Car Sick Puppy?

[Jetty]

Hi,

I have come to the conclusion that my puppy has been getting car sickness. He has been sick three times now. The first two times it was on the way home from the vet so I orginally thought that him getting his needles were making him sick. However, this morning my partner and I took him to my partner's parents place to play with there dog and he was sick in the car. This is a half an hour drive and to the vet it is an 20 minute drive. Is there anything out there which can fix car sickness for dogs??

Thanks

[Stitch]

If it is just travel sickness then a puppy will usually grow out of it.

I know some people will give small doses of human travel sickness pills but I have never done that.

If it is anxiety caused by a fear of travelling in a car then it takes a bit more work to cure.

Usually by just sitting in the car with the dog, or feeding the dog in the car and gradually extending that to 5 minute drives and then increasing the driving time, etc. etc.

[voloclydes]

some don't mil's Scottish terrier got sick the day he died on the way to the vet.

she never fed him before a car trip or he would very time.

i had a jr who did till she was old and grey.

so some grow out of it some don't

i know that's not much help, but limiting or no food before travel can make it better.

[SmoothieGirl]

Hi Jettyjet

I feel your pain, I'm going through this now with Bronte, she can only go about 6 or 7 mins before she gets ill. I've had no luck so far, but my research has lead me to try the following, hopefully one of these will work for you:

Don't feed before travel (although so people have suggested a very small amount of food can settle their tummy, so who knows?)

Windows open in the car and no heating - imagine how you would feel if you were ill and the car was warm

Ginger tablets - Travel Calm is one brand you can use

Bach Rescue Remedy or Emergency Essence

Give the puppy a ring/round bed to travel in, it may help them brace or snuggle into.

Travelling the puppy in a crate (limits ability to see outside, there are suggestions that the crate should be set up so they are travelling forwards too, not sideways)

Travelling the puppy in front of the rear wheels (apparently some get sick when in the back of station wagons.)

Metomide (aniti nausea drug that needs to be prescribed by your vet, but my vet said it is a safe drug and doesn't cause drowsiness.)

If you do hit upon a wonder solution, please PM me and let me know what it is, I really want to help my girl get over this.

Edit - Also, don't let this put you off taking the pup on rides, but always make the trips short and with 'fun' as the prime objective at the end, then he/she will associate the car with happy times. My vet suggests the pup should be in the car every day, whether in the driveway playing with you, going round the block, to the shops or to the park.

GOOD LUCK!

Edited June 8, 2009 by Shel72

[Jetty]

Thank you for all of the advice. Hopefully he will grow out of it as he is only 4 months old.

Shel72, I will try the no feeding before travel first and see how he goes. When I had him in the car yesterday on my lap he tried to put his head out of the window so I am glad it makes him feel a bit better. I was using a car harness for when he was in the car but I think I would prefer to have someone in the car with me holding him just in case he is sick again.

Every time he has been in the car he has usually been in there for 20 minutes minimum, so I will see what I can do to make the drives better for him. I have a new car so hopefully it wont happen again.

[3Woofs]

My Missy couldn't get to the bottom of the driveway with being sick and would retch the entire time she was in the car.

This was from 8 weeks until recently at about 13 months where she just stopped being sick..... so I guess she just grew out of it.

[Jetty]

My Missy couldn't get to the bottom of the driveway with being sick and would retch the entire time she was in the car.

This was from 8 weeks until recently at about 13 months where she just stopped being sick..... so I guess she just grew out of it.

I really hope he doesnt take that long to grow out of it. Did you take him out much while he had the car sickness??

[3Woofs]

Yes I thought the more I took her out the better she would get.... but no she just kept on being sick.

I tried just doing 5 minute trips, playing with toys, having the window down... nothing worked she just started drooling and then spewed, usually before I had time to pull over and let her out.

I just had to not feed her the mornings we went out and put a couple of towels on the car seat.

I really believe it was motion sickness not anxiety because she always happily jumped in the car.

I'm just glad she's stopped spewing. I still drive really slow around corners and bends though just incase she starts to feel sick again.

[Jetty]

Yes I thought the more I took her out the better she would get.... but no she just kept on being sick.

I tried just doing 5 minute trips, playing with toys, having the window down... nothing worked she just started drooling and then spewed, usually before I had time to pull over and let her out.

I just had to not feed her the mornings we went out and put a couple of towels on the car seat.

I really believe it was motion sickness not anxiety because she always happily jumped in the car.

I'm just glad she's stopped spewing. I still drive really slow around corners and bends though just incase she starts to feel sick again.

ok great thanks for the advice. I will try and see what works best for him. I dont want to use any medications or anything really unless I have too.

Thanks again.

[becks]

If you want to try 2 of those remedies at once, offer the ppup a ginger biscuit about 15-30 mins before getting into the car.

Travelling further forward in the car works for one of mine, as the further back in the car, the more being flung around the dog is.

With another of mine, I found she settled down after several long trips down the motorway - lots of travel time without the turns of normal street driving.

[SmoothieGirl]

If you want to try 2 of those remedies at once, offer the ppup a ginger biscuit about 15-30 mins before getting into the car.

Travelling further forward in the car works for one of mine, as the further back in the car, the more being flung around the dog is.

With another of mine, I found she settled down after several long trips down the motorway - lots of travel time without the turns of normal street driving.

I'm hoping this is the case with Bronte. I've got a 35 min trip on Sunday, but mostly on freeways so with a bit of luck this will help. Vet has also suggested an increase in her anti nausea medication, he says its incredibly safe and the best thing is, it doesn't cause drowsiness as its not a sedative. All fingers and toes crossed on hands and paws.

[dancinbcs]

Thank you for all of the advice. Hopefully he will grow out of it as he is only 4 months old.

Shel72, I will try the no feeding before travel first and see how he goes. When I had him in the car yesterday on my lap he tried to put his head out of the window so I am glad it makes him feel a bit better. I was using a car harness for when he was in the car but I think I would prefer to have someone in the car with me holding him just in case he is sick again.

Every time he has been in the car he has usually been in there for 20 minutes minimum, so I will see what I can do to make the drives better for him. I have a new car so hopefully it wont happen again.

The only dog I have bred in over 25 years that got car sick was one that was travelled in a harness as a baby. I started picking her up to take her to shows and her owners could not believe that she was never sick in my car, just in theirs. Then we worked out I either crated her in the back of my wagon or left her loose on the back seat but they had her in the car harness. They stopped using the harness and let her move around and look out the closed window where she snapped at passing cars, and the car sickness stopped. They used this arrangement for several months then tried the harness again and she was then fine in it.

[Jetty]

The only dog I have bred in over 25 years that got car sick was one that was travelled in a harness as a baby. I started picking her up to take her to shows and her owners could not believe that she was never sick in my car, just in theirs. Then we worked out I either crated her in the back of my wagon or left her loose on the back seat but they had her in the car harness. They stopped using the harness and let her move around and look out the closed window where she snapped at passing cars, and the car sickness stopped. They used this arrangement for several months then tried the harness again and she was then fine in it.

I had him lying in my lap the last time and he still did it. but we do go off the highway and through a few curvy roads. The next trip i will try the highway and see how it goes and try ways where there are longer and straighter roads. I will not use the car harness either and see what happens. Thank you all.