Can You Bring Dog Food on a Plane? 2026 Update & FAQ

Traveling with pets is a stressful experience, and knowing what you can and can’t bring with you is critical to ensuring that your dog receives the best possible care it can get while traveling. You can bring solid pet food with you on most passenger airlines. The TSA designates “dry” or “moist” pet food as solid food.

Keep reading to find out everything you need about traveling with dog food.

What Types of Dog Food Are Allowed on Planes?

The TSA allows dry and wet food on airplanes, though wet foods must follow additional regulations if brought in a carry-on bag. It is important to remember that just because you were allowed to get it through the TSA doesn’t mean it will be allowed through customs if you travel internationally.

Dry Food

Kibble is allowed on planes and doesn’t suffer from any unique regulations. You can pack as much kibble as you can reasonably carry.

Moist Food

Moist food is becoming a popular alternative to wet food and is considered solid food by the TSA. So, there are no unique regulations for carrying you onto a plane.

Wet Food

Wet food is allowed on planes but follows additional regulations as a liquid item.

Can I Bring Dog Food in My Carry-On Bag?

According to the TSA website’s wet and solid dog food regulations, both wet and solid dog foods are allowed in carry-on bags. However, wet dog food is subject to additional regulations as a liquid item.

Wet dog food must follow the 3-1-1 rule, meaning all wet dog food containers must have a maximum capacity of 3.4 ounces or 100 mL, and all the containers must fit inside a 1-quart sealable plastic bag.

Additionally, while certain medical items are exempted from the 3-1-1 rule, there is no such exemption for prescription pet food. This rule includes prescription pet food for service animals. So, pack your prescription pet foods to ensure your dog has what they need when you get to your destination.

During the security screening, the TSA officers may ask you to separate pet food items from carry-on bags as they can often be cluttered on x-ray imaging machines. Pack your bags accordingly to ensure that you have a smooth transition through the security screening process.

Can I Check Dog Food Onto a Plane?

Dog food can be checked onto a plane. Putting dog food in your checked bags should not cause any significant discrepancies as long as you declare the dog food on your customs forms.

For the smoothest travel, try to separate the dog food such that the contents don’t obstruct images during X-ray imaging, just as you would for a carry-on bag. This will ensure that no TSA staff rifles through your belongings when you aren’t looking.

Can I Bring Dog Food Through Customs?

That depends on what your destination country is. Please research what you can bring to your destination country and how to properly declare the dog food to ensure you can get it across the border.

Wrapping Up

Traveling is fun, and flying with our pets can seem like a dream come true. But make sure you do your best research into what you can bring with your pet to ensure that you can meet your pet’s needs every step of the way. Focus on making the trip smooth for your pet since they will be scared and overwhelmed with new situations in an unfamiliar place.

Featured Image Credit: Javier Brosch, Shutterstock