Pet Travel Expert Amy Burkert knows a thing or two about dogs that can’t stomach the open road. If your pooch can’t make it to your destination without puking, here are some tips that’ll help car sickness in dogs.
The first you notice is your dog panting in the back seat… but it’s not hot outside. On some level you know, but you continue on, trying to pretend. You roll the window down a bit to give him some air.
But then you see the drooling start. Who knew a dog could drool like that!?
When you catch the look in his eye – that why are you doing this to me? look that turns you into a puddle of regret – it’s already too late. And finally you hear it … the awful heaving … follow by the unmistakable YACK!
Nothing puts the brakes on a pet friendly road trip faster than having your dog get sick in the car. And what makes it even worse is that you know that your dog feels even more horrible than you do! What you may not know is that you’re not alone – one study found that as many as 1 in 5 dogs suffer from motion sickness!1
Related: What To Do If Your Dog Gets Sick While Traveling
The causes of motion sickness –in humans and dogs – are not well understood, but it’s believed to be related to how the brain controls balance and processes motion. If you’ve ever tried to read a book on a moving boat, you know exactly what I’m talking about! Dogs, of course, don’t understand why they’re feeling so rotten, they just learn that every time they get in the car, they have an extremely unpleasant experience.
If you’ve ever said, “my dog doesn’t travel well” it’s time to dig a little deeper and identify the source of his discomfort. It’s possible that he’s actually getting car sick, but that his symptoms are so subtle that you haven’t noticed them.
Recognizing the Symptoms of Car Sickness in Dogs
What can you do if you suspect car rides may be making your dog ill? The first thing is to watch him carefully for the following symptoms:
- Drooling
- Excessive lip licking
- Excessive panting
- Restlessness
- Shaking
- Vomiting
- Whining
- Yawning
Related: Five-Star Road Trip: Meet Dog Bloggers Who Travel Like Rock Stars
Treating Car Sickness in Dogs
Depending on the severity of your dog’s motion sickness and the duration of any trips you’re considering with him, there are several things you can do to help him enjoy the ride:
- Don’t feed him before you go. Nausea is always worse on a full stomach, so if you know you’re going to be traveling that day, reduce or skip your pup’s morning meal to help make him more comfortable.
- Limit his vision. Looking out the windows at passing scenery may be triggering your dog’s motion sickness. There are several ways you can block his view: cover the sides of his properly secured carrier or crate, stretch a fitted sheet over the front and rear headrests to build a “dog fort” in the back seat, put sun shades over the widows near your dog, or consider getting him a cap made from fabric that’s partially see-through, like the ThunderCap from ThunderShirt.
- Provide plenty of ventilation. Lowering the windows a couple of inches will help keep fresh air moving around your dog and also help equalize the air pressure inside and outside the car, which may help reduce his nausea and discomfort.
- Keep it cool. Keeping the temperature in the car cool while you’re traveling will encourage your dog to relax.
- Talk to your veterinarian. Medications like Cerenia are available from your veterinarian and could help treat your dog’s symptoms.
Having a dog that gets sick in the car doesn’t have to mean that you’ll never be able to travel together. It may take a little more effort, but the rewards of having your dog with you on your next trip definitely outweigh the costs!
1Data on file, Harris Interactive Pet Owner Market Research CERMS2012, 2012 Zoetis Inc.
Amy Burkert runs the award-winning pet travel website, GoPetFriendly.com, which makes it easy to plan trips with your entire family. Use their pet friendly Road Trip Planner to arrange your next vacation, and follow Amy’s blog, Take Paws, for pet travel tips, pet friendly destination advice, and stories of her adventures she and her husband travel full-time with their dogs, Ty and Buster.
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