# Car sickness - please help!



## littlecrab (Jun 6, 2010)

Hi - I am new on here - have been reading posts for a while - which have been invaluable - really helping me with my little girl. BUT I now have one major problem that I really don't know how to move forwards with so I thought I would try posting on here. Car sickness! When we first got Nala - we had a 4 hour plus journey home (she was 7.5 wks old) and she was sick about 6 or 7 times the whole way home. We did the whole put her in the car every day thing, little journeys, used rescue remedy, DAP spray, feeding her in car etc etc - at that time she used to shake like mad too - was really frightened - and used to be sick and have diarohhea so we thought it was fear rather than actual car sickness. Then at about 3 months - someone gave me some fab advice - stick her in the front footwell of the passenger seat in a big beanbag type bed so she feels safe, can see you - and can't sway around. This seemed to work instantly - for next 3 weeks - could take her anywhere, even having food in her stomach - stopped drooling, stopped being sick, happy and calm. I thought I had cracked it. THEN... about 2 weeks ago - she suddenly started drooling again and was sick in the car - I hadn't changed ANYTHING - still in front, still on beanbag etc - the only thing I could say was it was a very hot day. Since then - she has gone back to drooling, - have had to go right back to short journeys again. the dog trainer I do puppy classes with thought it might be the hot day - and now she has been sick once - its a behaviour cycle I need to break again - but it's two weeks later and she is not getting any better. A couple of things I have noticed - one - she is perfectly happy to get in the car these days - jumps in - no shaking - calm - so I don't think it can be a fear thing now - and secondly - I take her on short drive to lovely place for walk - and then on way home - she doesn't drool half so much - I guess cos she is tired - so risk of being sick seems much less on way home. 
Further problem now to add to things - she is getting too big - legs too long to fit in footwell - so am wondering if this is the problem - she is not comfy? - tried sitting her on the passenger seat - but really not enough room on there either to lie down - her legs are getting so long (she is now 4 months). So ANYBODY - pls - I know I have written a lot - but wanted to give you the full picture - if anyone has any tips/ideas to help me get over this - I would be SO grateful. I need her to go in the car quite a bit -so it really isn't an option to give up!!
I look forward to hearing some advice.
Thanks a lot.


----------



## barrel browner (Jul 30, 2009)

Welcome x 
We had a similar problem with Purdey in the car so we put her in the boot (removed the parcel shelf) attached her harness to the metal rings on the car and she's happy as anything safe secure and she's got a flat surface to balance on. We found in the car on the seats she was swaying all over the place and in the footwell she could only see me not where she was going..At least in the boot she could sit up and watch where she was going or lie down to sleep we've put blankets down then on top a picnic blanket which has plastic backing so if she did have any sickness etc I am not washing the whole lot! I will admit I was not happy at first with putting my baby(puppy) in the boot it just didn't feel right but she was happier,safer and I wasn't being distracted while driving. We did buy a car seat harness for her when she was about 6/7 months but that once again she was sick so back in the boot she went...Purdey has been in the boot since 11/12 weeks and now 1yr old I can honestly say she's never had car sickness while she's been in the boot! 
It worked for us- good luck
BB


----------



## littlecrab (Jun 6, 2010)

hmmm... I started off with her in the boot in the first place - first loose - then in a crate - and she was so sick and poo - and everything!! - total nightmare - which is how come I ended up moving her to the front - and how it stopped in the first place - do you think I should try moving her back to the back again then - now she is bigger?...


----------



## barrel browner (Jul 30, 2009)

You could try it again... sounds like you've got nothing to loose. 
My jack Russell ten years ago never liked the car everything and anything we tried failed...so like humans ..dogs sometimes never like travelling.. 
hope you find something that works for you
BB


----------



## sarahaf (Aug 17, 2009)

If you haven't already, I would also talk with your vet. Sometimes they just have tricks we haven't thought of (or meds, if needed).


----------



## Vespasia (Apr 19, 2010)

Hally has not ever had any trouble in the car, but I thought I'd share a little story that may be beneficial to you as well!

Hally's best friend is a 13 month old Husky/German Sheppard cross. This dog has always been terrified to ride in the car. When she was a pup, she would sit in the seat-well as you said you've tried and that seemed to help too, but as you can imagine, she eventually got too big and had to go in the back seat. Even when her owners sat in the back seat with her, she would still be extremely anxious in the car, would drool and would vomit. It didn't matter how long the distance, what car she was in, who was driving, whether she was belted in...nothing. This dog hated the car.

Anyway, one day this dog's owners were watching Hally for me and they needed to go somewhere in the car about 10 kilometeres away. Hally jumped right up into the car and was excited to go, but the other dog was still afraid and hesitant to get in the car as per normal. BUT, once she got in the car and presumably because she saw that Hally was completely cool in the car, she stopped drooling, stopped whining and stopped puking. She was completely fine on that 10km drive (and the 10Km drive home) and has not had ONE SINGLE issue in the car since that day with Hally. 

The moral of the story is that dogs learn things from each other MUCH quicker than they learn things from us. If you know of a friend or a family member who has a dog that your V has met and likes and who is cool in the car, I would try taking a ride with them both together to see if this works for you as well. Way better than giving your dog medication to keep them calm and better than having a stressed dog everytime you want to take them somewhere.
Good luck!


----------



## littlecrab (Jun 6, 2010)

oh gosh - I hate to sound so negative - but I have another dog - who is totally cool in the car!!! - and it makes NO difference! I have just taken her out today again - on way out she sat in footwell - but after a while got up onto front seat - drooled whole way - I kept wiping her drool away - to try and stop the temptation to vomit. On way home - she sat on the front seat - but drooled like mad - and despite my keep wiping her mouth to get rid of the drool - she finally was sick about 500ms from the house - luckily I caught it in a towel! The thing I have to emphasize is she doesn't seem frightened at all - no anxiety or stress - no shaking - happy to get in car - but soon as we are in there - drool!! - I am feeling really depressed - I just don't know what to do - and the kids have a fit everytime she is sick - they find it very distressing - then they say they feel sick - etc etc.


----------



## Big Rick (Apr 14, 2009)

Dexter used to get very sick in the car. Our vet prescribed meclazine which worked great. Now he's 15 months old and doesn't get sick any more. You can buy meclazine at the drugstore. Dramamine is a brand name for it.

Scarlet has never had a problem with motion sickness.


----------



## littlecrab (Jun 6, 2010)

I shall ask my vet if we have this in the UK - thank you.


----------



## littlecrab (Jun 6, 2010)

ok - so they won't prescribe this in the UK - in fact they won't prescribe anything for day to day travel - just if you are going on a one off long trip! - So not much help going to the vets - instead they persuaded me to try a DAP collar instead of the spray - much stronger and more effective they said ((£26.50 !!) - and this has made no difference either... ???


----------



## Kimm992 (Apr 20, 2010)

My Aunt's dog used to get SO car sick!

She started giving her dog ginger candies each time they went into the car it completely stopped it!

It works in more than one way too - if the dog is scared of the car then it teaches it that the car is a positive experience (car ride = treat) and the ginger settles the stomach!

It's worth a try!!


----------



## calum (Feb 13, 2008)

Phoebe got car sick all the time when she was a puppy but she grew out of it and now never gets any car sickness at all.

Is your V a puppy? They may grow out of it.


----------



## littlecrab (Jun 6, 2010)

yes she is a puppy - 4 months old - and everyone keeps telling me she'll grow out of it. As regards the ginger candies - not sure what these are?... - again is this something you get in America? someone also told me to try putting lemon juice on her tongue - helps to control the drooling because she will want to lick it up - but I feel this might be a little cruel?..!


----------



## Kimm992 (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm in Canada and you can pretty much get candied ginger at any grocery store. You could try ginger cookies too - that may work.


----------



## barrel browner (Jul 30, 2009)

Purdey is on ZYLKENE for stress - I know you say she isn't stressed but maybe this could help?? 
You can get it from the vets or buy online (cheaper) goes by the weight of your dog.
I know how desperate you become when you exhausted every suggestion (I ve been there) but hang in there....... there will be a solution we've just got to find it for you! 
BB


----------

