Travel crate for injured Cairn Terrier

A soft tissue strain at 11 is no small thing — the vet is right that keeping movement restricted during car trips is really important, and the right crate can make a big difference. Travel crates have very specific requirements depending on whether your dog is going by car, in a plane cabin, or in the hold, and airline regulations vary so much that getting it wrong can mean the dog can't board at all. For your situation, though, it sounds like we're focused on car travel. Can you tell me your Cairn Terrier's weight and rough measurements — length from nose to tail base, and height at the shoulder? And are these short local trips, or longer journeys?

Perfect — that's really helpful. At 7kg and those dimensions, she's a compact dog, which is actually ideal for crate travel in a car because you can fit a sensibly sized crate on the back seat or in a boot without it sliding around. Given that she needs to stay still and not be twisting or scrambling to brace herself on corners, what matters most here is: a solid floor she can lie flat on, low clearance so she can't stand and throw her weight around, and secure fixing so the crate itself doesn't shift. Is she used to being in a crate at all, or would this be fairly new for her?

That's a really valid concern, and it's worth taking seriously — but a well-chosen crate actually tends to feel more secure than an open seat for a dog who's sore, because there's no risk of sliding. The key is getting one that's the right size: snug enough that she can lie down and turn around, but not so large she's bouncing about inside it. For a Cairn Terrier of her size doing short vet runs, I'd recommend the MidWest iCrate Fold & Carry single-door dog crate in size 24 inch. It's a sturdy wire crate with a solid plastic tray floor — flat and stable, which is exactly what you want for a dog on movement restriction. It folds flat when not in use, fits easily on a back seat, and you can drape a blanket over three sides to make it feel enclosed and calm without blocking airflow. It's also one of the most consistently well-reviewed crates in this size range on Amazon UK, and the price is very reasonable.

Good question — the crate itself won't self-anchor, so you'll want to wedge it against the back of the front seat with a non-slip mat underneath, and either run a seatbelt through the front door panel or use a luggage strap around the crate and through the seat belt buckle point. It doesn't need to be elaborate — the goal is stopping it shifting laterally on corners, which is the main thing that would cause your dog to brace and strain the injury further. A folded blanket or rolled towel on either side of her inside the crate also helps stop her sliding without restricting her too much.

Great choice for the situation. One last tip: before the first vet trip, leave the crate open in a room she uses so she can sniff around it and go in voluntarily — even a day or two of that makes a real difference for a dog who's new to crates, especially one who's already feeling a bit sorry for herself. Hope she recovers quickly.