Does your Morkie hate the car? Cry and whimper when it’s time for a trip? Maybe he is suffering from car sickness.
Dog car sickness symptoms range from excessive drooling, listlessness and constant yawning…. to vomiting.
What causes car sickness in dogs?
Dogs can suffer from the same problems that faze some people in motion. Nausea is triggered because the body is out of balance; it’s a conflict between the senses. On boats especially, the eye doesn’t see movement when you’re down below the deck, but the inner ear and sensory nerves do – so you feel sick. In cars, your eyes see motion but your body doesn’t sense it, so you feel sick, sweaty, dizzy and overall, just terrible. Dog car sickness can be even worse because our little friends can’t tell us how they feel.
A major source of motion sickness in pets, according to experts, is STRESS.
Motion sickness is more common with children — and puppies — because their ear canals haven’t fully developed. This impacts the sense of balance which in turn, causes a sick feeling.
Dogs can’t tell us they feel like this, but we know something’s not right. They can become anxious and agitated, or barely move at all. They often whimper or whine and are generally unsettled.
How to ease car sickness in dogs
There are a number of things you can do:
- distract your Morkie
- open the window or turn on the air conditioning – some air might help
- take plenty of breaks
- be sure your Morkie is travelling on an empty stomach (but do offer water)
- use a pet car seat so he can look out the window
- take some very short car rides (that don’t end at the Vet’s)
- make sure your Morkie is secured in the vehicle, and facing forward
Medications and natural solutions
If your Morkie’s car sickness isn’t helped, it may be time to see your Veterinarian. He or she can prescribe medication – often dramamine. Or you may want to talk to your Vet about more natural options such as ginger.
On the Mercola site for pets, healthypets.mercola.com, there’s an usual tip: try the “Elizabethan collar” if your dog has one – the cone that goes over his head to prevent licking or chewing after an operation or injury.
DogsNaturallyMagazine.com has some herbal remedies you might want to look at. And Bach makes a special liquid RESCUE REMEDY for dogs here, to help reduce anxiety that may be causing car sickness.