Carsick Dogs

[Jagmandave]

We have two miniture Poodles, 5 years old, one of whom gets carsick. She doesn't throw up, but she hangs her head, whines, whimpers and is generally stressed out, and can't seem to be comforted for more than a few moments. When we take a longer drive, after about 20 minutes she lays down and either goes to sleep or is quiet. But, as soon as we slow down for an exit or to pay a toll or for any other reason, the whole process starts again. We have tried to condition her by taking her for very short rides to the park and so on, and ususally on the way home from these trips she' s pretty OK, but if we head for the highway even after a walk in the park, the process starts up again. We're planning to drive from KC to North Carolina to visit grandkids next month and we want to take the girls with us, but I'm concerned that the trip might not be doable, or that we might make her worse. The longest trip we took was about a 3 hour drive to Arkansas, where she followed the pattern of unhappy for 20 min then quiet till we stopped or slowed down.....

We've also had them in the crate, but she still follows the same pattern.

I'm pretty sure it's just an insecurity issue, as she's much better if I let her ride in my lap, but I'm not gonna drive all the way to NC with a dog on my lap. besides not being very comfortable, it's not safe........

I've done some online reading and they seem to follow two paths, the slow acclimitazation process that we've been following or drugs. I'm not anxious to drug her, but...........

Anyone have any other tips that have worked for you?

 

[dmccarty]

JagMan,

What Fred said. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

We used to use Benadryl on the dogs that had issues with thunder. It certainly took the edge off for them and helped them and use get some sleep.

Talk to the vet and see what they say.

Later,
Dan

 

[Boondox]

Carsickness is a continuum ranging from vomiting down to restlessness. An old folk remedy for nausea is ginger, so we give a couple of ginger snaps to our dogs thirty minutes before a trip. Works wonders with no sedation or mood changes.

Pete (and Molson, Harley, Glenfiddich, Tuppence & Tadcaster)

 

[Freds]

Well that's getting filed in the memory banks.
Do you know if Ginger works on people, too, or is it just a dog thing. I'm curious if it would have any affect on a person prone to sea sickness.... maybe ginger brandy? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Sigarms]

Where are you headed to in N.C /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Jagmandave]

Thanks fro the tip on the ginger snaps, we aren't going till later on in April, so I'll have a chance to give that a try.

We're going to see our grandkids for a week in Hendersonville, 15 miles or so south of Asheville...........

 

[ronjhall]

Ginger is my wife's favorite remedy for avoiding seasickness. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Here is some info. Click Here
Ginger Brandy may be good for a cough.
Click Here By the time its ready to use, cough may be gone. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
I will have to try Pete's suggestion of Ginger Snaps on our dog. She wants to sleep within 15 minutes of riding in a car.

 

[Freds]

Thanks for the links, Ron /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[tjkadar]

What size car are you driving? I know our dogs will get sick if they ride in the Miata. If they are in the truck, they are happy campers.

 

[PineRidge]

Don't think what you're describing is unusual. One of our two dogs loves to travel and hang her head out the window to feel the air in her face.

The other hides as soon as we mention car. We need to take a large beach blanket along for her as she has been car sick many times. The vet said that it's not all that uncommon.

 

[Jagmandave]

We have an Audi Allroad wagon.
We have tried several combinations - second row of seats flat with sheepskins for them to lay on, so they can get a grip and not slide around. This puts them close to us, which feeds the insecure one's anxieties, since she can see us but can't get to us.

We've tried putting them in the cage in the very back - she claws at the bars of the cage constantly, and sits on top of the other one. We've also tried putting them in the back without the cage.

And we've tried putting them in the middle with the cage door open and facing them, so they could go in if they wanted too.........

The sounds and motions seem to lull them both after a while, but when it changes - as in slowing down for an exit or a toll both, then it all starts up again for another 20 min or so.

The ginger snaps idea seems worth trying, and we have over a month before we go, so I'm going to try them and see what happens........

Appreciate all the ideas and comments!

 

[hazmat]

One thing I remember from college (besides how to tap a keg) is that auto suspensions are tuned to have a resonant frequency above the natural frequency of adult humans (ie the frequency which makes us quesy as our guts are bouncing around inside our bodies).

This is why small children & small pets get carsick (they have a higher frequency). It is also why kids literally "grow out of it".

The previous suggestion to try a different vehicle very well could work. Or upgrade to "standard" poodle from the "minature" /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif (Just kidding)...

 

[Jagmandave]

Appreciate all the ideas and contributions........

As to the different car idea, same behavior happpens in my Lexus ES 300 and my Tundra ...............

 

[DUMBDOG]

Could it be that your dogs would prefer a domestic ride over the imported vehicles? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif