Curing Car Sickness

 Car sickness in dogs can be a mess and frustrating problem. You want to take your pet to the woods or the seaside but every time you make a journey the dog thows up in the car. Just as children are prone to car sickness, so a puppy is more likely to be sick than an adult dog but there are a number of things that you can try to cure him of the problem.

Oops...my tummy's not too good ! There are plenty of things to try when looking for a solution to pet car sickness

D.A.P. (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) can help your dog to overcome car sickness. It brings a degree of calm and serenity which can be very useful when dealing with dogs that are stressed by travelling in a car. Spraying some DAP into his cage or around where he should travel can definitely help, as could the wearing of a DAP collar.

The normal advice when trying to cure car sickness is to introduce the puppy gradually to the car. Begin by just sitting in the car with the puppy and with the engine off. Do this for a few days, increasing the time slightly each day then one day start the engine, let it run for a minute or two then turn it off again. Do this for a few days until the big day comes and the car actually moves. For this you're either going to need a friend to hold the pup, a cage for him to travel in, a "doggy seat belt" to restrain him if you want him to travel in the front seat or a pet barrier between the front and rear seats. Whatever you do, don't let him run loose in the car, you'd be simply asking for an accident. This first trip should be very short, only a few minutes. Each trip can be a little longer and hopefully in no time at all you'll have a happy, healthy traveller.

A few other things to try :

• Make sure that there's a window open so that the dog has some fresh air
• Make the trips fun - Don't only use the car for trips to the vet
• Make sure that the pup is travelling on an empty stomach
• On long journeys make frequent stops for the dog to walk and have a drink
• Some dogs travel much better on the front seat but make sure that they are restrained
• Try covering the windows if he's in the back of the car, sometimes the passing scenery makes the dog sick
• Your vet might suggest a drug such as Dramamine, but check with him first for dosage, instructions etc
• If all else fails take heart that most pups grow out of being sick in the car as they get older