Transporting companion animals causes varying degrees of stress depending on species, individual temperament, preparation, and transport conditions, with significant welfare implications for frequent or long-distance travel.
Transport stress in companion animals is medically measurable — elevated cortisol, altered heart rate, and immune suppression occur even in journeys of an hour or less for poorly adapted animals. For highly stressed animals, even routine vet visits cause significant suffering that accumulates over a lifetime of necessary appointments. Aircraft cargo transport carries risks of extreme temperatures, oxygen variation, and complete sensory isolation. Sedated animals cannot thermoregulate and face increased respiratory risk at altitude, explaining the shift away from chemical sedation for transport. Early habituation through positive carrier training dramatically changes the welfare outcome of a lifetime of transport.