Having a dog that gets car sickness isn’t fun when you need to travel with your dog. I am going to provide you with dog car sickness remedies, how you can prevent car sickness for dogs and signs that your dog is suffering from car sickness.
Generally, it is most common for puppies or younger dogs who will suffer from car sickness. T
his is because their vestibular system, which helps with their equilibrium, isn’t fully developed yet. As dogs get older, car sickness will go away for most dogs.
Table of Contents
Signs Your Dog Has Car Sickness
Vomiting when riding in a car is the most obvious sign that your dog has car sickness, but not all dogs will vomit.
- Vomiting when on car ride
- Excessive licking of their lips
- Whining or crying
- Yawning
- Excessive drooling
How To Prevent Your Dog From Car Sickness
If you have a pup who suffers from car sickness, there are a few things that you can do to help with the situation.
Start taking short trips in the car with you dog, prior to having to take them on a longer trip.
If the only place that you have ever given your dog a ride to is the veterinarian’s office, they might have anxiety with car rides and associate them with the vet’s office only. This will also help if they have had any traumatic experiences that they associate with travel.
Take breaks. When traveling, frequently take breaks and let you dog get outside for some fresh air.
Your dog seeing out the window will help them with car sickness
Limit the amount of food and water you give your dog prior to going on a road trip with them. This will help them to not get an upset stomach.
Lower the car windows a few inches to equalize the pressure in the car.
Keep your vehicle cool.
Make sure your dog can see out the window. If they can focus on where they are going, by seeing outside, the movement of the vehicle won’t affect them as much.
If your dog is used to and comfortable in a crate, have your dog ride in their crate. It can be reassuring to them and someplace they feel safe if they are regularly using a crate at home. Nervous dogs tend to move around a lot, which can make their stomach more upset. The crate will help them from moving around.
If your dog is just a puppy, or a smaller dog, if you have an extra person in the car, have someone hold them. They will be able to see out the window, the arms wrapped around them will help them feel secure, and it will prevent them from moving around.
You can also take anti anxiety measures. There are calming collars available that work from the body heat of your dog to release calming pheromones. These also work great for dogs that suffer from separation anxiety or other anxieties.
There are also pressure wraps for dogs. It gives your dog gentle pressure like swaddling an infant. Works great for travel, fireworks, thunder and separation anxieties.
What To Do For A Car Sick Dog
You are able to give a dog that experiences car sickness Dramamine. The same product that people take for motion sickness. You should give it to your dog at least an hour before you will be traveling. It is best to check with your veterinarian for the proper dosage.
Prepare before you leave to help prevent car sickness for your dog.
Ginger works great for helping with an upset tummy for dogs and people. There is a variety of ways that you could give your dog ginger. The easiest way, would be to give your dog a treat that has ginger in it. You should give this to your dog at least 30 minutes before traveling with your dog.
If you are looking to purchase a ginger treat, I would recommend Distinctive Dog. They have an apple ginger snap dog treat that is only made with natural ingredients. There is no gluten grains and it is made in the United States. You can purchase it directly from Amazon on the link below.
If you are a bit more adventurous, you can make your own dog treats with ginger in them.
Ginger Pumpkin Dog Treats
You can whip up a batch of these treats for your dog that they will love, and the ginger will keep their stomach settled for your trip.
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 cup pumpkin
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees
- Combine flour and ginger and set aside
- In a bowl, use a mixer to combine pumpkin, egg and coconut oil. Add flour mixture and mix until crumbly. With mixer on low, slowly add water 1 Tablespoon at a time until dough comes together, but is not sticky.
- On a flour covered cutting board, roll dough to 1/4″ thickness. Cut with 3″ cookie cutter. If using bone shape, press holes in center of treat with fork.
- Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until bottoms are lightly browned, about 2 1/2 hours. Treats should feel firm when pressed. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container.
For more dog treat recipes, go to free easy dog treat recipes.
Summary
If you know your dog has car sickness issues, it is best to plan ahead to prevent car sickness for dogs. I have provided you with several options for dog car sickness remedies that should help you be prepared ahead of time.
Most dogs will learn to love riding in the car.
I strongly recommend starting with short trips to help reduce the anxiety your dog might be experiencing and limiting the amount of food and water your dog has prior to taking a car trip.
As your dog gets older and more relaxed with riding in a car, I believe your dog will completely outgrow car sickness, or at least it should be not as severe.
Remember, you dog doesn’t like getting sick any more than you like it. Don’t get angry at them if they get sick in your car, just prepare ahead of time and reduce the chances of them getting sick.
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