My dog is only calm if I hold it: can I do that during the trip?

No, however much it seems to comfort him. A loose or held animal is a hazard under braking or in a crash, both to itself and to the driver, and in many countries it also breaks transport rules. The right path is to work so the dog tolerates the carrier or the seat belt fitting, not to bypass safety. If being held calms him, that is a sign your scent and presence matter: use it by putting a garment of yours in the carrier.

How far ahead should I start preparing the animal?

Ideally two or three weeks for mild anxiety, more if the problem is entrenched. What matters is not so much the number of days as the consistency: short, frequent sessions every day beat one long session now and then. If departure is close and you have no margin, focus on the steps that give the most relief, a welcoming carrier and short drives with a positive ending, and discuss support for the first trip with the vet.

Can I give my pet a calmer I keep at home for myself?

Absolutely not. Many human medicines are toxic to dogs and cats, and even those used in veterinary practice need dosing and judgement that cannot be improvised. The wrong sedative can drop blood pressure, disturb temperature, or leave the animal conscious but unable to move, which is more frightened than before. If you think pharmacological support is needed, the only safe route is to ask the vet, who chooses the product suited to that animal.

My cat meows for the whole trip: does that mean it is suffering?

Continuous meowing is nearly always stress rather than pain, but it is still a sign not to ignore. Many cats settle if the carrier is covered, stable and soaked in familiar smells, and if the trip is preceded by a few days of getting used to the carrier itself. If despite everything the cat stays in strong distress on every journey, raise it with the vet before the next important trip: there are strategies and supports designed specifically for cats.

Travelling with pets40 minLevel: IntermediateUpdated on August 20, 2026

Travelling with an anxious pet without making the fear worse

Tell anxiety from motion sickness, prepare your pet in the weeks before, handle stops and arrival, and know when to involve the vet before you leave.

Audience: Pet owners
Species: Dog, Cat
Scope: Valid everywhere, Italy, European Union

What you need before you start

Almeno due o tre settimane di tempo prima della partenza per lavorare con calma
Il trasportino o la cintura di sicurezza che userai davvero durante il viaggio
Premi appetibili e un oggetto con l'odore di casa, per esempio una coperta usata
Una valutazione del veterinario se l'animale ha già mostrato panico, bava o vomito in viaggio

A pet that trembles, drools, cries or freezes on a journey is not being difficult, and it will not settle just because you ask it to. It is feeling fear, and fear does not switch off through good intentions. The trouble is that every bad trip makes the next one worse, because the animal learns that getting in the car means feeling ill. The good news is that the reverse works the same way: a run of short, positive experiences builds tolerance. This guide separates anxiety from motion sickness, because they are handled differently, and lines up what to do in the weeks before, on departure day, during stops and on arrival, with a section on when it makes sense to involve the vet before you set off.

Anxiety or motion sickness: know what you are dealing with

The two get confused because they sometimes appear together, but they have different roots and call for different tools. Motion sickness is a physical problem, tied to the inner ear and movement, and in puppies it often improves with age. Anxiety is emotional: it grows from the link between travel and something unpleasant, and without intervention it tends to reinforce itself. Working out which one dominates tells you where to start.

Signs that help separate the two components. Many animals show both, but knowing which dominates guides the approach.
Sign	More typical of anxiety	More typical of motion sickness
Drooling and lip licking	Present before even getting in	Appears after a few minutes of movement
Vomiting	Rare, tied to intense stress	Frequent, with movement
Trembling and panting	Even with the vehicle stopped	Usually with the vehicle moving
Vocalising and escape attempts	Marked from approaching the car	Less typical
Trend over time	Worsens with every bad trip	Often improves with age

The weeks before: building positive associations

The real work is not done on departure day, it is done in the two or three weeks before, a little at a time. The aim is to change what the car means to the animal: from a place that signals trouble to a neutral one, then even a pleasant one. Each step is earned only when the previous one is relaxed, with no rushing and no forcing.

Make the carrier a normal part of the home
Leave it open in a quiet corner for days, with a blanket and a few treats inside. The animal must be free to go in and out whenever it likes, with no trip ever following straight after.
Get in the car with the engine off
Have the animal climb in, give a treat, climb out. Repeat until getting in is a non event. At this stage the car does not move: you are teaching that the vehicle itself makes nothing bad happen.
Start the engine without driving off
Vibration and noise are already a stimulus. Sit still for a minute, treat, switch off. Only when the animal stays relaxed do you move on to motion.
Take the first very short drive to a good place
Drive around the block and end somewhere the animal loves, a field for the dog for instance. The key is that trips do not always lead to the vet, or the negative link never dissolves.
Extend the duration in small steps
Add a few minutes at a time, staying below the point where stress signs appear. If the animal gets agitated, you went too fast: drop back to a length it could handle.
Travel on a nearly empty stomach
A light meal a few hours before reduces both nausea and discomfort. Avoid setting off right after a full bowl, but do not make the animal travel completely fasted for a day.

