Motion sickness on car rides - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Angel1490 · 11-15-2012, 05:12 PM

Is there anything that i can do for my little girl for motion sickness on car rides? She tends to get sick in the car even on short 10-15 minute trips to the vet or groomer and even if she hasn't eaten recently. Unfortunately, I live 6 hours away from my family and am going home for the holidays. She will be coming with me as I do not want to leave her boarded for that long. I was just curious if there's anything to help her with the trip. I don't want her to start thinking that car rides are bad because she gets sick every time but don't know what to do. Any advice would be welcomed.

Angel's mommy

daddy's little army brat

Verbena · 11-16-2012, 05:23 AM

Found this list. I hope it will help

Help your dog face forward while traveling by strapping him or her into the seat with a specially designed canine seatbelt.
If you buckle your dog into the front passenger seat, position the seat as far as possible from the dashboard or disable the passenger air bag, which can be hazardous to dogs.
Lower car windows a few inches to equalize the inside and outside air pressures.
Keep the vehicle cool.
Limit your dog’s food and water consumption before travel.
Give your dog a treat or two every time he or she gets into the car.
Give your dog a toy that he or she enjoys and can have only in the car.
Give your dog a one- to two-week break from car rides.
Use a different vehicle to avoid triggering your dog’s negative response to your usual vehicle.
Take short car rides to places a dog enjoys, such as the park, especially if your dog associates car rides only with trips to the veterinarian’s office.
Gradually build up a dog’s tolerance to car rides. The following steps should take a few days to a week:

Accustom your dog to approaching the car without getting in it.
Spend time with your dog in the car with the engine off.
Take short trips (e.g., around the block).
Take longer trips. Reward your dog with praise and/or treats every time he or she does something well.

Wallee · 11-16-2012, 05:30 AM

I am also experiencing this with Wallee. I have a harness that buckles into the seat belt for safety and try taking him out on short trips. He gets excited when I say "do you want to go in the car" but as soon as we get moving he starts shaking and whining. He has been sick a couple times on longer trips but even on short ones, he gets so stressed out. I am hoping to keep trying to take him out almost daily and praying that he will eventually get used to the car.

Princess keke · 11-16-2012, 07:38 AM

This happened to Honey but the only way I can stop her from getting sick is by letting her ride in my lap. I know its not the safest thing but it is the only thing that works. She is very still in the car and just lays on my lap and goes to sleep. I dont know if you want to try it or not but it works for us. Also when I get on the road I dont let her eat anything but 11 of her hard dog food. Also if you are willing to stop every so often. Stop at a park or an open area for about ten mins every hour or hour half and that might work also but it would make you 6 hour trip longer. Hope this helps.

Cirlonde · 11-17-2012, 11:06 AM

My vet recommended Dramamine for our dog who gets carsick but for now she is too small (only four months old and 3.5 lbs) for us to get the dosage right so the vet gave us a liquid medicine instead. I'll have to look at the bottle...can't recall the name. We've only used it once for a 2.5 hour car trip, but it seemed to work. The hard thing with Karli is that she doesn't seem to mind the car rides themselves or have a negative association with them which means that most of the above listed recommendations didn't work for us. She's perfectly happy in the car until she gets sick, then she throws up and goes right back to being perfectly happy until the next time she throws up. Not feeding her before a trip only helps in that she only throws up bile (and in smaller amounts) rather than throwing up massive amounts of dog food!

Good luck! Having a car sick dog is the worst; we visit my family every month and they live 2.5 hours away from us...it sucks!
-C

dottiesyrky · 11-17-2012, 03:46 PM

So sorry to hear of your baby's problem, sad for you and her. There is a drug called "Cerenia" that really worked for nausea with my dog who was throwing up from gastritis after surgery. There seemed to be no side effects and it did a great job. The drug is really for motion sickness in dogs and if the right dose can be prescribed, may work for your baby?
Hope something is found that makes traveling better for all of you. Good luck!

