More on riding in cars - throwing up :-o

[pcarfan]

My dog (7 month old Shepherd Mix) has a problem with throwing up on car rides. Sometimes he will make it the entire rides with no problem, sometimes just a few minutes. I've found out that if we cover his eyes he won't throw up, so obviously we're dealing with a case of motion sickness with scenery whizzing past.

I've been trying to give him short rides as much as possible to help him get used to it. Is there anything else I can do to help him over come this? I hope he is car sick because he is a pretty nervous puppy and something he will grow out of. Cleaning up the back seat is gross and not something I’d like to make a habit of.

[Dixieland Dancer]

Make sure he hasn't eaten recently before you take him on a trip and do frequent small trips to get him accoustomed to the motion. It may help if you can give him something he likes to occupy his time so he doesn't have to think about it as much. Good Luck!

[Lescoop77]

My lab HATES riding in the car and used to get car sick for about the first year. We would literally have to pick her up and put her in the car and she would shake, put her tail between her legs, and drool at the mouth during the ride. Sometimes she would get sick in a matter of seconds, other times it would be longer. When I took her to the vet and asked about this my vet told me to try this...the first day take your pooch out to the car and walk around it let her sniff etc. The next day do the same but also sit in the car with the doors closed. The day after that repeat the first 2 steps..then start the car and back out of the driveway and then back in, then finally on the last day take her on a full ride around the block. I have to admit..that I didn't make time or would forget to do this....so I can't say if it worked. But my lab now doesn't vomit in the car..she just wants you to hold her while she shakes and slobbers. She is getting better, sometimes she will lay down in the back seat...so I think the more she is in the car the easier it will be for her. My vet also said not to feed at least one hour before the car ride. Said to try a little bit of benedryl 30 min before..this will make them sleepy. It may be worth a try!

Good luck@!

[wolfsoul]

Aww poor pup. Timber used to be like this, until she got used to the ride. Make sure no food or water atleast an hour before a ride. You can also buy gravel to help calm his stomach.

[Pit Chick]

My windows have so many nose smears and slobber on them the dogs can't see anything whizzing by. Maybe riding in the front seat looking out the windsheild would help, but I agree, possibly short rides to get him used to the motion would help. I hope. Cover your seats.

[schteve_d]

This is going back a ways, but I remember when Bud and Tash were pups I did a fair bit of reading on the subject and it seems to me I remember reading that alot of young puppies get motion sick.

I know if I've had a beer or two too many, it helps to open the window in the cab!! Not sure if that advice transfers to dogs!

I think it's just a matter of getting him used to it slowly with short trips.

[Summer Magic]

I travel from Michigan to Florida and back every year. Two eleven hour days. We take all three pets with us and everyone does fine. Magic used to get car sick until I hit on the no feeding thing. She still doesn't LIKE the ride but hasn't thrown up at all in the last few long rides. I desensitize her by taking her on short trips a week or so before we do the long haul and that seems to help. Whenever we stop for potty breaks or just to stretch our legs during the trip we offer them water and I feed her a few dry kibble from my hand never more than a dozen pieces at a time. It's working great.

[lv4dogs]

Lescoop77 has great advice, but I would do it slower. Do one action for a few days at a time before moving onto the next step. And don't stop at the one block marker, continue it to a few blocks, then a mile then a few miles.
If for any reason he improves then starts to regress you should go back a step (or more if needed) until he feels comfortable and does not get sick, then start to move forward again.

Also by taking him on "fun" rides will help too. Like to the park, friends houses etc... instead of always the vets & such.

And you can check with your vet for the doseage but you can give him dramamine (sp?) to help with motion sickness.

Good luck!

[Ginger's Mom]

Ginger hates the car. Almost everything that Lescoop77 says in her post is the same with Ginger. I have to pick her up and put her in the car. She drools all over the place and you never know if she is going to get sick in the first five minutes or if she was going to wait until we would pull into the parking place of wherever we were going. It was awful. I will also say I was given the same advise by the vet, but couldn't/didn't make the time to do it. I was also told by the vet to try dramamine. It did not work at all. And to make matters work, we drive down to Florida every year (what torture for my baby). Last year, two neighbors suggested exactly the same thing. They said get a doggie bed, the kind with sides on it like a snugglie bed, maybe she would feel more secure. One of the ladies bought an old bed over, and we put it in the backseat for the trip to Florida. It worked!!! She still isn't crazy about the car, and I have to pick her up to put her in. But we have driven down to Florida and back on two seperate occasions and she did not throw up once I leave it in the backseat of my car all the time. So if we decide at the last minute to take a trip to the park, it is there. The cover comes off for easy washing. I also have her in a harness that is attached to the seatbelt, for her safety. Oh yeah, it was a great idea. It may work for you.