Departure day

Reaching departure day with an already accustomed animal changes everything, but some choices still make the difference between a tolerated trip and a hard one. The general rule is to reduce stimuli and increase predictability: the fewer new things there are, the less the animal has to be alarmed about.

Set up the carrier or the seat belt fitting before the animal gets in, so you avoid nervous last minute handling.
Partly cover the carrier with a light cloth if darkness settles the animal, while still letting air through.
Put in a garment with your scent or the blanket used at home: familiar smells lower the tension.
Keep the cabin cool and ventilated, because heat amplifies both nausea and anxiety.
Talk little and in a calm voice: over stimulating the animal to reassure it does the opposite.
If you use a calming product agreed with the vet, give it with the timing advised, not at the last minute.

Stops, arrival and long journeys

On long routes fatigue builds, and an anxious animal has fewer reserves to cope with it. Well managed stops are not just about toileting: they are chances to shed tension and reset. And on arrival the day is not over, because a new environment is itself a stressor.

Plan a stop every two or three hours, even just to walk the dog on a lead in a secure area.
Offer water at every stop, in small amounts, without forcing food or drink if the animal refuses.
For a cat, never open the carrier outside the car: an escape on a motorway is the single worst risk of the whole trip.
On arrival set up a refuge zone with familiar smells right away, before letting the animal explore the rest.
Allow decompression time: many animals need a day or two to eat and sleep normally in a new place.

When to involve the vet before leaving

Desensitisation works on mild to moderate anxiety and when you have time. There are situations, though, where relying on behaviour alone is unfair to the animal and unrealistic. In those cases the vet can prescribe targeted pharmacological support, which is not a shortcut but a tool that makes the rest of the work possible.

The animal goes into genuine panic, with heavy drooling, attempts to destroy the carrier or escape, not simple discomfort.
The trip is imminent and there is no time for a gradual habituation programme.
There are repeated bouts of vomiting that dehydrate or make eating impossible.
The travel anxiety comes with other behavioural problems that deserve a wider assessment.
The over the counter calming products tried so far have made no difference at all.

Any medicine or supplement must always be agreed with the vet, who chooses the molecule and the timing to suit the animal. The generic sedatives of the past, which immobilised without removing the fear, are outdated precisely because they left the animal conscious and terrified. Today the aim is to reduce anxiety, not to switch off movement.

Frequently asked questions

My dog is only calm if I hold it: can I do that during the trip?: No, however much it seems to comfort him. A loose or held animal is a hazard under braking or in a crash, both to itself and to the driver, and in many countries it also breaks transport rules. The right path is to work so the dog tolerates the carrier or the seat belt fitting, not to bypass safety. If being held calms him, that is a sign your scent and presence matter: use it by putting a garment of yours in the carrier.
How far ahead should I start preparing the animal?: Ideally two or three weeks for mild anxiety, more if the problem is entrenched. What matters is not so much the number of days as the consistency: short, frequent sessions every day beat one long session now and then. If departure is close and you have no margin, focus on the steps that give the most relief, a welcoming carrier and short drives with a positive ending, and discuss support for the first trip with the vet.
Can I give my pet a calmer I keep at home for myself?: Absolutely not. Many human medicines are toxic to dogs and cats, and even those used in veterinary practice need dosing and judgement that cannot be improvised. The wrong sedative can drop blood pressure, disturb temperature, or leave the animal conscious but unable to move, which is more frightened than before. If you think pharmacological support is needed, the only safe route is to ask the vet, who chooses the product suited to that animal.
My cat meows for the whole trip: does that mean it is suffering?: Continuous meowing is nearly always stress rather than pain, but it is still a sign not to ignore. Many cats settle if the carrier is covered, stable and soaked in familiar smells, and if the trip is preceded by a few days of getting used to the carrier itself. If despite everything the cat stays in strong distress on every journey, raise it with the vet before the next important trip: there are strategies and supports designed specifically for cats.

What to do next

First tell anxiety from motion sickness, since they are handled differently, then spend two or three weeks making the carrier welcoming and short drives end somewhere pleasant. On departure day cut the stimuli, use familiar smells and never leave the animal alone in the car. Plan regular stops, note how each trip goes, and involve the vet if real panic appears or if there is no time to build up habituation.