MikeyPuppy · 12-19-2012, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wallee

I am also experiencing this with Wallee. I have a harness that buckles into the seat belt for safety and try taking him out on short trips. He gets excited when I say "do you want to go in the car" but as soon as we get moving he starts shaking and whining. He has been sick a couple times on longer trips but even on short ones, he gets so stressed out. I am hoping to keep trying to take him out almost daily and praying that he will eventually get used to the car.

Mikey experiences extreme nervousness on car rides. He used to whine and yip (loudly..ouch) until he was able to get into my lap, which is not ideal for driving. On our trip from Michigan to Alabama, a whopping 19 hour drive, I had to have my vet prescribe sedatives from Mikey. I felt kinda bad that I had to sedate my poor pup, but the vet assured me it would not harm him. It actually turned out to be quite comical as he pretty much looked high as balls 0.o
Anyway, I would suggest this for longer trips as it worked out great for Mikey (no side effects at all! it wore off after a few hours). As far as just trips around town, taking him more frequently might work after a while, but if you are impatient like me, you can visit thundershirt.com. We have one for both dogs in my family and it works like a charm! Mikey does so much better on short trips to the vet and groomers now. He hasn't quite warmed up totally, but he is okay with staying in the passenger seat or back seat and not demanding to be in my lap while I am driving. He still shakes a bit and every once in a while he will yip. But it is a great improvement from what he did before which is pretty much what you describe of Wallee! Good luck!

lillymae · 12-26-2012, 12:13 AM

Is your baby traveling where he/she can see out the window ? if not this could be the problem. Some dogs can not ride in the car in a crate or on your car seat & need a doggie carseat so they can see out the window. Sounds crazy but it works & there have been many threads here on YT on this topic.

lynzy420 · 12-26-2012, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lillymae

Is your baby traveling where he/she can see out the window ? if not this could be the problem. Some dogs can not ride in the car in a crate or on your car seat & need a doggie carseat so they can see out the window. Sounds crazy but it works & there have been many threads here on YT on this topic.

Good information, I looked at some of the other threads and I didn't know this. My Miss Mia gets sick in the car almost immediately, I have her down on the seat still. I will have to rush to buy that booster seat for her too!

katy-yorkie · 12-26-2012, 06:30 PM

I've read here on YT that ginger snaps will help with car sickness. I usually have to medicate Buster for a long trip...he has the big booster car seat and can see out of the window but unless he's in my lap, he's very vocal.

Marhcarter · 12-27-2012, 02:19 AM

Huey still gets car sick occasionally, but it is usually on twisty turny mountain roads. The pukage decreased dramatically when I got him a car seat where he can see out the window. It also helps to have the a/c blowing where he can put his face in it. Many times he just curls up in his secure car seat and goes to sleep, but he is a terrible back seat driver and jumps up to look out the window every time you turn a sharp corner or brake harder than he thinks you should.

107barney · 12-27-2012, 04:23 AM

Teddy is ok in the snoozer seat but I'm considering trying a thunder shirt for car rides before resorting to medications.

Catherine M · 02-01-2013, 11:02 AM

I have read all your comments and my Bella gets sick, nervous, won't sit in her
carrier in the back seat shakes so bad that we have to pull over. I tried to keep her
in my lap in her bed ( not the safest thing ) but she is always moving she wants
up, down and when she looks out the window she barks at the cars she sees. We have used Dramamine, Cerenia, ACE ( the worst for side effects..she messed herself ) our Vet put her on Valerian for awhile, then Rescue Remedy ( non alcohol)
so we basically stay home, we have a 6 hr trip from UT to CA soon and I dred it
she loves getting in the car and going places but get over excited. We have tried Valium and Xanax which we give her when the Gardener comes ( seriously ) she
is that high strung. I have tried everything...any other suggestions. Thank you
Yorkie lovers.

