What to do if your dog gets car sick
First of all, there is no need to change or restrict your lifestyle or travel plans just because your dog suffers from travel sickness – there are effective and reliable ways to prevent the problem.
Veterinary products – your veterinary surgery has available medication that can help prevent car sickness in your dog. Some of these were developed initially as products for human use, and can have side-effects, such as making your dog drowsy. However, your vet now has new information which may help you to prevent your dog from feeling travel sick – so it is worth asking your surgery about new ways to prevent travel sickness.
General advice – opening the windows slightly to allow fresh air in may help your dog feel better. Also, avoid smoking or any other strong odours in the car. Regular breaks, with a chance to get out, run around and have a drink of water, may help. However, these tips alone may not be enough to prevent sickness.
Behavioural modification – you can try to get your dog used to the car by gradually increasing the amount of time spent in it. However, this approach can be both time consuming and frustrating. If you’ve tried and it hasn’t worked successfully, then don’t give up: ask your vet to recommend another way of preventing the problem.