[Dialated24]

So I took my dogs for a ride to the park today. This is my first time actually taking them for a ride and I noticed one was looking sad the whole ride. When we came to a stop I noticed one pooped a little on the seat then when I was finally able to get him out he threw up some. I was told that he had gotten a little car sick before but never witnessed it first hand. I was wondering if there is something I can give him to settle him down or if he will eventually get over it with time.

 

[Leah00]

How old is he? It's usually more common for younger dogs to get car sick (something to do with the innner ear), so if he's young it might be something he'll outgrow.
You could also try short car rides to fun places to get him used to being in the car and associating it with something fun. You might try just sitting in the driveway and feeding treats and giving praise.
There are some things you can give to them to help. You can buy meds at the vet or there are a variety of home remedies (I can't think of them now but you can google).

Best thing would be just getting him to see it as fun. My dog Jasper gets car sick and we've been working on it. He stills hates the car but he can go longer without getting sick. Last time we went camping, we bought him some anti nausea pills from the vet and he threw up the pills!

 

[Dialated24]

My dogs are less than 6 months so maybe it is what you were saying about his inner ear. When I took him to the park it seemed like it was a little fun for him but I think him feeling sick kept him from enjoying it to the fullest. I will look online but I was hoping for some home remedies to help him out until he gets over it.

 

[epetbeds]

That can sometimes be tough to overcome. I've seen people take a variety of different approaches and it's different from dog to dog. I'd expand on Leahs suggestion of short rides, by repeating them over and over, gradually getting longer, and trying different techniques. You'll quickly learn which will keep him from getting sick.

Here's a few things you can try:

- Have him face the opposite direction (works best if you have a truck/suv/wagon) you might be able to create an environment that promotes facing backwards, which could be easier on him.
- Sometimes it's just about being nervous in a new environment and the nausea will go away with time/experience. To see if it's this try bringing a few of his favorite items to distract and occupy him.
- A little fresh air sometimes helps a lot. Try opening the windows a bit.
- Have you checked how you're timing your drives around his eating pattern? Some dogs will get sick in the car depending on if they are full or hungry.

Let us know how it goes. Good Luck

 

[momtolabs]

Did they eat before you left? I had a puppy that couldn't be fed at all 2 hours before leaving. Even treats and no water. It seemed to help. from what I know, now at 2 has grown out of it.

 

[Dialated24]

I keep a trough full of dry food for them so I have no idea if he ate just before we left. Well his throw up was still solid food so it is a good chance that he had just had a snack. I was thinking that letting him sit in the car for a while before we actually take off may help him get used to the idea of being in the car and help out a little bit. For the air idea he was actually keeping his face away from the air. That's what first caught my attention because my other dog was loving the wind. It may have been because it was a little warm outside but the air coming in didn't feel warm to me.

 

[epetbeds]

hmm... I'm out of ideas then. But it does sound to me (without being there to experience it firsthand) that discomfort could play a major factor in this. I've shuttled around many cats and dogs that have had issues with nausea and more often than not once they warmed up to the idea of being in the car, and become more experienced at it, much of the nausea went away.

I could have just been lucky though. If it starts looking like more than just needing to adjust, and he has a real issue being in cars, report back and we can do some more brainstorming.

 

[Nev Allen]

First off and a little off topic, it is not a good idea to leave dogs with uneaten food. Feed the pup twice a day and take away what he does not eat. You then control the amount he is eating and you can time the meals to suit you.

On the car sickness side, we have always used and have had success with giving one vitamen B6 tab half an hour before getting in the car. He will grow out of it. It is just a new experience and he is a bit stressed with it.

If the B6 does not work for him, try DAP spray (google it) or Bachs Rescue Remedy.

 

[mcdavis]

The first time we put Hamish in the backseat of the car on his own he got very sick - prior to that he had always sat on the passenger's lap, so we got him used to sitting in the backseat with a person and then transitioned to a few of his toys and bed / blankets.
As other posters have said make the first few trips somewhere fun and exciting so that he'll look forward to the end result of the car journey.

 

[dogclass]

Some of what Leah00 said was true for our dog. We adopted him when he was about 10 months old, and the combination of being young and not liking car rides made him puke once, and look sad on car rides at first.

Once he associated car rides with hot dog treats and dog park, it was fine. Now he doesn't even get the sad look.

I've heard people suggest finding ways to get him to not look outside the window. Our dog rides in the trunk part of a hatchback, and he's usually down on his belly so he doesn't look out. We also tell him to lie down if he's looking out the window.