The day Timmy became part of the DogsHome family, we didn’t think much of it when he was reluctant to get in the car.
It’s not uncommon — especially for dogs who may not be used to going for rides.
So with a lot of patience and a lot of treats, we managed to coax him into the back seat of the car. Then we drove away … which is when he immediately began throwing up.
OK, maybe he was nervous, we thought.
Or he’d eaten too many treats.
Or maybe he was just overwhelmed by the whole day of transitioning from one home to another.
And then he threw up again.
And again.
And again.
It’s hard to remember exactly how many towels it took to clean up the mess in the back seat, but it’s safe to say it took more than one extra-large load in the washer to get them all clean.
We hoped this was just a “first day jitters” kind of thing. But as the days went on, it became clear Timmy got car sick. In a big way. He’d emerge from the car looking green — if that’s even possible for a dog.
The good news is that although it took a few months, Timmy eventually got over his motion sickness completely. Profuse, daily vomiting was slowly replaced by intermittent vomiting and then … oh wonder of wonders! … no vomiting at all.
We know this is a fairly common problem for dogs, and so we thought it might be helpful to share what we did to manage his car sickness and to help Timmy feel better. We also did a little research and included some tips we never got around to trying:
- We purchased a waterproof cover for the back seat, and we spread towels across the floor. Definitely makes clean-up easier.
- We kept all the car windows open about 3 inches. (If you open only the back windows, the air pressure can cause the dog discomfort.) We’re not sure why this helped, but it seemed to.
- Ginger! This was the biggest help of all. We bought fresh ginger from the produce section, peeled it and then minced it, measuring about 1/2 teaspoon*. We’d mix the minced ginger with a little peanut butter and give it to Timmy 10 minutes before getting in the car. He was doing so well with this that within a month, we tried not giving him any ginger. Ummm … turned out he still needed it for a couple more months!
- We withheld food at least 2 hours before we’d have him get in the car. All the research supports this and vets will advise you to do this. For Timmy though, it didn’t seem to make a whole lot of difference when he ate in relation to riding in the car.
Here are a few more tips from The Whole Dog Journal:
- Rescue Remedy and Drama Trauma are flower-essence blends and thought to help motion sickness. Remember to always check with your vet first before trying any kind of supplement.
- Scullcap and valerian are herbs given for anxiety and nervousness. Again, check with your vet first.
- Desensitize your dog to the car. Motion sickness isn’t pleasant, and if your dog experiences this on a regular basis, he may become apprehensive about getting in the car. Practice getting him in and out of the car without turning it on — do it in your driveway or parked on the street. While your dog is on leash, coax him in with a treat, give him another when he’s inside, then immediately let him out and treat him again. (If he refuses to even get in the car, find the distance from the car where he’s comfortable and give him a treat.) From this, you can build up to having him remain in the car for longer periods of time and eventually take him for very short rides, such as up and down the driveway before trying longer trips.
See how happy Timmy looks in the above photo? Only moments after that picture was taken, he began losing the entire contents of his stomach — over and over and over again.
We know having a dog get car sick is no fun for you. But try to be patient — it’s even less fun for your dog.
Have you found a remedy that works for your dog’s car sickness? Let us know in the comments section below!
* Timmy weighs about 55 pounds and 1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped ginger is what worked for him.
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