Travel sickness – A vet’s perspective
by Tim Mainland, MA, VetMB, MRCVS.
Travel Sickness, or Motion Sickness, is a common problem in dogs - especially the young. New owners are often surprised to find that their puppy vomits shortly after starting its first trip in the car. This first experience sets the scene for future journeys which become uncomfortable and stressful for both owner and pet. The dog associates the car with bad feelings and becomes even more likely to vomit once inside; the owner associates shared trips with elaborate preparations, such as covering seats, and having to break journeys to clear up the mess. Not surprisingly, owners avoid taking their dog in the car and miss the excitement of shared activities in new places.
But despite the frustration and inconvenience that travel sick dogs cause, owners seem reluctant to ask their vet about it. Perhaps they feel that this is not a ‘real’ medical condition; or maybe they don’t think their vet will be able to help. Both of these assumptions are wrong: vets do take travel sickness seriously and we can recommend treatment that will prevent it effectively.
My advice is definitely to discuss travel sickness with your veterinary surgeon at the time of the initial examinations, which could coincide with visits for vaccinations, worming and so on. We have lots of experience of the problem and can offer a range of advice and tips tailored to the needs of individual dogs. For example, one of the fundamental problems of Motion Sickness is the lack of ability to fix the eye on a distant object. If the eye is constantly looking within the car, the eye moves with the motion, and sickness may occur. If the eye fixes on something distant – a fixed object – this will help reduce feelings of nausea. So encouraging your dog to look up and outside the car will help. Not easy, I know. And don’t let it distract the driver! But that is the principle.
Your veterinary surgeon will also be able to tell you about a travel sickness tablet which can be taken an hour before travelling to prevent your dog from vomiting. Unlike some of the older treatments, this one does not work by sedating the dog – so you don’t arrive at your destination with an animal that is half asleep. This form of treatment is proven to be effective and can be obtained only from a vet. Your vet knows your pet, and has all the relevant information he or she needs to make sure you get an effective, safe and reliable treatment. I have the same advice for anyone who has already tried other ways of preventing their dog from being sick in the car, but not found anything that works reliably: don’t give up, visit the surgery and ask for help.
Just because travel sickness tablets can avoid the problem, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t also follow the general advice and tips given on the rest of this website. You should do everything you can to help your dog feel more comfortable in the car, such as making sure there is plenty of fresh air and taking regular breaks. With all this help close at hand both you and your pet should certainly be HAPPY TO TRAVEL.
Tim Mainland is a veterinary surgeon at Churchview Veterinary Centres in the Wirral, with clinics in Moreton, Heswall, Neston and Bebington, and has his own website which offers a range of advice for pet owners at www.vetontheweb.com