Pet Talk - Help for Motion Sickness!

While striving to educate people about issues that may arise with family pets, we would also like to help address concerns that our readers may be currently facing.  It is our goal to answer general questions related to pet health care that will benefit multiple households. Keep in mind that we recommend pet owners contact their veterinarian for assistance if an immediate answer is required.
~A reader writes..."My dog gets car sick, always has and does every time. Is there anything I can do to help her (drugs, etc.) and does it mean she has stomach issues?”
~It sounds like your dog is experiencing typical motion sickness, just like some people. Motion sickness usually begins very shortly after starting the car ride. The dog will begin to drool and then vomit. It’s not serious, but certainly not something that we like to clean up.
To solve the problem, first try acclimating your dog to car rides by a process called desensitization. Desensitization is the gradual exposure to situations or stimuli that would bring on the undesirable behavior, but at a level so low that there is no negative response.
Do this by simply putting him in the car for a few minutes each day without going anywhere.
Then try just going down the driveway and back, and the next day going around the block.
Gradually build up the distance and time the dog rides in the car. Sometimes this will help to decrease the dog’s anxiety over riding in the car and may help to decrease vomiting.
If desensitization doesn’t work, there are some medications that may help. Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) and Dramamine Less Drowsy (meclizine) are common over-the-counter medications to try.
Ask your veterinarian to determine the proper dosage for your pet. (Never give any medications to your pet without your veterinarian’s advice!) These drugs are safe, with drowsiness as the only major side effect. If over-the-counter medications don’t work, your veterinarian may be able to prescribe some tranquilizers which can lessen agitation and motion sickness.

To have your question answered, e-mail it to petdocs@taylorvet.com with Pet Talk in the subject line.

Dr. Chad Smith is a veterinarian at Taylor Veterinary Hospital. He has a special interest in solving pet behavioral problems. E-mail him at cdsmith@cfu.net.