# Car Sick Puppy



## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

Both of my boys were carsick as puppies. My Vet tech recommended giving a jelly bean or other gelatin type candy. It works. Both of mine outgrew their carsickness by the time they were a year old. There are OTC remedies for carsickness as well. I'm sure others will chime in with the names of a few.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Ginger is great for helping to control nausea, even in dogs. Try feeding him a peice of a gingersnap 5- 10 minutes before making the trip. If he is really bad, starts drooling as soon as he gets in the car, you could try Rescue Remedy, it works well to calm the dog. Desensitizing can help, start by just putting him in the car, feed a few treats, let him out, work with that a few days, until he is comfortable with the car not moving, then gradually introduce short trips.


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## Max's Momma (May 2, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestions! I've been sitting in the back seat with Max while the car is parked in the driveway. I'm sure the neighbors think I'm odd. Max now loves to hop into the car knowing he'll get dog biscuits. He still pants and salivates a little. I'll work with this a few more days then try a short ride. I have ginger root--is that what you mean? And I'll have to look for jellybeans!
In mid June we go on a road trip so I hope Max will be adjusted by then. Thanks again-I'll let you know.........


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Cruiser gets car sick and has since he was 8 weeks old(now 4) I tried every thing out there, ginger, jelly bean etc and nothing worked. The only thing I found that really works is Cerenia, the bad thing with this is, it can only be used 2 days in a row. Our trainer told me to take him on short night trips, this way if hes looking out the window things are moving past him.. He does ride better at night .


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## harrym (Nov 13, 2010)

Amber [5 months] gets carsick most --but not all -- of the time on the 56-mile trip to the vet. Our vet suggested giving her Benadryl. So yesterday, I gave her a small breakfast [1/2 cup] and no water. Then, I gave her a Benadryl in a slice of cheese about an hour before we left. I checked her at halfway -- she was fine. When we got there, she had thrown up. She was in her crate for the trip. I'll try gingersnaps next trip. 

She had her rabies shot yesterday, so her next trip will be for spaying at 6 months of age. I don't remember how long they kept Lucy when she was spayed. How long is usual? She will be going to class on Sunday evenings, so we'll schedule surgery for the first of the week so she can heal.


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## harrym (Nov 13, 2010)

Our grocery stores don't have gingersnaps, haven't for years they say. However, on a chance I checked the dollar store. Big bag of gingersnaps for $1.35. I just fed our two a gingersnap each to see if they would eat them. They loved them. So I'm ready for another car trip. How many cookies should I give a 44-pound puppy?


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## Max's Momma (May 2, 2011)

Of course the ride today was only about 10 miles each way, but we made it there and back without throwing up. We had the best play date with a friend's two Golden boys! Max swam in the pool and lounged on their patio. That was the first play date for the two 6 1/2 month old brothers. Max is tired out now!
As for the car sickness, I'll continue to sit with Max in the car in the driveway and take short trips in hope that longer trips will become easier. Thanks for all your suggestions--I like having ideas to work with.


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## Summer's Mom (Oct 20, 2010)

When Summer was Max's age, she used to throw up in the car all the time too. Especially on rides longer than 10 mins. However, here's the good news - she did outgrow it at about a year old!!! 

While she was younger, I'd sit with her and try to catch her puke in a bowl, or watch for signs and let her out to puke. That resulted in me having a puppy who would hold her puke in and be green in the face when we arrived, I'd lift her out and she'd throw up on the road/grass at the destination.. convenient!

Much to my amusement, recently when she got sick at home, she did it in the trash can!! Ha!


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

Max used to be terribly car sick. So I started a very slow methodical programme....I would put the leash on and take him outside to the car, not open the door, clicker and treat, come back go inside. Do it again, repeated it several times. Then I would do the same thing, open the door, clicker and treat, close the door and come back inside. Next do the same thing but open the door and ask him to get inside, clicker and treat and come back. Then close the door, then get in the car myself, etc etc until I was able to drive him even after eating his breakfast so he could go to day camp.
I'd done this first with my border collie, Cassie, who was so bad she would begin drooling just at the sight of the car.


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## Max's Momma (May 2, 2011)

I thought I had it all worked out having had a successful short trip yesterday! Today Max was putting on the brakes at the car door. I'll try the slow intro to the car door and opening the car door, etc.. Two steps forward, one step back. We will get there.
Please explain a clicker. Will a click sound from my mouth be the same?
Thank you - each of you!


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## BajaOklahoma (Sep 27, 2009)

Clicker training is great. Though the sound from your mouth might work, the click needs to be given immediately when they do what you want. If you happen to be talking at the time.... The clickers are very cheap.

You have to train the dog that the clicker means a reward is coming. Click, treat, click, treat, and so on. I use small pieces of dry cat food - there is a theory that protein releases a good chemical in the brain that makes learning easier. Watch the fat content though, you don't want to deal with pancreatitis. A single piece of the dry is working for us.

We try for 5 minutes at a time, with the exception of class. So far, so good.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

Max's Momma said:


> I thought I had it all worked out having had a successful short trip yesterday! Today Max was putting on the brakes at the car door. I'll try the slow intro to the car door and opening the car door, etc.. Two steps forward, one step back. We will get there.
> Please explain a clicker. Will a click sound from my mouth be the same?
> Thank you - each of you!


