Car Sickness....

[Karen]

Poor Karen.

Thanks, Monica - but since I had brain surgery several years ago, the one GOOD side effect is I do not get motion sick anymore. I was so excited when I realized this! Sure, I'm half deaf, have half the balance of a normal person, but I can go on Ferris Wheels now!

[Freedom]

Start with the short trips.

Tasha, my puppy mill rescue, got car sick when I first got her. She was terrified that something "bad" was going to happen -- AGAIN. So I just kept taking her, going to our fun places: walkies sites! And I would tell her: Going walkies! Go Slater!" "Go Farm Walk!" So she would know which place we were going to.

I also (bad me) let her sit in my lap, and held her up to look out. She was afraid of that as well at the start. Now, she demands my lap and the open window, puts her head out, he hee. She has to settle for 2d behind my Lacey who has always loved the window spot.

Anyway, with rescues, and if you don't know their background, you need to go slowly and talk, talk talk so they know what to expect. At the start, they are just so frightened they won't even hear you, they shut down. But over time they will tune in.

If it really IS motion sickness, sometimes you can work that out as well, doing the repeat short trips for fun things. Only if that doesn't help would I suggest a treatment. There are some "treat" type things which work great for short trips.

[MoonandBean]

Sunny got terribly carsick for a year. 2 things really broke it for her:

1) Our friend who has 2 labs who LOVE the car took Sunny for a ride with her 2 labs. Sunny was distracted by the other dogs and seemed to notice how relaxed they were.

2) We got her a hammock so she could feel secure in the back seat. Just a picture: http://www.improvementscatalog.com/p...b-0026b9571fcb

I didn't use that site but just googled "car hammocks for dogs" you will find lots to choose from.

[Cataholic]

Thank you, everyone.

I did wonder about the difference between anxiety produced carsickness vs. motion sickness. And, since Jasper IS a rescue doggie, I don't know his background. I am pretty sure not much good happened before I got him and his two puppies.

I will work on the short trip/treat/good association part of things.

Thanks again!!

[AdoreMyDogs]

My wonderful dog, Kersey, gets carsick and she's 9 years old. She's been getting carsick since the day she was rescued by her foster mom. I've tried everything with her: crate, changing seating positions, withholding food/water, seeing outside, not seeing outside, nothing but fun trips (I used to do SAR as well as agility training with her...it does not get more fun than that for a doggie), homeopathics, as well as dramamine. The dramamine helps a little, but she still vomits. When I have a trip planned with Kersey, I fast her and give her dramamine about 2 hours before our drive. It's a shame because she's the perfect dog other then the puking in the car.

Sadly, Kersey never outgrew it. Some dogs do with time, but unfortunately not my dog. I hope your foster pup outgrows it. How old is Jasper? I'd love to see photos of him

[Shelteez2]

On top of making the car something positive, you could try going to a health food store and getting ginger capsules. I'm going to try that with my new little one as she tends to get car sick too.

[Logan]

Johanna, I have always heard that using Ginger (in the form of a pill or ginger snaps) is great for motion sickness for people and dogs. Thankfully mine don't get car sick so I've never tried it, but it might be worth looking into.
When Lilly was a puppy, she threw up every time she got in the car. I bought an expensive liner for the back of my Jeep Grand Cherokee from Cabela's to protect the car and she never threw up again.
Makes sense that the ginger might work since all our lives we have been given ginger ale when we are nauseous.
Hope that will help. I'm excited that you might adopt one of the pups!