According to vets, car sickness in dog is similar to motion sickness in humans. It can be related to an inner ear problem or anxiety driven. Animal behaviourist tends to agree that the majority of dogs suffering from motion sickness are behaviour based as opposed to a true inner ear problem.
Recognising the Symptoms
It is not difficult to recognise that your dog is getting motion sick. Generally he/she will start panting. It may not be a hot day and the panting is getting worse despite your best efforts to keep the temperature in the car cool. This is followed by the dog shaking. Vomiting follows gagging.
How to Overcome Anxiety Based Motion Sickness
- Start by allowing your dog to just sit in the car that is not going anywhere. Stay with him/her and reassure them that it is ok. This may only be five minutes at a time in the beginning.
- Gradually increase the amount of time they spend in the car whilst it is stationary.
- Once they feel comfortable take the car on a very short trip (Maximum five or ten minutes).
- Again gradually increase the time that you take your dog out. Find a nice park not too far away that you can work up to. At the park reward your dog with a walk or a play with the ball
- Over time you should be able to take your dog on longer trips.
Medicating Instead of Behaviour Training
If all else fails you may have to resort to medicating your dog. This may either be because your dog is truly motion sick and no amount of conditioning will lead him to adapt to car travel or you are short of time and cannot find the time to spend training him.
It may be difficult to determine if the motion sickness is anxiety based or due to an inner ear problem. However, as animal behaviourists point out a little puppy will usually be taken in a car on its first trip to the vet. They are forced to leave the comfort and familiarity of their home. At the vet more than likely the experience will not be a pleasant one with needles and tablets. Thus, the first car trip will not be a positive one. According to some this traumatic experience early on in the puppy's life leads more than likely leads to a dislike of cars. Generally those dogs though will grow out of it with some persistent and loving training.
Some people advocate not to feed your dog for extensive periods before you take him in the car. This may not solve the problem, as your dog will still vomit, it is just that they will have not much in their stomach to throw up other than fluid and acid.
Remember if you want your best friend to be part of the family and take him with you on trips it is best to spend the time early to get him used to the car. It will be time well spent. Try and make every trip and pleasant experience.
Tanya Klein - I have been writing now for a number of years. One of my biggest achievements has been getting published in Germany - I wrote a chapter ...
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