FAQ

Your pet undergoes the same exact condition you do when you (the human) fly. Both of you will get the pressure build-up in the ears on take off and feel the same jolt when the plane undergoes turbulence and when it finally lands. Like human ears, your pet’s ears will eventually pop. Having something to chew on helps. While some airlines do not allow food to be put in for fear of spillage into the aircraft, a chewing bone/toy is allowed. 

A big difference is that your pet will be in a much darker environment throughout the flight. This is a good thing as it stimulates night and helps your pet relax. Most pets (especially cats) will settle in soon after take off and nap through the journey. We expect to see your pet a little grumpy from being after each flight due to being woken up by the noisy workers unloading him/her. 

No travel is risk free, but any horror stories you might hear are very much sensationalized – it won’t be newsworthy otherwise. Air Travel is relatively safe due to the forever improving policies and stricter guidelines for pets to travel. Some may feel like a hassle but please understand that it is ultimately for the safety of your pet. Many organization and veterinary experts are consulted each year to share their views and to ultimately make air travel for pets safe.  Transcontinental stays up to date on these guidelines and helps your pet meet them. 

You’re likely asking about such countries like Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. These countries are rabies-free and they want to keep it that way. Despite all the preparations we must do before travel to prove that, quarantine becomes the last line of defense for that country. They understand that vaccinations are not 100% effective. This has as much to do with how the vaccine works and how your dog’s body reacts to the vaccine in generating antibodies to counter diseases. Our experience (as well as physical test results) have told us that dog breeds have a part to play in terms of how effective a vaccine or treatment is. 

What is quarantine like?

A: All known quarantine centers are state-run. They represent a part of the pride of their border control system. They also know how important every single pet is to their owners. While some facilities do not allow any visitations, their track records tell us that your pet is well taken care of.
However, in order to improve the level of care, there are some things you could do before your pet arrives at the facility such as: pre-ordering the food brand your pet likes to be delivered to the quarantine facility; getting proper documentation from your current veterinarian so that the facility can respond better in an emergency. Check in with us for more tips. 

If your pet is currently ill, it is ultimately up to the doctor to determine if that illness or condition will affect your pet’s condition during travel. During travel, your pet experiences the lower pressure of flight (think about how the pressure in your ear builds up when taking off).

What breed is it?
There are generally 3 reasons why a pet is barred from flying or exporting:

1. Brachycephalic breeds (a.k.a. Snub nose breeds) such as French bulldogs, English Bulldogs, Chow Chows, Cavalier Kings Charles Spaniels, Pit Bull Terriers, Shih Tzus, Boston Terriers, Boxers, Pekingese, Pugs, Lhasa Apso etc. This list is not shared on all airlines and some do consider certain breeds within that category or not. Some airlines also ban the carriage of tea-cup varieties. Now with every international air pet transport, we are reliant and indeed at the mercy of the airline. That said, when one door is closed, do let Transcontinental Pet Movers see if another window might be open. 
2. Aggressive or strong jawed breeds: Airline policies on these friendly giants are varied, while some airlines ban theCountries like Switzerland bars pets with docked tails and ears from being imported – However, please note that these apply to commercial imports. Personal pets with docked tails and ears who are travelling with their owners are still allowed to enter. It is up to us to communicate with the country and them to access if it is truly a personal import. 
3. Brachycephaly outright, some airlines do allow their carriage with additional conditions such as specially constructed crates. Let Transcontinental Pet Movers help you resolve these issues. 

Pricing is based on the service you require. We’ll never force you to get services that you won’t require but we seek your understanding that depending on the importing country’s requirements, there would be differences in price due to extra procedures required. To get a proper quotation from us, we would minimally require your pet’s breed, where you are travelling from and to, when you wish to travel and how you wish to travel. Consult is free and we’ll more often than not be able inform you of some things you might have missed.

Depending on the country of transit, the care provided is different. At the worst, airport staff may refill your pet’s water from outside the crate. To prevent your pet from escaping (this has happened before), the opening of your pet’s crate during travel is not recommended or outright not allowed. Countries such as Frankfurt, Paris have animal care lounges and specialized staff that will walk, feed and water your pet during the transit. There are unavoidable costs for these services though. 

If you are travelling with your pet in-cabin, many airports in the US as well as around the world offer pet specific facilities such as washrooms or a grassy space for your pet which you can use during transits. 

The effective period of a vaccine could be 1 or 3 years depending on the manufacturer/brand of the vaccine. Some manufacturers market and supply vaccines that protect your pet against the respective disease for 3 years. The same manufacturer might also sell vaccines for the same disease that only have an effective period of 1 year. Therefore, it’s most important for us agents to see the vaccine sticker or the full details of the vaccine name and manufacturer in order to determine whether it’s acceptable by the importing country.
Each country considers the effective period differently. Some examples:

1. Some might consider 3 year vaccines as only valid for 1 year
2. Some countries accept the 3 year validity only if it’s administered according to the manufacturer’s guidelines (it’s important to note that the manufacturer’s instructions are to administer the vaccine twice – a primary and a booster. The booster is deemed effective for 3 years only if it’s administered within 1 year of the primary vaccine. This is also the best way to consider if your pet’s vaccine is effective for 3 years or not both from an import/export point of view as well as whether your pet is actually protected or not. 
3. Last but not least, some countries rely on the date the administering vet indicates on the vaccination record as correct. 

When you’ve engaged an agent, it’s their responsibility to ensure that your pet does meet the requirements before sending your pet to their destination. It’s privileged information (from lots of research and experience) but the main reason we sometimes don’t provide the information up front is because it quickly becomes too overwhelming. Trust your agent to understand your situation and provide the best route for your pet.

If you are attempting to do the preparations yourself, then the best source of information are the government bodies in the respective countries. Unfortunately, communication with them is not often the easiest or fastest but some countries like Singapore and Australia do provide a wealth of information on their governmental websites.
Caution: For countries that do not primarily use English, do note that even information provided on embassy websites (In English) might not be updated. In addition, besides the veterinary requirements, there are also logistical and paperwork  (demanded by the transit country/airline) requirements that you will need to consider and fulfill. 

Lastly, you will also need to consider who the information online is being directed at. Countries have different requirements for pets from different countries. For example, Indonesia does not require rabies blood testing for pets from the USA but do have pets from Malaysia and China.