Sick every time

[Jazzie]

Does anyone have any ideas for a very car sick dog, today it only took three minutes in the car before it happened. She is a nervy eleven month old retriever, although she does not appear to be stressed she is obviously not keen to get in the car. Longer trips are a nightmare. We intend to seek some sort of medication from the vet for the longer trips but this will not help the short journeys. Any advice on this would be really welcome.

[Paulgun]

Hi, one old trick is to attach "anti-static" straps to the mud guards, can help.
goodluck, Pauline.

[Chrissie]

Saw a TV prog on this a few years ago - it was treated as pyschological prob rather than medical one. Dog was cured by a very long and gentle re-introduction to car. It went something like
Stage 1: Car is left open in driveway/garden and dog plays around it with toys. Dog is not asked to get into car.
Stage 2: Dogs toys are thrown through car and into car and dog is praised if it goes in the car but not made to stay there.
Stage 3: Dog is encouraged to get into car and praised and talked to with owners in it. Car does not go anywhere.
Stage 4: Car engine starts with dog in car, but no journey. Dog is rewarded if calm and is anyway given a treat/praise after the session.
Stage 5: Car goes out of the gate and comes straight back in. More praise and rewards.
Stage 6: Very short journey with stop for lovely walk, then short journey home again.
Longer journeys etc.
Each stage was only considered when the dog was totally happy with the previous one.

Realise this does not help if dog is happy in car but travel sick. In which case can only suggest same treatments (non-medication) as for humans - not after a heavy meal, able to see out of windows TO THE FRONT, not the side.
Hope some of this helps. it's a ghastly problem, especially when so many dogs love going in the car.
regards
Chrissie

[Catalpa]

When the dog is happy with the car as a playground, before taking the animal for a drive, get a large bean bag which fills the area in which the dog will lie. Don't have it too heavily stuffed - take some beans out if necessary. This - so we were informed by someone who ran puppy social evenings - evened out the motion of the car and solved the balancing problem for the dog. We've had to resort to this remedy twice over the years and it worked immediately for both dogs.

The other 'must' is fresh air - even if that leaves the human occupants of the car a little chilled. Tough!!

Carole