Calypso · 03-07-2013, 06:57 AM

Our little guy would get car sick to weather he was in his kennel or crate. The only way he doesn't get sick is on my knee. Not the safest and if weather was bad it would not happen but it's the only way.

cherryblossom · 03-07-2013, 08:32 AM

this is what i used for kyia in the car, please use 15 minutes before you go in car for high anxiety. now kyia freaks out in the car, scratches at my neck etc.. she slept all the way to Sudbury a six hour drive on this stuff. i gave her drops every 30 minutes i beleive until she was real calm, then stopped and gave every hour. then stopped. it was amazing!

dr,good pet calm

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11-15-2012, 05:12 PM	#1
Angel1490 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Lawton Posts: 8	Motion sickness on car rides Is there anything that i can do for my little girl for motion sickness on car rides? She tends to get sick in the car even on short 10-15 minute trips to the vet or groomer and even if she hasn't eaten recently. Unfortunately, I live 6 hours away from my family and am going home for the holidays. She will be coming with me as I do not want to leave her boarded for that long. I was just curious if there's anything to help her with the trip. I don't want her to start thinking that car rides are bad because she gets sick every time but don't know what to do. Any advice would be welcomed. Angel's mommy daddy's little army brat

11-17-2012, 11:06 AM	#5
Cirlonde YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Norman, Oklahoma, United States Posts: 402	My vet recommended Dramamine for our dog who gets carsick but for now she is too small (only four months old and 3.5 lbs) for us to get the dosage right so the vet gave us a liquid medicine instead. I'll have to look at the bottle...can't recall the name. We've only used it once for a 2.5 hour car trip, but it seemed to work. The hard thing with Karli is that she doesn't seem to mind the car rides themselves or have a negative association with them which means that most of the above listed recommendations didn't work for us. She's perfectly happy in the car until she gets sick, then she throws up and goes right back to being perfectly happy until the next time she throws up. Not feeding her before a trip only helps in that she only throws up bile (and in smaller amounts) rather than throwing up massive amounts of dog food! Good luck! Having a car sick dog is the worst; we visit my family every month and they live 2.5 hours away from us...it sucks! -C __________________ (`•.¸Proud Momma of Chloe Belle and Karli Sue¸.•´) ~.•* Jersey's Four Leaf Clovers *•.~

11-17-2012, 03:46 PM	#6
dottiesyrky Donating YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: SW USA Posts: 2,505	Car sick So sorry to hear of your baby's problem, sad for you and her. There is a drug called "Cerenia" that really worked for nausea with my dog who was throwing up from gastritis after surgery. There seemed to be no side effects and it did a great job. The drug is really for motion sickness in dogs and if the right dose can be prescribed, may work for your baby? Hope something is found that makes traveling better for all of you. Good luck!

12-26-2012, 06:30 PM	#10
katy-yorkie Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Katy, Texas USA Posts: 1,458	I've read here on YT that ginger snaps will help with car sickness. I usually have to medicate Buster for a long trip...he has the big booster car seat and can see out of the window but unless he's in my lap, he's very vocal. __________________ Jeanie, mom to Buster and Maggie

12-27-2012, 02:19 AM	#11
Marhcarter ♡Huey's Human♡ Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Ringgold, Ga Posts: 3,333	Huey still gets car sick occasionally, but it is usually on twisty turny mountain roads. The pukage decreased dramatically when I got him a car seat where he can see out the window. It also helps to have the a/c blowing where he can put his face in it. Many times he just curls up in his secure car seat and goes to sleep, but he is a terrible back seat driver and jumps up to look out the window every time you turn a sharp corner or brake harder than he thinks you should. __________________ Huey's mom, Marilyn :When a day starts & ends with puppy kisses, I can handle anything that comes in between!

