Buckle up, fellow paw-rents! We're about to dive into the turbulent world of doggy car rides. Ever wondered why your pooch turns into a trembling mess the moment you mention the word "car"? Spoiler alert: it might not just be travel jitters.
I’ve seen countless posts on social media pet groups and forums from paw-parents seeking advice on how to deal with their dog’s anxiety in the car. But it seems the topic of actual car sickness often flies under the radar more than it should. You'll find heaps of advice on desensitizing your fur baby to car rides, but it seems less common for paw-rents to hit the brakes and consider that their dog might be getting car sick. Yes, just like humans, dogs can experience the joy of motion sickness, turning every trip into a potential vomit comet.
Though none of our other dogs suffered from car sickness, we went through it with our current rescue Golden Retriever when she was younger, so I’m writing this blog post from personal experience.
Not yet experienced with car sickness in dogs at the time, we originally thought our dog was just anxious and nervous about car rides. It wasn’t until she actually started vomiting in the car that we realized she was getting downright sick from the ride. Once we clued in, we felt terrible for unknowingly letting her suffer, but you don’t know until you know. As paw-parents, all we can do is our best with the knowledge we have at the time, and then learn from new experiences.
So, don’t beat yourself up if you read this and realize it describes your situation. The important thing is to do something with this new knowledge.
Before we delve further into this, I must issue a disclaimer: I am not a vet, so please speak directly to your vet about this matter.
Let’s rewind to our own childhoods for a moment. If you’ve ever been car sick as a child, you know how absolutely miserable it can be. Personally, car rides meant me clutching a paper bag in the back seat of our family van, praying to the travel gods for mercy. Now, transpose that queasy kid onto your dog. Imagine being a furball who doesn’t understand why every car ride turns into a stomach-churning rollercoaster. It’s no wonder your pooch starts associating the car with pure, unadulterated misery.
Most advice for car anxiety seems to focus on training, crating, desensitizing, or even giving your dog more treats to make them love the car. But here’s the twist: if your dog is barfing every time you hit the road, no amount of positive reinforcement, treats, or “getting them used to the car” is going to change their mind about car rides. It’s like trying to convince someone to love roller coasters when they puke on every loop-de-loop.
Imagine being your dog. Each car ride is a ticket to Upset Stomach Land. You don’t know why it happens, but every single time you climb into that metal monster, you end up feeling dreadful. No surprise, then, that your dog starts trembling at the sight of the car keys. It’s not the car itself; it’s the inevitable nausea that follows.
So, before you embark on a training marathon, consider that your fur baby might just be battling car sickness. Addressing this specific issue could turn your dog from a nervous passenger into a calm co-pilot, ready to enjoy the ride rather than dreading it.
Dogs don’t have to be vomiting to be carsick, so keep that in mind when addressing this problem. Restlessness, whining, excessive panting, lip licking, drooling, shaking, shivering, gulping, yawning, and other signs of discomfort can be indicators of car sickness.
Fortunately, there are some over-the-counter options for dog motion sickness medications, though some dogs may need a stronger prescription from a veterinarian. Just make sure you check with your vet before administering any medication.
Here are a few tips for making the most of doggy motion sickness meds:
1. Timing is key: It’s vital to give the medication to your dog at least 30 minutes before the car ride so it has a chance to kick in before any movement. (Some medication times may vary, so be sure to follow the directions on each medication exactly.)
2. Be patient: Don’t expect immediate results and assume the medication isn’t working if you continue to see signs of anxiety in your dog. Here’s why: Since your dog has already associated the car with pain and misery, it will take time for them to trust that they’re no longer getting sick in the car. They may still anticipate feeling sick and therefore remain anxious until they eventually realize, “Hey, I’m not feeling miserable anymore, and these car rides aren’t so bad after all!”
3. Stay hydrated: Make sure your dog is fully hydrated on your car rides. Thirst only adds to the problem of car sickness. Water can help ease the stomach, and staying hydrated will make your dog feel better overall.
4. Keep it cool: Ensure your dog has proper ventilation in your car and stays cool. There’s nothing worse than a hot and stuffy car ride when you have motion sickness. Along with plenty of A/C, we installed a small fan to blow directly on our dog during summer car rides, which really helped.
Besides medication, there are other alternative recommendations out there for dealing with car sickness. As paw-parents, you must decide for yourselves what is the best option for helping your dog, so do your research, and if medicating your dog is something you're not comfortable with, ask your vet about other possible options.
I've seen some pet parents suggest crating the dog in the car and covering the crate with a breathable blanket to block out the sight of movement the dog would see out the windows as the world blurs by. The idea behind this is that if the dog can't see the motion, they are less likely to get sick from it.
Personally, we didn’t find this to be a good solution for our own dog. For one thing, we felt it wouldn't provide the adequate ventilation our dog would need to help her feel better. Also, we take our dog on many fun vacations, and we want to enrich her short life by letting her enjoy all the beautiful sights we see on our car rides. So, we ditched the idea of covering her and went straight to motion sickness medication. Dogs' lives are short, and we just can’t envision closing our adventurous, fun-loving dog off from the exciting world around her, even for a few moments. Our goal was to make car rides not only acceptable but fully enjoyable for her. The medication did just that, with no negative side effects. She absolutely LOVES car rides now and fully immerses herself in the adventure of seeing new places! She especially loves spotting her cow friends on our travels—she’s obsessed with cows, and we can’t imagine robbing her of that joy.
We’ve also heard of CBD oil being recommended for car sickness. While we’re huge fans of CBD oil for anxiety (it helped our senior dog with dementia-related anxiety), just keep in mind that whatever solution you choose for car sickness needs to address the actual nausea, not just the anxiety.
The good news is that most dogs eventually outgrow car sickness, much like people do. Our girl eventually stopped needing motion sickness medicine as she grew and matured.
In the end, just understanding the real issue can save you—and your dog—a lot of stress and cleanup duty. After all, a happy pup makes for a much smoother journey. Safe travels and fewer ruff rides!
- Jenna Miller