Can anything be done for motion sickness?

**AdoreMyDogs** · 03-30-2002, 10:05 PM

My new baby, Kersey has motion sickness. I had so many plans for her, with agility and furthering her obedience and possibly even getting her obedience titled eventually and doing therapy dog work with her, but her motion sickness is really preventing me from ever doing anything with her.

At first I treated her motion sickness as an anxiety thing. I would put her in my car and start getting her slowly used to it. Problem was, she always seemed 100% comfortable, relaxed and at ease in the car, so I wondered if it was actually not anxiety, but a true medical contition of motion sickness.

My worries became reality when I sat out on the glider on the balcony with Kersey on one side and Graham on the other. I very gentlly glided for about 5 minutes, when Kersey had to jump off and throw up. She truly has motion sickness, and it's really bad.

Does anyone know of anything that can be done for motion sickness, becides drugging the dog before every car trip for the rest of it's life? I can't tell you how many times I have had to wash the rugs in my car, and now I just line the entire car floor in newspapers. Almost every single car trip that she has taken with me, she has thrown up. I bought homeopathic tabs that are supposed to help with motion sickness, but I don't know if they do. I also bought a natural herbal pill that is supposed to calm the dog and help prevent motion sickness...but she's so calm in the car. And when I do take her to agility, I don't want her to be sleepy and calm! I want her active and awake!

Is there a surgery that anyone knows of that will somehow cure it? Or is this basically how it is going to be with my new girl? This is the only thing that I am really worried about with her. She is just so perfect in every way, but this is a big problem, especially if I can't do anything with her that I had hoped to. It also couldn't be healthy for her to be throwing up all the time.

If anyone knows of anything that can be done, please advise. She has an apointment at her new vet (Graham's wonderful vet) next Saturday and I will bring it up with them, but if there's anything you guys could suggest I would so much appreciate it.

Thanks.

**Logan** · 03-30-2002, 10:20 PM

Leslie, I am no expert. In fact, Lilly was horrible at car riding and would throw up everytime she got in the car, but as soon as I purchased an expensive liner, she never threw up again! LOL!!

I have heard many people advocate ginger snaps or ginger supplements.....it does something to calm the stomach before traveling (or swinging!). I just don't have the necessary amounts that you would need to be effective. Maybe someone here will know more, or you could always ask the vet. Maybe do some research on the internet first. There is that website www.vetinfo.com . Maybe there is some information there on this problem. It seems to be quite common.

Logan

**LoudLou** · 03-30-2002, 10:49 PM

AwH! Poor Kersey!

I've heard the same thing as Logan has said about Ginger Snaps. Louie doesn't like to go "Bye Bye" unless it's with Grandma. He just gets in the car and sleeps.... But then again Louie is VERY Sheltered.

I hope Kersey and you find a solution so she can experience the JOY of going "Bye Bye".

**RachelJ** · 03-31-2002, 06:27 AM

Originally posted by Logan
Leslie, I am no expert. In fact, Lilly was horrible at car riding and would throw up everytime she got in the car, but as soon as I purchased an expensive liner, she never threw up again! LOL!!

Ha! Hannah too had a problem...threw up everytime we went some place with her. Finally I asked the Vet who prescibed some anti-nausea pills that humans take and I bought them at the drug store. Although I never gave her one, Hannah never threw up again. Maybe Kersey just hasn't had much experience riding in the car and with time (lots and lots of it) this too shall pass. Just keep taking her for very short rides. Try to make the rides when she has an empty stomach. We used to hold our breath, hoping this time she would make it all the way home. Be patient, Leslie, I bet that she like Lilly and Hannah, will eventually get over it. In the meantime, keep paper towels, plastic bags, a sponge, and a bottle of seltzer water in the car to clean up the mess.

**Pam** · 03-31-2002, 07:55 AM

One of my other poodles had a problem with this. She could just about make an hour's ride in the car but no further. We could tell when her limit was about up because she would start to drool. When we first got Bella I was originally a little worried too. On the way home from the breeder's she was fine and slept in my daughter's lap the whole way, but on her first couple of trips to the vet she would drool in the car. I thought, oh no, she's probably got motion sickness. Gradually I noticed that instead of standing up in the car, watching where we were going, she starting laying down. It seems that when she lays down there is no drooling, so I think the potential tummy upset might have been in watching things moving by. Now when we get into the car she immediately lays down so I think she just realizes in her own way that she feels better this way. Maybe if you could sort of force Kersey into a laying down position when riding it might help? I don't know, but can dogs outgrow this? I guess your vet will be able to give you the official answers on this one. Good luck!

