Dog Car Sickness

Dogs generally love to go on trips. And we as pet owners would probably take them more often if we didn't have to deal with dog car sickness. But if you've ever had to deal with the problem, you know all to well that having to clean up a mess with every ride can quickly take the joy out of the journey.

There are several causes of dog car sickness. Perhaps the most rare is that the animal truly does experience motion sickness. More common are the other causes. Some pets that are generally leaders, and the fact that they are no longer in control of their surroundings causes an illness. But the most common is the animal who gets sick because a car trip usually ends up in some sort of trauma. For instance, if the only time you take your pet for a ride is when you are going to the veterinarian, he will naturally associate the car with something bad.

Here's something to consider. Some dogs actually get sick on the way to see the vet, yet the ride home is uneventful. It should come as no surprise then that these animals, when driven in a different direction to the doctor, will often not get sick at all. So simply going a different way can help.

But most often fixing the problem is not so easy. If you are sure the problem is not emotion based, there are medications for motion sickness that have proven to be helpful. Two products that are very effective are PetAlive EasyTravel Solution and Pet Naturals of Vermont Natural Dog Daily Motion. These are especially handy on long trips. And if your dog tends to salivate a lot with the vomiting, there are prescription medications like atropine sulfate that your vet may recommend.

If however the problem seems to be behavioral or emotional, then it is incumbant on the pet owner to make efforts to correct this.

Getting back to the leader dog we mentioned earlier, the fix lies in training. As a dog owner you must be the "alpha" in the relationship. Teach your dog some basic commands. And don't simply pet your dog for on reason. This sounds harsh but it is only temporary. If you dog wants your attention, give him a command first. When he responds appropriately, then you can pet and love him. The same applies to when you simply want to pet your dog. Give him a small command first, then pet him once he completes the command. Doing this for a while will establish you as the leader. Once established, you can resume petting at will.

It will also help to give your dog short and happy car rides. Go around the block a couple of times a day. Act happy towards your pet throughout the trip. This will reinforce the fact that a car ride is a happy time. Continue with these twice daily trips for about 6 weeks, extending the distance and time a little each day. Oftentimes this will permanently correct the dog car sickness.

If even a short trip around the block causes a problem, start smaller. Just let your dog sit in the car with you while the motor is running, again reinforcing that this is happy time. Do this a couple of days before actually leaving the driveway.

You can correct car sickness, you just have to be patient.