I love clicker training. It's very easy to mark a desired behaviour, and to break down complex behaviours into smaller pieces. 

Here is a video I found, I was looking for clicker training a puppy with car sickness but couldn't find one. Substitute the crate for the car, and break it down into smaller pieces, as I mentioned. It's a long process but when you charge the clicker they begin to understand immediately that the sound is a REALLY GOOD THING!!!


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## Max's Momma (May 2, 2011)

*Success*

Wanted to update about Max's car rides. I maneuvered the large crate into the back seat of my Toyota. We traveled with Max in the crate for 3 1/2 hours and then, after the weekend, back home again. Success! No car sick puppy. I think he was upset trying to get settled in the back seat so the crate gave him the security he needed.
Next week we'll be traveling again. Hopefully, Max will feel fine on that trip too.


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## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

That's wonderful! I remember your thread, although I did not respond. I'm so glad to hear that Max is able to travel without getting sick!


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## Max's Momma (May 2, 2011)

Thx So many good suggestions and so much trial and error. Then something works. For Max it seems to be the comfort of his crate.


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## mybuddy (Mar 2, 2007)

Buddy was like this as a pup too. I remember when I lived in Korea, I belonged to a little dog club and we would take little trips out of the city with the dogs. Well poor Buddy would be throwing up the WHOLE time! I would have to sit with him with a bowl under his chin. Never failed. He would start about 5 minutes into the trips.

He just grew out of it. Now, he can travel for hours with no problems. I think he was probably around one year old or so when this stopped. Perhaps a bit older...


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## harrym (Nov 13, 2010)

Benadryl and gingersnaps had no effect on Amber's carsickness, so our vet prescribed _*Cerenia*_. I gave it to her two hours before our 56-mile trip to puppy class. Forty-five minutes later she threw up in our front yard. But she made the trip to class and back with just a little drooling but no vomit. The_* Cerenia*_ must have been absorbed enough by that time to help her. She is six months old, so maybe she will outgrow it. We make the trip twice a week, so I'll have to check how often she can take it. The vet gave me just one tablet to try, so I'll need more.


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## Max's Momma (May 2, 2011)

harrym can you try the crate in the back seat of your vehicle? It's a possible alternative solution to using medicine. I'm believing that's what will work for Max everytime (and then he may outgrow the carsickness and not need the crate). Good luck!


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

Kirby gets car sick, she is ok for short trips, training, vet, etc. but for longer trips I use dramamine, her vet recommended it. Get the one that "causes" drowsiness, it helps her to over come her excitement and she will nap on long rides. I have to keep air flowing at all times either the window or a/c blowing in her face.

Darby usually is great, plops down and sleeps but on occasion he will vomit, so on long trips he gets a herbal calming aid. Seems to work quite well, Scully takes it for thunderstorms and it helps with that too.

The bottle says - Chamomile flower, Passion flower, Thiamine Monotitrate, Ginger and L-Tryptophan.

I don't feed before a long trip, stop frequently and give them small amounts of water. They make it to the Cape (~7 hrs) with know problems.

I should add they both love to go in the car so keep working on overcoming an anxiousness and anxiety re: the car.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I know I'm late to the party, but in my personal experience, carsickness in dogs is tied heavily to anxiety, so acclimating the dog slowly to the car, then the sounds of the engine, then the motion often cures the problem (something along the lines of Lilliam's excellent initial suggestion). I prefer this approach to medication.

I'm glad to hear Max is improving!


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## harrym (Nov 13, 2010)

Amber is in her crate, right behind the front seat in our van. Lucy, our adult lab/golden mix, loves riding in the car. Amber gets carsick about half of the time on long trips [where we live, everything is a long trip]. Short trips -- ten miles or less -- are fine. The vet recommended _*cerenia*_ because we wanted Amber to be alert during puppy class. 

The fact that she went outside, saw her crate in the van, and threw up without even getting in the van would seem to indicate anxiety, not motion sickness. She usually is restless in her crate during the trip, but after taking the _cerenia_ yesterday, she just laid down and rested/slept all the way there and back. Her behavior during class was fine. She was playful and energetic throughout class.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Daisy would get carsickness a lot up until she was 2 or 3. What changed it for us was moving away from her favorite place (a pond with good fishing) and then having to drive back there to spend time at the pond. After the first trip or two back, she knew where we were going and that was the end of the carsickness. She was just too excited to focus on anything else. We can drive anywhere now and she's fine.

Learning to adssociate the car drive with a really good thing, however you choose to do that, does work!


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

I agree that anxiety is a part but at this point it may not be anxiety due to the car but more anxiety due to nausea due to the car if that makes sense. My Emmett was similar, we started giving him a half a dramamine before he would go for a ride and when he stopped getting sick every time we drove with him we were eventually able to stop the dramamine and he is now fine in the car so the nausea could have started due to anxiety about the car but at this point it may not be about the car at all... and more anxiety about the nausea itself 

hope that makes sense


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## Waynebo (Jun 29, 2012)

*Car sick*

My pup is six old and was constantly getting car sick. I read a post in this form suggesting rolling down the windows in the vehicle. And I tried it today, and went thirty miles...and my pup never got sick.


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

huh this must be an old thread I already answered this lol


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