**AdoreMyDogs** · 03-31-2002, 08:40 AM

Originally posted by Pam
Maybe if you could sort of force Kersey into a laying down position when riding it might help? I don't know, but can dogs outgrow this? I guess your vet will be able to give you the official answers on this one. Good luck!

This is really worrying me. I bought a minivan and I took out the first row of seats, leaving only the rear row of seats because Graham likes to lay on the rear row of seats and look out the window. Kersey very calmly goes right to the floor and lays down. She dosen't get up or move around at all. She does not share the rear row of seats with Graham. She starts drooling after about 3-4 minutes, then within 5-10 minutes she vomits.

I am so worried about this. I look forward to taking her to the vets to get advice, but I am also worried at what the outcome will be. I sure hope this is something that she outgrows.

Her car trips have been nothing but positive since I got her. She goes to the dog park on a regular basis, she goes to dog obedience class, I have taken her on short errands, I have taken her to my moms house. Graham always goes, and she loves being around Graham so she is happy to go, but I will be driving and all of a sudden I smell puke and it's sometimes really, really rancid and gross smelling. I have to open my windows and try not to breath out of my nose! Poor Kersey. I sure do hope that a dog can outgrow it.

The fact that she began to drool and then threw up after only gliding gentlly for 5 or so minutes told me that I have a problem here.

**jackiesdaisy1935** · 03-31-2002, 09:13 AM

I think Pam has the right idea. We had a Rottie who would get motion sickness when sitting up or standing up and she would always drool then vomit. We put a crate in the Explorer where she would be forced to lie down and it was much better. I also think it was watching things go by that got her sick. Good luck with the little girl.
Jackie

**lovemymaltese** · 04-19-2002, 12:06 PM

Hi,
how old is your pup? My dog would throw up after being in the car for a few minutes everytime. Once he got about 2 or 3, his motion sickness vanished. He absolutely loves to go Bye-Byes now!

**mugsy** · 04-19-2002, 12:15 PM

DeeDee gets car sick too...she even got sick with an empty stomach!!! I haven't tested her recently, so I don't know if she still does. Our vet said that a lot of times dogs grow out of it. When I was younger, we had a Weimaraner who got car sick on our 600 mile trip to Wisconsin and we drugged her up so she walked like she had been on a 4 day drunk. After a few years of this, we decided to try her with no meds and she was fine and was fine every year after that, so there must be something to the growing out of it theory.

**AdoreMyDogs** · 04-19-2002, 10:09 PM

Originally posted by mugsy
DeeDee gets car sick too...she even got sick with an empty stomach!!! I haven't tested her recently, so I don't know if she still does. Our vet said that a lot of times dogs grow out of it. When I was younger, we had a Weimaraner who got car sick on our 600 mile trip to Wisconsin and we drugged her up so she walked like she had been on a 4 day drunk. After a few years of this, we decided to try her with no meds and she was fine and was fine every year after that, so there must be something to the growing out of it theory.

I sure do hope she can out grow it. I will love her just the same, but I LOOOOVE taking my dogs with me everywhere, and I dread having to leave her home all the time.

I do take her to the dog park, and I give her motion sickness homeopathic tabs before every trip. As long as she has an empty stomach and I drive REAALLLLLLYYYY slow she usually makes it to the dog park without tossing her cookies all over my car

The vet told me to give her dramamine (sp?) and give her a childs' dossage. That is fine for trips that I want her knocked out cold for, but I hate to drug her, so I have not yet bought any.

On the way to the vet to get her rear dew claws removed on Wednesday morning she puked three times in one block, and she had an empty stomach so she puked yellow foamy stuff

I am hoping that after discovering that she has (had) tapeworms, her stomach will be more stable

I guess we'll just have to see

**Karen** · 04-19-2002, 10:27 PM

Dramamine didn't make me that sleepy as a kid, I was one very motion-sickness prone human being for most of my life. I actually did better if I was facing forward and near a window, but you don't want to hear about the different occasions when I had no Dramamine ... or before my parents tried it on me ... I think that if you try giving her the child's dosage, you could see how she does. I was always awake and alert enough to enjoy things, and enjoyed them even more because I wasn't nauseous! (So did my family!)

I didn't grow entirely out of it, and won't bore you with what cured me entirely (email me if you're dying to know), but Dramamine can work wonders - at least with some humans, probably doggies, too!

**mugsy** · 04-20-2002, 09:08 AM

EEWWW....I hate that yellow foamy stuff. Dr. B told me that stuff from the upper part of the large intestine and has bile in it and not to worry it's nothing serious. Good luck and let me know if you find something that works.