Dog Travel Sickness: Preparing and Preventing

Nausea herbal remedy drops are a fast-acting remedy for dog travel sickness. Make sure you're prepared before you travel.

As Summer starts to approach, we're all thinking about where we can go on our adventures with our furry friends and getting together our dog travel checklist.

Yet, just like us, some dogs unfortunately suffer with travel or motion sickness,

If you're planning a long car journey with your pet, there are steps that you can take to prepare for and prevent dog travel sickness.

How Do I Know If My Dog Has Motion Sickness?

There are some key symptoms that you will recognise if your dog suffers with car sickness.

Symptoms of dog travel sickness include

• Vomiting
• Drooling
• Panting
• Excessive swallowing
• Lip Licking
• Retching

Dogs may also suffer some of these symptoms in the car if they are suffering from car-related anxiety.

For example, if your dog was car sick on their first few rides in the car or some of their first car journeys ended up at the vets, they may now associate the car with negative memories.

This can cause anxiety which would result in similar symptoms to car sickness. There are some signs that you should look out for if your dog is afraid of the car.

Signs Your Dog Is Afraid Of Travelling In The Car:

• Barking
• Whimpering
• Shaking before or during travel
• Refusing to get in or pulling away from the car

What Causes Dog Car Sickness?

It is thought that motion sickness may be caused by certain types of movement affecting the balance of the centre of the brain.

Car sickness is more likely to affect dogs who are not used to travelling or to a dog who was not slowly introduced to travelling as a puppy.   

How Long Does Motion Sickness Last In Dogs?

Feeling motion sick is more likely to affect puppies who are not as used to travelling in the car. 

Some dogs will outgrow it, normally when they are around one year old.

How Can I Prevent My Dog from Getting Car Sick?

The best thing you can do for your dog to prevent their car sickness and prepare them properly for any longer journeys that you might be taking. 

Travel training can be a long process, yet it is valuable in the long term. 

Fresh Air

Open the window a crack to let some fresh air in. Just be sure not to have it too far down so that your dog could fit through and escape the car.

Face Them Forwards

If you can position your dog so that they are facing forwards, this will help them to feel better.

Allow them to see outside a window as this should help with dealing with the motion of the car. 

Travel Crate or Harness

Use a pet safe travel crate of harness to help your dog feel more secure and comfortable. This will prevent them from sliding around too much which should help them in feeling less sick.

Using a travel crate will be more beneficial to dogs who used them for training as it will be a more familiar and safe environment.

Bring Their Favourite Toy or Blanket

Making the car a fun and comfortable environment will especially help dogs who are anxious about car journeys. 

Having their favourite toy will help to soothe your pet and turn the car into a more positive experience.

Feed 2-3 Hours Before Travelling

If you know you're embarking on a long journey, try and feed your dog around 2 to 3 hours before your start to give their stomach more time to digest and settle.

Take Regular Breaks

Stop the car and take a break every 3 or so hours. Dogs will need some fresh air, a toilet break, a sip of water and a stretch of their legs.

Make sure you have a collapsible bowl packed to allow your dog a drink as and when they need it. 

Walk Them Before A Journey

By walking your pet before they get in the car, they will have expelled some energy and are more likely to settle down and sleep in the car.

How Can I Travel Train My Dog?

If your dog is feeling anxious about travelling or showing symptoms of travel sickness, they may need retraining.

Stop taking them in a car for a while and then start to retrain them with more positive experiences. You can follow these steps and make sure that your dog is confident before moving on to the next stage, treating them every time they complete a stage.

If you dog shows any signs of anxiety then it is important to take a break from training and move back to their previous step.

1. Take your dog to the car but do not travel. Reward them with a treat or toy for being close to the car. 

2. When they are happy being near to the car, encourage them to jump inside but keep the engine off.

3. Next, try closing the doors or putting the engine on, rewarding them with a treat. 

4. After they are comfortable inside the car, get them used to their restraint whether you are choosing to use a crate or harness or car seat. 

5. Then, try driving for one or two minutes but stop if they become distressed. Do this for a few different journeys before increasing the length of time.

From here, you can build up the time spent on your car journeys, monitoring your dog for any signs of sickness or anxiety. 

After your journeys, treat them so that they start to associate the car with positive rewards.

What Can I Give My Dog For Travel Sickness? 

Once your dog gets more used to being in the car, it is likely that they will suffer from motion sickness less and less. However, some dogs are more prone to it than others and there are some dog travel sickness remedies to help your dog feel better.

Our Nausea Herbal Remedy for dogs is composed for dogs who suffer from travel sickness and nausea. 

The remedy is made from a liquid combination of botanical extracts which are known for their calming and anti-nausea effects.

Simply drop it onto your dog’s food or water for a fast-acting effect. 

Contains:

• Black Horehound (Ballota nigra) - Specific remedy for nausea and vomiting. Used for all types of sickness including pregnancy. Combined with Raspberry Leaf which helps to ease travel sickness and gastric upset.
• Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) - Nerve relaxant and anti-spasmodic. Used to calm and relax.
• Ginger (Zingiber Officinalis) - A traditional remedy for all types of nausea. Ginger has carminative, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and diaphoretic effects.

If your dog suffers badly or continually with travel sickness, be sure to contact your vet for help on treating them.

Are you in need of doggy essentials for your next trip? Or do you want your dog to travel in style? Betty & Butch Travel Collection has everything your dog needs for a comfortable and safe trip. From collars and leads to travel blankets and collapsible bowls, we've got you covered: