How to Prevent a Pet's Car Sickness

By eHow Pets Editor

Rate: (8 Ratings)

Car sickness can be caused by car motion, confinement, previous bad experiences in a car, a first-time ride or anticipation of the destination. Follow these steps over a period of weeks to get your pet acclimated to driving.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Dog Toys
Dog Treats
Cat Toys
Cat Treats
Pet Carriers
Frisbees
Tennis Balls

Step1

Sit with your pet inside a parked car with the engine off.

Step2

Make your pet feel comfortable by providing treats or playing with the pet in the car.

Step3

Sit outside the car, a comfortable distance away, and play with your pet if he or she is too anxious to eat or play inside the vehicle.

Step4

Move closer to the car over a period of days or weeks until your pet feels comfortable playing next to it.

Step5

Get into the car once your pet is feeling comfortable being around it, and give your pet time to get used to these new surroundings.

Step6

Over a period of weeks, begin turning the engine on and off, and progress to driving up and down the driveway.

Step7

Take a spin around the block. Eventually, take the animal for longer car rides.

Comments

simmar said

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on 11/12/2007 hi I have found instant success by keeping my dog on the floor of our car and not letting her see at all whats ahead.She would vomit every single time she went for a drive even short distances.I always thought too like humans seeing at the front window was the best method but not for my dog anyway.Try it before turning to chemicals.

Anonymous said

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on 4/16/2007 A final remedy for carsickness. It works for pets and people - guaranteed. Attach a rubber strip to the bottom of the car. It must be long enough to hang on the ground, eliminating the static electricity while driving. I took a bungee cord. It works like magic.

Anonymous said

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on 6/30/2006 Let the dog get as comfortable as possible, and make sure the window is open wide (so he gets plenty of fresh air). I did this for an hour and half and my dog didn't vomit once, but did still droll a lot.

Anonymous said

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on 2/21/2006 I let my Aussie sit in the front so she gets the full view ahead and knows where she's going. Placing them in the back or enclosed in a carrier will cause dizziness from not being able to see the direction ahead. She will also relax more with me by her side. Always make sure to have a comfortable fit seat belt in case the car stops short or makes sharp turns--or so the pet isn't tempted to sit on your lap!

Anonymous said

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on 2/10/2006 My dog always got sick, even on 20 minute rides. My veterinarian told me it was OK to give my Lhasa a human medicine called Dramin or Dramamine. I bought the medicine as a last resort because my family and I took her to the beach; it was an 8 hour drive. I gave one drop per kilo. She was fine, except for the fact that she slept all the way. On the way back I didn't give her anything, and she didn't get sick. Now she's fine. I think she just needed to get used to the car. One thing that really helps is keeping the dog secure, so that he doesn't think that he'll fly out of the window or anything.

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