What is car sickness in dogs ? How do dogs become car sick? My dog gets car sick, what is the cause? If your dog is becoming sick in the car, this can most likely be caused by motion sickness. Dog car sickness is completely possible and is likely to cause your dog to feel poorly when riding in the car if not treated correctly. Motion sickness in dogs is most often seen in puppies and young dogs. This is due to lack of development in sensory structures. This means it is likely for your dog to experience motion sickness as a puppy and not as an adult dog. Find out more about car sickness in dogs below!
Help! My Dog Gets Car Sick
Symptoms of Motion Sickness in Dogs
Do you believe your dog may be experiencing dog car sickness, or motion sickness, while riding in the car? There are a number of symptoms associated with motion sickness in dogs. These may include whining, yawning, vomiting, inactivity and drooling. If your dog has most or all of these symptoms, you can try treating these using simple behavioral remedies.
Treating Motion Sickness in Dogs
So, your dog has most or maybe even all of the symptoms of motion sickness. Can this motion sickness to be treated? Yes, absolutely. You can do this by making the car ride as enjoyable as possible. You can ensure the dog is not near the windows. You can also open to windows to balance the air pressure outside and inside the car. A Kong toy is also very helpful. You can fill the Kong with the dog’s favorite snack which will keep her occupied throughout the car ride.
Use a Crate for a Car Sick Dog
Prior to resorting to medication for your dog, you could try to use a crate or pet carrier while traveling with your dog. Placement in a crate while traveling often helps the dog feel safe and tends to reduce anxiety, nausea and vomiting. Dogs also often have windows in new crates which may reduce motion sickness as well.
Visit the Veterinarian
Dogs who have a difficult time and experience car sickness in dogs, even with the mentioned suggestions, may be prescribed motion sickness medication by a veterinarian. These medications may be anti-nausea or some type of prescription drug to sedate the dog while going on a car ride. These should be used as a last resort, following attempting to solve the behavior with the aforementioned methods.
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Amber Johnson, Animal Behaviorist
Miss Amber Johnson has many years of experience with pets and is a licensed cat and dog nutrition and behavior specialist. She currently collaborates with PetPremium where she counsels clients in pet behavior and nutrition. The statements made in this article are the personal opinions of Miss Amber Johnson and based on independent experiences and could be different from the opinions of PetPremium Pet health Insurance or any other pet health insurance provider.