11-16-2012, 05:23 AM	#2
Verbena Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: with my flying monkeys Posts: 15,620 Blog Entries: 7	Found this list. I hope it will help Help your dog face forward while traveling by strapping him or her into the seat with a specially designed canine seatbelt. If you buckle your dog into the front passenger seat, position the seat as far as possible from the dashboard or disable the passenger air bag, which can be hazardous to dogs. Lower car windows a few inches to equalize the inside and outside air pressures. Keep the vehicle cool. Limit your dog’s food and water consumption before travel. Give your dog a treat or two every time he or she gets into the car. Give your dog a toy that he or she enjoys and can have only in the car. Give your dog a one- to two-week break from car rides. Use a different vehicle to avoid triggering your dog’s negative response to your usual vehicle. Take short car rides to places a dog enjoys, such as the park, especially if your dog associates car rides only with trips to the veterinarian’s office. Gradually build up a dog’s tolerance to car rides. The following steps should take a few days to a week: Accustom your dog to approaching the car without getting in it. Spend time with your dog in the car with the engine off. Take short trips (e.g., around the block). Take longer trips. Reward your dog with praise and/or treats every time he or she does something well.

11-16-2012, 05:30 AM	#3
Wallee Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: whitby, On, Canada Posts: 1,129	I am also experiencing this with Wallee. I have a harness that buckles into the seat belt for safety and try taking him out on short trips. He gets excited when I say "do you want to go in the car" but as soon as we get moving he starts shaking and whining. He has been sick a couple times on longer trips but even on short ones, he gets so stressed out. I am hoping to keep trying to take him out almost daily and praying that he will eventually get used to the car.

11-16-2012, 07:38 AM	#4
Princess keke YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Dallas Posts: 536 Blog Entries: 1	This happened to Honey but the only way I can stop her from getting sick is by letting her ride in my lap. I know its not the safest thing but it is the only thing that works. She is very still in the car and just lays on my lap and goes to sleep. I dont know if you want to try it or not but it works for us. Also when I get on the road I dont let her eat anything but 11 of her hard dog food. Also if you are willing to stop every so often. Stop at a park or an open area for about ten mins every hour or hour half and that might work also but it would make you 6 hour trip longer. Hope this helps.

12-26-2012, 12:13 AM	#8
lillymae YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Idaho Posts: 4,544	Is your baby traveling where he/she can see out the window ? if not this could be the problem. Some dogs can not ride in the car in a crate or on your car seat & need a doggie carseat so they can see out the window. Sounds crazy but it works & there have been many threads here on YT on this topic.

12-27-2012, 04:23 AM	#12
107barney T. Bumpkins & Co. Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New England Posts: 9,816	Teddy is ok in the snoozer seat but I'm considering trying a thunder shirt for car rides before resorting to medications. __________________ T. Bumpkins & Co. Washable Doggie Pee Pads (Save 10% Enter YTSAVE10 at checkout) Cathy, Teddy, Winston and Baby Clyde...RIP angels Barney and Daisy

02-01-2013, 11:02 AM	#13
Catherine M Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: La Quinta CA USA Posts: 32	I have read all your comments and my Bella gets sick, nervous, won't sit in her carrier in the back seat shakes so bad that we have to pull over. I tried to keep her in my lap in her bed ( not the safest thing ) but she is always moving she wants up, down and when she looks out the window she barks at the cars she sees. We have used Dramamine, Cerenia, ACE ( the worst for side effects..she messed herself ) our Vet put her on Valerian for awhile, then Rescue Remedy ( non alcohol) so we basically stay home, we have a 6 hr trip from UT to CA soon and I dred it she loves getting in the car and going places but get over excited. We have tried Valium and Xanax which we give her when the Gardener comes ( seriously ) she is that high strung. I have tried everything...any other suggestions. Thank you Yorkie lovers.

03-07-2013, 06:57 AM	#14
Calypso Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Canada Posts: 125	Our little guy would get car sick to weather he was in his kennel or crate. The only way he doesn't get sick is on my knee. Not the safest and if weather was bad it would not happen but it's the only way.

03-07-2013, 08:32 AM	#15
cherryblossom No Longer a Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 233	this is what i used for kyia in the car, please use 15 minutes before you go in car for high anxiety. now kyia freaks out in the car, scratches at my neck etc.. she slept all the way to Sudbury a six hour drive on this stuff. i gave her drops every 30 minutes i beleive until she was real calm, then stopped and gave every hour. then stopped. it was amazing! dr,good pet calm Product Browser