Guide
Travelling with a diabetic dog, or leaving them with a sitter or kennel
Going away doesn't have to mean worry. How to decide whether your diabetic dog comes with you or stays, keeping the routine the same, packing insulin safely, choosing a sitter or kennel, and the one sheet every carer needs.
Sunny, owner“I wish my dog lived as long as I do.”Updated
I'm an owner, not a vet. This is not veterinary advice, so check anything medical with your own vet.
Key facts
- See your vet before you go, whether your dog travels with you or stays with a carer.
- Keep the routine the same: same food, same amount, same times, wherever your dog is.
- Pack enough insulin, syringes and food for the whole time away. Keep insulin cold but never frozen, and out of heat and sun.
- Choose a carer who is confident giving injections. Some dogs with health needs do better boarding at a vet clinic.
- Every carer must know the signs of low blood sugar and who to call, including the nearest emergency vet.
- Nobody changes the amount or timing of insulin without a clear plan from your vet.
I never give insulin amounts here. Yours comes from your vet's written plan.
Start with your vet
Whether your dog is coming with you or staying behind, book a visit or a call with your vet before you go.
Ask about the trip or the care plan, whether your dog is settled enough for it, and what to do if anything goes wrong. If your trip crosses into a different time zone, ask your vet to give you a plan for the injection times, and follow it exactly.
Nobody, not you and not a carer, should give more insulin or change the timing without a clear plan from your vet.
Take them or leave them? How to decide
Some diabetic dogs travel happily. Others are calmer at home with someone they know. Think about how your dog copes with car journeys and new places, whether you can keep meal and insulin times on the road, and whether there's a confident carer at home.
Stress can push blood sugar up for a while, whether your dog travels or stays with a carer. Ask your vet which plan fits your dog.
If you need a regular backup person anyway, a backup carer for your diabetic dog is worth setting up before any trip.
The routine stays the same
The single most useful thing, at home or away: keep the routine. Same food, same amount, same times every day, and the insulin at the times your vet set.
Pack your dog's usual food rather than buying something different on the way. A new food on a trip is an easy way to upset both the stomach and the sugar.
Keep a written log of each injection, on paper or your phone. When routines change, a log is what stops a dog being given insulin twice, or not at all. The "Insulin given?" fridge card works on the road too.
Packing insulin and supplies
Take enough insulin, syringes, food and any other medicine to cover the whole time away. Ask your vet whether to take extra in case you're delayed.
Insulin needs to stay cold but must never freeze. A cool bag works for most trips, with the insulin kept from touching ice packs directly. Heat and direct sunlight spoil insulin, so never leave it in a hot car or a bag in the sun. How should insulin be kept at home? covers the basics.
If you're flying, ask your vet and the airline in advance how to carry insulin and needles, and whether the insulin can travel in the cabin with you, because a luggage hold can get cold enough to freeze it.
Pack a small kit as well: a copy of the vet's written plan, your vet's number, something sugary your vet has said to keep for lows, and a few extra syringes.
Choosing a sitter or kennel
The most important thing about any carer is that they're confident giving the injection. Practise with them before you go: let them watch, then do it while you watch.
Dogs with serious health problems that need medicine may do better boarding at a vet clinic, where staff handle injections every day. Ask your vet whether they board, or who they'd suggest.
Visit a kennel or a sitter's home before you book. A good kennel will ask lots of questions about your dog, including diet, so it can keep to your dog's routine. Ask them plainly whether they can feed and inject at your dog's set times, every day, and who does it.
Leave your vet's details and the nearest emergency vet with the carer. If you're the one travelling, look up an emergency vet near where you'll be staying before you go. When your vet is far away has more.
Your carer sheet
Write clear instructions for whoever is looking after your dog. One page on the fridge is enough: meal times and what to feed; injection times, exactly as on your vet's plan; where the insulin and syringes are kept, and how to mix the insulin; what to do if your dog won't eat; the low-sugar signs; and phone numbers for you, your vet and the nearest emergency vet.
Copy the injection details from your vet's written plan, not from memory. The blank insulin schedule is made for this, with the amounts left blank for your vet's plan.
If your dog won't eat while you're away, the carer should call your vet before giving insulin. My diabetic dog won't eat explains why.
Low blood sugar: what every carer must know
Signs that sugar has gone too low include becoming wobbly, a spaced-out or vacant look, being very hungry, twitching, and even collapse. Vomiting can be part of a low, and it can also mean illness. Either way, the carer should call your vet now, or an emergency vet. Every carer needs to know these before you leave.
Show them low blood sugar in dogs and the emergency page, and make sure they know what your vet has said to do. If your vet can't be reached, they should contact the local emergency clinic.
On a road trip, plan stops around meal and injection times, carry water, and never leave your dog alone in the car.
See your vet before any trip. Keep the same food, amounts and times. Pack insulin cold but never frozen. Choose a carer who is confident with injections, give them a written sheet, and make sure they know the low-sugar signs and the emergency vet's number.
Sources
- Can I travel with a diabetic dog?The short answer
- The twelve-hour dayKeeping the routine
- Low blood sugar in dogsWhat every carer must know
- A backup carer for your diabetic dogSetting up help
- SourcesThe vet pages behind this guide
Every outside source I used is listed on the Sources page.
Related
Q&A
Can I travel with a diabetic dog?
Talk to your vet before a long trip. Pack the written plan, his usual food and the clinic's number.
Guide
Daily routine for a diabetic dog: meals, insulin and walks
Planning meals and injections around your vet's routine.
Guide
Low blood sugar in dogs
The signs, what to do right now, the next dose, and why a high-sugar dog can still go low.
Q&A
Can I leave my diabetic dog alone while I work?
Whether your dog can stay alone while you work depends on how settled their diabetes is, the care plan and how long you're out.
Q&A
Our vet is far away. Can check-ins happen by phone or video?
When the clinic is a long drive away, your vet can often help between visits by phone or message, using your notes.