# car sick?



## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

So we discovered in the worst possible way that Chesney doesn't travel well. She got a little carsick on our drive from Vegas up to Utah Friday morning and didn't keep her food down. Then about two hours after arriving she was back to her normal self. She's been fine since then. We're driving back home to Vegas on Monday, is there anything I should give her to keep her tummy settled for the drive, or any suggestions? Car rides make her very nervous. She travels in her size appropriate crate.


----------



## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

If you don't want to deal with nasty puke, don't feed her for 6+ hours before the drive... :wink:


----------



## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

Try giving her a ginger snap about 30 minutes before she goes in the car. Ginger's great for upset stomachs. I would try and hold off on feeding her before hand as well.

Did you have the crate covered when you went there? If she can't see the things flying by, it might give her better equilibrium. :smile:


----------



## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

I've always heard that ginger can help but it never had any effect on Shiloh's car sickness for 2 years. 

I personally wouldn't give any food over trying ginger snaps (just my choice based on my experience)

The only thing that ever worked even semi well was to give 1/4-1/2 of a Dramamine tablet 30-60 minutes before the trip.


----------



## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

Puppies generally get car sick on their first long car ride. That's why it's advised not to feed them for six+ hours beforehand. Amaya got sick when we drove her home from Fresno, but it was only a little bit of water, because that's all she had in her. Since, she hasn't puked a single time, and I've driven all the way down to Fresno and back with her in one day, and down to Vallejo and back as well, but the car ride there and back were separated by a few days. It's just the stress of not knowing what's going on. There are also some sedatives you can give them as well to make them settle down in the car, so for the most part they'll just sleep.​


----------



## JayJayisme (Aug 2, 2009)

One of my dogs was terrified of car trips when I got her and I had a big road trip planned 6 weeks from when she came into our home. The minute she was put in a car she'd start shaking and drooling, totally stressed. Then at some point in the trip she'd almost always throw up. But I had this vacation planned in 6 weeks and I had to get her acclimated somehow.

I started by taking her on almost every quick little errand I have to do during the week, like going to the post office, or the bank. We'd also go to the local dog park frequently, more for the drive than the park since my dogs aren't really into the dog park (it's like a bad doggie singles bar with a lot of jerk dogs...and jerk owners  ). 

The drives were short so she would never get to the point of throwing up on them and it allowed me to work on getting her calm and in the car, letting her get used to her harness, and giving her just enough of a ride for her to start getting used to the whole experience and sensation without it overwhelming her.

I also put her bed in the car, the one she sleeps in every night. Having something familiar to rest on really helped her get over the fear of the car and helped her stay calm.

I did this for about 5 weeks and by that time the short trips had become routine for her and she did well on them. So I decided to take a small road trip to raise the bar and see how she'd do. It was about 250 miles round trip and I made several "potty stops" for her. She did great! Super calm and no drooling or throwing up. She ate normally before the trip since at the time the dogs were free-fed kibble (they are on PMR now).

On the 6th week the big road trip was finally here. It's about 700 miles one-way and would be the ultimate test for her. By this time, she would actually get into the car by herself and she would sit quietly as I put her harness on. So the morning of the trip, we got up before sunrise, I put their dogs beds in the back seat, they hopped in the car, I got them strapped in, and we were off. I decided to leave before sunrise since I figured the dogs would probably sleep easier on the first leg of the trip if it was dark.

It was like she had been doing it all her life, no problems, no anxiety, no stress. She curled up in her bed and went to sleep until we made the first potty stop about 120 miles into the trip. When we stopped, they got out and did their business, had a drink of water, and we were off. 

And so it was for the rest of the trip, and every one since then.

I think the key with a dog that has difficulty riding in a car is to give them the chance to get used to it slowly and frequently using short trips as often as possible. After awhile they will become acclimated and riding in a car will just become a part of their normal life.


----------



## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestions. We already didn't plan on feeding her the morning of the drive, I just didn't know if that would solve anything. (an upset tummy without throwing up is still an upset tummy)


I know I need to acclimate her, I just didn't have time to before this trip, and didn't have the option to leave her home. (I'm really not comfortable leaving a puppy so young in a afcility) 

She's got a long way to go. She's smart, but boy is she afraid of EVERYTHING.


----------



## mstngchic2012 (Jan 30, 2010)

I don't mean to hijack the thread but Mater gets car sick just going to the vet which is 30 minutes away... some times he get's sick twice just going one way. We won't feed him knowing that he has to ride in the car but he still gets sick. Are there other calming aids, possibly home remedy calming aids that we can give him?


----------



## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

One other thing that the boyfriend mentioned that I didn't think of...cracking the windows a bit. It might not make a huge difference, but I would imagine that some fresh air couldn't hurt. :wink:


----------



## mstngchic2012 (Jan 30, 2010)

Cracking the window doesn't help. I'm assuming Mater just gets so excited and worked up he makes himself sick. He will start drooling excessively the whole time his is in the car... it's totally gross because it's like a drool fountain YUCK!


----------



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

I remember Uno used to puke for few months after I got him, but he eventually grew out of it, though I noticed that whenever I watch my neighbors dogs and one of them always gets very anxious in the car and starts drooling, I bring Uno along which helps to relax him and he's fine the whole time. 
Theres also a product called Happy Traveler by Ark Naturals thats supposed to help with anxiety and motion sickness.


----------



## spookychick13 (Jan 26, 2010)

You could try a child's dose of Dramamine, that sometimes helps.

I bet it's something she'll grow out of.


----------



## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Chelsy used to get so horribly car sick that we had to drug her. The thing that finally cured her carsickness was changing her to a regular wire crate that gave her full ventilation and full views (she had been in an airline style plastic crate), and making sure she could see out the windows while we drove. Since she has been in the wire crate and can see out the windows, she hasn't been sick yet and we have taken her on three hours trips. This is a dog that used to get sick on a ten minute trip down the road.

I don't know if that will work for anyone else but it worked for her. I tried to think of her like a person and I know I get carsick if I don't look straight out the windows.


----------



## BabyHusky (Jul 21, 2008)

same response as a few of the other posters as well.

gave car sick pups dramamine but the ones that had it all got used to car rides eventually and grew out of it.


----------

