The children are loaded in the car. Puppy is secured for the ride. All is well until the puppy gets carsick. What started out as an adventure quickly turns into an unwanted fiasco.
Don’t worry. Chances are good that there is a cure for your puppy’s carsickness. It takes patience and time, but the odds are good that your dog will become a good traveling companion.
Experts agree that most cases of carsickness are related to stress and not the actual motion of the vehicle. That makes sense if you take time to think about it. Your puppy’s first ride very well may have been when you picked them up. The ride meant that they were taken from the security of their mother and littermates to undergo the trauma of being introduced into a new home.
The first step to getting your puppy to enjoy a car ride is to make them see it as a means of fun and not a ticket to a stressful situation.
A good means of curing carsickness is to start out with short rides of about five to 10 minutes in duration. It is especially helpful if there is a “fun” destination for the puppy at the end of the ride. Try driving to your community park where you can take the puppy for a walk upon arrival. Drive to a friend’s house where you can throw a ball for the puppy to chase.
While in the car for the short introductory rides, be sure to speak calmly to the puppy. Pet them and let them know they are safe. Other drivers may look at you as though you’re crazy and talking to yourself, but if it cures the puppy, do you really care?
If time permits, take the puppy on two or three short rides a day. Try adding a few more minutes of travel time with each ride. Remember to choose destinations where your puppy can play and have fun. A trip to the veterinarian or groomer’s place does not count!
Once the puppy can be in the car for half an hour without becoming carsick or anxious, rejoice. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Now it is time to try longer trips to a dog park or hiking or swimming area your puppy enjoys. Continue to take the puppy on rides to nice places. Once the puppy understands that car rides aren’t going to turn their world upside down, they’ll relax and be a lot less likely to become sick in the car.
If you are unable to cure your puppy of carsickness, schedule an appointment with the dog’s veterinarian so he or she can determine if there is a medical reason for the carsickness.
There are medications that can be prescribed to reduce your puppy’s stress in a car. While not feasible for use on short everyday trips, medicines such as Valium or phenobarbatol can be used in situations where you have to take the puppy for long rides.
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