The Vet Practice

Do you have one one of those dogs that cringes whenever you open the car door?

Barks, whines or howls as you travel?

Gets car sick?

Then you're not alone. There are two things that make dogs scared to travel and they are:

1. Travel sickness and
2. Fear

Both can cause nausea and excessive salivation but fear can also cause your dog to pant, tremble, urinate, defecate and struggle to escape - making travel uncomfortable for all.

How to get your dog used to car travel

1. Start removing the fear factor. Dogs are by nature wary of new things and new surroundings. Travel in a car is no different so you do need to spend some time helping him overcome some barriers.
2. Place your dog in the car for short periods of time without actually travelling anywhere. Offer a treat as a reward when he settles and appears calm.
3. Begin by taking him on short trips. Maybe just around the block or to the local shops. Reward any calm behaviour with a treat then slowly increase the length of trip over time.
4. Small dogs may travel more comfortable in a carrier. If this is the case, get your dog used to being inside the carrier at home before placing him in it in the car. Add a toy or a small treat for the journey.

If these techniques aren't settling your dog as well as you'd hoped then trying this new calming pheromone spray, DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) might help.

This natural spray can be used to relieve travel stress in dogs. It can be sprayed it into your dog's carrier, bedding or the car itself before setting out.

How to avoid travel sickness

Travel or motion sickness is common in both people and pets but there's a few things you can do to help overcome the nausea.

1. Don't feed your dog a large meal before travelling. A light meal a few hours before the journey is enough.
2. Don't withhold water before a trip.
3. Provide adeqaute ventilation throughout the journey
4. Allow your dog to toilet, exercise and have a drink every 2 hours

If you find this isn't enough to prevent motion sickness, you might need to consider some anti - nausea medications which are available by prescription from your vet. But before defaulting to medications, please try all other options first.

Happy travelling