I have a 70 pound Suluki greyhound mix who always gets car sick! She will drool buckets, and if anything is in her stomach she will throw up! My vet suggested giving her 50 mg of Benadryl, but it did not help. Any suggestions?
My border collie used to get car sick all the time. A good seat cover could help manage the mess (though my girl would always push it to the side and puke under it..). As you mentioned in your post, not feeding for a few hours before travel can also help. Like a lot of car sick people, she was at higher risk during longer trips, through curves, or over bumpy roads, so I tried to minimize those as much as possible. If you're giving Benadryl (a very similar acting drug to Dramamine), make sure you're giving it at least 20-30 mins before traveling to allow it to take effect; otherwise you run the risk of her just vomiting it back up.
I'd also suggest taking a look at her behavior in the car to see if she might be experiencing anxiety or stress, which could cause or contribute to her car sickness. If you notice her looking uncomfortable (drooling, shaking, etc) very early in the car ride, or perhaps even before you start to move, that's a good indication that at least some of her sickness is due to anxiety. Maybe she already feared car rides to some extent, which made her feel ill, or she's always been prone to car sickness and has learned to associate being in the car with feeling sick causing her to be even more likely to vomit, but reconditioning her to enjoy being in the car could help a lot. CC/DS work focusing on preparing to leave and getting in the car, working up to actually driving can help her form positive associations with travel.
Thank-you so much. I am sure there is underlying anxiety there. I got her from an international rescue, and her past was traumatic. She travels better when she is with our other dog, and I have been taking her on short rides- like to get gas in the car- to help desensitize her. Patience!
What I've found helpful is to keep the air in the car cool and well ventilated. Also, opening all of the windows a few inches, so that the air pressure in the car would be roughly the same as outside. I do have heard that ginger could help as well, but haven't tried that. Probably the most important thing that I do to relieve my dog's car sickness is that I don't feed him before a planned car ride. I do, though, give my dog a treat when he gets in the car.
Smooth and calm driving, of course, is important as well.
You should contact your veterinarian with questions of the medical variety. While people on these forums will happily answer you with personal accounts, they are not trained professionals, and they do not know your dog or the situation so the only real solution is to speak with a veterinarian.
For the record, I work at an emergency and critical care vet. While treatment advice can't be dispensed without a physical exam, not all 'medical' questions (questions involving a medical symptom) require an exam or treatment - I'd be happy to give my same answer at work to someone calling in.
Thank you. I am actually a veterinary student, and I also would give someone advice over the phone if they called the VET I work at. However, online, while your suggestions may be valid, not everyone has the experience you and I do, which is why this type of question should be directed to their vet.
Just like Laura said, dogs are similar to people as far as triggers for car sickness. A lot of people feel better in the front seat than in the back. There are a number of safe and high-rated seatbelts for dogs, so as long as you disable the passenger-side airbag, it might be most safe and comfortable for your pup to sit up front with you.
Take a look at Dr. Foster & Smith (http://drfostersmith.com) first for seatbelts. I really trust their products. If nothing there works for you, check out PetSmart, and then Amazon. There are a lot of reviews on the Amazon products, so you can get a sense of ease of use, quality, etc.
Our dog used to get car sick as well. Through research we learned several things that really helped her: Give only a 1/4 amount of food for breakfast on travel day . Crack one window to let some air in and hang clothes to cover the windows where she sits so she can't see things whirling by.
Thank-you. Most of the time she needs to sit in the back, but the idea of letting in air, and covering the window sounds great!
Meclizine can be incredibly helpful. It prevents nausea and dizziness due to motion sickness. It can be bought over the counter. We use it frequently for dogs having issues with balance and car sickness at the emergency hospital I work at. I would talk to your vet about the possible dosage for your dog, though.
The first thing to do is talk to your vet. Ensure there's no other medical conditions that could be causing the car sickness/motion symptoms. The vet will often recommend over the counter products and give you dosage instructions based on the dogs weight. Or they may have other medications or options for you. In the meantime, I would do some training by just getting the dog in and out of the car (not even driving anywhere). After that goes well, do a short trip around the block. After short rides go well, lengthen the ride a bit. It takes a lot of patience, but starting small and building up their confidence being in the car can go long way.
I've found that ginger treats help to calm pups' stomachs. Also a little peppermint oil/extract rubbed on the inside of the front paws.
Train is good option for that and your dog sickness become less then you go in car with her. i also travel by train with my dog and some times i was book ticket at the time of journey. http://loginirctc.net/how-to-book-tatkal-ticket/ (How to Book Tatkal Ticket)
Making the ride cozy will help a lot. Look into this article that I found https://www.pupaholic.com/blogs/posts/traveling-with-your-pet-for-holidays I hope it helps.