If the dog is seasick, then the car ride turns into a real hell: dirty seats, an exhausted dog and an equally exhausted driver and passengers. For a comfortable journey with a pet, everything must be foreseen.
Nausea, vomiting, profuse salivation, rapid breathing, and anxiety are signs that your dog is feeling sick in the car. If such a problem arises, then the trip can be painful for both the pet and its owner. Preparing for your trip will help you overcome the problem and make your trip more comfortable.
1. Food for the dog before traveling by car
Some dog owners, knowing that their pet is seasick, try not to feed him half a day before departure. However, this approach can aggravate the situation and lead to the fact that the dog will vomit much more often and with white foam, which negatively affects health. It will be optimal, adhering to the usual diet, feed the pet a small portion of the portion. In this case, the dog's stomach will not be full, and the trip will be easier to transfer.
2. Use of drugs for motion sickness for dogs
If the dog is nauseous during the trip, it is recommended to give it a motion sickness medication 30-60 minutes before departure, which can be used by children. These means include "Dramina", "Aviamore", etc. If the pet is simply drooling, rapid breathing and anxiety, then it will be enough just to give him a sedative intended for dogs.
3. Preparing the car for the trip
When preparing your car for a ride with a rocking pet, you need to make sure that there are no strong odors in the cabin that provoke nausea. Air freshener, gasoline, tobacco smoke, or the scent of a bunch of flowers lying in the backseat - what people may think is insignificant or pleasant, the dog will cause nausea and vomiting.
In order not to stain the seats, it is necessary to spread a disposable diaper, towel or blanket, and also take spare ones with you.
4. The process of driving a dog
During the trip, it is necessary to adhere to a moderate driving style, try not to gain high speed and not brake very sharply. You should refrain from loud music or radio. If the pet is very worried and rushes around the cabin, trying to find a place for himself, or whines, then you need to calm him down by stroking his head, or talking to him in a calm voice. In no case should you scold him, shout or jerk him, trying to seat him in the "right place". It is hard for the dog, and it needs the support of the owner.
Some pets try to look out the window during the trip. Thus, they try to cope with motion sickness, so do not interfere with them.
5. Breaks
It is recommended to stop and walk the dog every 3-4 hours. The duration of such breaks should be at least 15 minutes. This time should be enough to walk, feed (if necessary) and water the dog, give it a motion sickness medicine or sedative.
6. Training
The main reason for motion sickness in dogs is a weak vestibular apparatus. Therefore, most often this problem occurs in dogs under one year old and in representatives of small breeds. Short distance training trips can help you cope with motion sickness. It is best to start with trips with pets to places of interest for them: to the forest, to the river, to the lake, to a picnic. Then the dog's car will be associated with something pleasant. Then the distances can be gradually increased, thereby training the vestibular apparatus.
Personal experience
The dog is 4 years old, breed - Chihuahua. We learned about the problem of motion sickness on the very first day: on the way from the breeder to the house (about 40 minutes away) he vomited 2 times. In the future, each trip turned into a real hell: he was drooling in a stream, he was terribly nauseous and constantly vomited. It was decided to train him. First, with the use of pills for motion sickness, they began to go for a walk in the woods or on the river 2-3 times a week. Then they began to travel to neighboring cities, gradually abandoning motion sickness pills. Now the dog tolerates long-distance trips and can travel more than 1000 km.
If it suddenly turns out that the dog is rocking, you should not give up on joint trips. Compliance with simple rules and training will allow you to reduce this problem to a minimum or get rid of it altogether.
