How common is travel sickness in dogs?
    Did you know that 48% of Vets in the UK have seen at least one motion sickness case in one month?1 In the UK, the profile of dogs suffering from motion sickness is:
    34% are puppies (less than one year old)
    48% are adult dogs (aged between one and seven)
    18% are senior dogs (aged eight and above)
    34% of travelling dogs have experienced travel sickness2
    More than 90% of pet owners find travelling with their dog more enjoyable after using the new option available for canine motion sickness3
    Having used this new product just once, 89% of owners with dogs that suffer from travel sickness say they would like to use it regularly
    Results from market research*
    About one in six dogs that travel suffer from travel sickness2
    On average, dogs are travel sick on five trips each year2
    62% of dogs experience travel sickness for the first time when they are puppies2
    58% of pet owners with travel sick dogs still travel with their dog2
    About 1/3 (34%) of dog owners would travel more with their pet if they did not suffer from travel sickness. Travel sickness is common in dogs and often restricts the lifestyle of owners Yet many owners never think to ask their vet for help.
    * Research conducted in the EU in February 2008 by Harris Interactive References: 1) Cerenia Diary Study Sept. 2008 2) Cerenia Consumer Motion Sickness Report 2006 3) Cerenia Motion sickness field user experience study
    How can I tell if my dog feels travel sick?
    During the journey
    One or more of the following signs suggest that your pet may be feeling ill when travelling:
    Hypersalivation (excessive drooling)
    Panting, swallowing, lip-licking
    Restlessness, anxiety, trembling
    Retching
    Vomiting
    The signs of travel sickness vary from dog to dog. For example, some may simply vomit without showing any other signs. If your dog exhibits one or more of the above signs whenever traveling with you, then it’s possible your dog is suffering from travel sickness.
    Before the journey
    Stress can play a large part in travel sickness. Dogs quickly learn that car journeys are uncomfortable, so they may start to show signs of anxiety as soon as they realise that they are about to go in the car. Some may even vomit before the car is started or before they get into it.
    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 information which may help you to prevent your dog from feeling travel sick – so it is worth asking your surgery about 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.
    What causes travel sickness?
    The exact mechanisms which cause travel sickness are not fully understood. What we do know is that a combination of uncontrolled travel and stress or anxiety can produce very strong feelings of nausea and cause vomiting. Humans and dogs manage to balance thanks to a clever mechanism contained in the inner ear which sends signals to the brain. The movement caused by being in a car or at sea stimulates this mechanism which then bombards the brain with signals. These signals are made worse by stress (perhaps caused by previous bad experiences) and stimulate areas of the brain which cause nausea and then vomiting.
    Only when the movement stops will the nausea slowly subside as the brain activity returns to normal.
    Travel sickness drugs work by blocking the signals in the brain which cause vomiting. Some of these also cause temporary drowsiness or sedation because of their effects on other parts of the brain. However, not all travel sickness pills have these effects – ask at your vet surgery for more information on different treatments.