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Hello All
My sister recently got a 3 year old dog. The dog is fabulous, but my sister can't go anywhere in the car as the dog is always sick on the seat a few miles into the journey. This is having a big effect on her life. My sister's life not the dog's. We have tried herbal calming pills, they don't work. For the dog not my sister. The ultra strength pills from the vet work a bit better, but can't be used frequently as I understand it. The dog hates the car. Can anyone offer any advice?
Can the dog see out of the windows?
We had this with our dog and found the Pet Remedy Spray worked (we didn't use the pills).
Spray in on a bandana and round her muzzle and she defo calmed down and stopped vomming.
Worth building up with short trips to "fun" places as the dog might be stressed rather than car sick and have negative connotations with the car.
Our dog does this on anything a bit longer then 15 mins in the car. Ginger biscuits with real ginger pieces in them seem to help things. The nice cookie expensive ones 🤣
Wind the window down?
Ours has done it from a pup. We tend to not feed her if we know we are going on a journey. She if far better in the Tourneos or the camper than in a car.
We have tried him so he can and cannot see out of the windows, with the window down, we take him to sit in the car when it isn't moving for familiarisation.
Re-condition the dog to make the car a ‘happy’ place - jumping in and out the boot for snacks and toys etc. Really short trips to places they like. We had a dog that as a puppy hated the car. Had to borrow a pick-up one weekend so he got to ride up front, nose out window - absolutely loved it. Avoid feeding them lots before long journeys.
It can take an age but is curable if you have the patience.
Just sit in the car with the dog whilst its stationary. Do this every day for a week or two until he visibly relaxes. Then,short drive around the block,returning home before he gets stressed. After a week or two of this then drive two blocks all the time returning home long before the dribbles start.He must be broken of the association with the car and sickness.
I had to go through this and it's a nightmare but after a few weeks or five I was able to drive my pup to a local wood where he ran so much he slept on the way back and wasn't bothered by the moving car.
Volvo by chance?
Folksfagen
We had this problem with our Springer. We tried everything, but nothing worked.
Someone told us about Thundershirts
We thought it was s bit of a gimick and very overpriced, but it cured the problem straight away. We used it for a few months and then gradually reduced it. We don't use it at all now, but always carry it in the car if we're going away and have a long journey.
Definitely recommended.
This is going to sound ridiculous but both ours used to throw up...someone said put newspaper down under them, and they won't throw up again....it worked. As I say, ridiculous, and probably just coincidence....but at least puke is easier to clean up on newspaper when it doesn't work 😂
My dog suffers with the same.
Lots of good ideas above but for my dog the only thing that has worked is managing his feeding times to tie in with any car journey. I try not to feed him for about 10 hours before any car journey and that's the only way he won't be sick. He has got use to missing the odd meal (he's gone a whole day without food due to a long trip) but he doesn't seem bothered by it and he gets excited about going in the vehicle.
I still have to cover the seats with towels and blankets as he will be sick if somebody gives him any food when we're out. My dog is 10 yrs old now and he has always been the same, he is a Rescue and his last owners tried everything to help with travel sickness but nothing worked.
He's still a very good boy though.
As above, give the dog a ginger biscuit before the journey. I was sceptical, but it does work.
Nothing really to add other than Bert doesnt mind being in the car - he preferred when I had a van as he'd sit on the passenger seat (teathered in) lording it over other dogs. Hope you get it sorted so you can do some awesome adventures without the barfing bit!
Mine is not sick but has toileted solids and liquids in the car.
I used to feed in there. Sat with her in there with the boot open, then took her for short trips to fun places.
She is much better than she was but she'd be happier never going in a car again.
It is restricting but I think some dogs just don't do travel.
One of our greyhounds would be sick and the spray shit around the boot even on a short drive.
We eventually had to re- home her (not due to this) when she was 9 and she never got out of it. The new owner, who had a life of owning greyhounds, was sure they could bring her round but no, they failed too.
Our labradoodle doesn't like cars either but she is younger and may still grow out of it. And she only does little vomit. Not massive greyhound vomit so we count it as a win 🙂