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Motion Sickness in Dogs

Motion sickness is never fun for both the dog and the owner. Commonly seen in puppies and younger dogs, motion sickness occurs because the ear structures used for balance aren’t quite developed yet. Many puppies outgrow motion sickness. Even though the ear structures have developed normally, your dog has already associated car rides with nausea and may still vomit as he or she gets older.

There are a few signs that you can look out for. The most common is vomiting. Other signs are yawning, whining, excessive drooling, licking the lips and/or listlessness.

What can I do to help my dog you may ask? One way is to make the car ride as comfortable as possible. Having your dog face forward may make the feeling of nausea subside. You can either purchase a dog seat belt or use a crate if your dog is small enough. Cracking the windows a small amount may help as this lessens the air pressure in the car. This also cools the car down which can help with nausea. Try to limit the amount of food in their system before going on a long car ride. There are numerous medications that you can try with the recommendation from your veterinarian. These include anti-nausea drugs, anti-histamines and sedatives. Always consult your veterinarian before giving any drug or over the counter medication to your pet.

After you have done these treatments, you can try a few conditioning techniques to help. These include taking a break from car rides for a while then trying short trips to build up a tolerance. You can also buy a special toy that is only for car rides that make riding in the car fun again.  Making the ride a positive experience is important to help both you and your dog.

Written by Kim Rol

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