule. Don't guess or double up. If your pet is flying as cargo, tell the airline or pet shipper about any medication they take.
5. Car sickness and travel anxiety: ask early
Some pets drool, vomit or panic in the car or on a plane. If that's your pet, talk to your vet a few weeks before the trip rather than the day before, so there's time to try what they recommend at home first. Never give your pet human medication. Many common human medicines are dangerous for dogs and cats.
Simple things help too: short practice drives, a familiar blanket in the crate, a light meal a few hours before leaving, and regular breaks on long drives.
6. Moving away? Sort out the paperwork early
Moving to another country with a pet takes the most planning. Every destination has its own rules for microchips, vaccines, health certificates and timing, and airlines add their own crate and seasonal rules on top. If you'd rather not manage all of that yourself, a pet relocation service can handle the move door to door. Toronto Pet Valet, a Toronto-based pet mover, arranges moves within Canada, between Canada and the US, and overseas, including the crate, the vet and export papers, and customs.
Before you go, also:
- Ask your vet for a copy of your pet's full medical records.
- Find a vet in your new area before you arrive, especially if your pet needs regular check-ups or bloodwork.
- Ask us to fill a larger supply so your pet is covered while you get settled.
Quick checklist
- Vet check-up booked 4–6 weeks before
- Enough medication for the trip + 1 week
- Labelled pharmacy containers + copy of the prescription
- Medication in your carry-on
- Dose schedule written out for travel days
- Travel documents for your destination
- New vet lined up (if moving)
We can help
Our pharmacists can fill your pet's prescription before you go and ship it anywhere in Canada. Have a question about packing or timing your pet's medication for a trip? Contact us or call (905) 669-0763.