# Help - car sick



## Jane (Mar 2, 2011)

Hi,

Does anyone have a cockapoo that is carsick? I have had Betty for three months now and every time I take her anywhere in the car longer than a ten minute journey she is sick. I have tried not feeding her before a longish journey, I leave the windows open, I have sat her in the front, the back, sat her up, laid her down - all to no avail. Today I went visiting family, and within 15 minutes she had been sick. Thought I might take her to the vet to see if they have any suggestions. Does anyone have any experience of this and perhaps can suggest a solution. She is only six months old, will she grow out of it? All suggestions gratefully appreciated.

Jane


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Poor you! I've been lucky and never had a dog that is car sick. Is she happy in the car or reluctant to go in it? And do you often take her in the car to a walk place? Just wondered if it was a stress thing. If it was, then taking her to a nice walk in it would make her happier to go in it and would help to associate the car with good things. Dylan knows that every morning we go in the car to our walk, and so he is excited and happy to jump in it. 
I think there are some homeopathic remedies available, but no idea if they are effective or not. Maybe someone else on the site has tried them??


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## Jane (Mar 2, 2011)

Hi, 

I think you may be right about it being stress related, we never go for walkies in the car as we live in open country and only have to go outside for lovely long walks. The only time we go in the car is to visit friends/family/the office etc..

I could put her in the car and start taking her for walks somewhere but in all honesty I know that I would never keep this up. Alternative therapies are a good idea, will look further into this.

It really is such a shame, I have to physically pick her up to put her in the car as she pulls away from it. I took her out in the car today for the first time in about two weeks, I tried to leave it as long as I could as I thought this might help.

I am wondering if some dogs are just prone to carsickness as are some humans.

The last thing I want is to upset her but there are times when she has to come with me in the car as opposed to being left for long periods of time at home. For the record there are no long lasting ill effects, no matter that she has been sick, the minute she is out of the car she is racing around as per usual!


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

I read somewhere that it is always stress that causes car sickness in dogs (so obviously it must be true!). I can't remember where I read it, but I am sure that the answer was to gradually build up the length of time in the car, to put the dog in the car for her sleeps sometimes (without even starting the car up - just to get her used to it) and to vary the kind of trips you make - e.g. sometimes fora walk, sometimes just round the block and back home, sometimes to go on a visit to someone's house.

Rosie was sick a couple of weeks ago in the car, but I've been taking her on small journeys since (to Pets at Home and to the vet's so far - can take her out for walks next week!) and she seems to have got much better already. Only time will tell though!

Good luck - let us know how you get on.


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

If you use a crate in the car have you tried covering it so she can't see anything? It might be all the visual stimulation upsetting her. Flo isn't sick in the car but she does get over excited and barks/whines a lot. I now cover her crate with an old towel and she just lies down peacefully for the journey.


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

Inca car sick, it wasnt till we took a 2 hour road trip to get to the beach that she stopped 

iv heded the stem ginger or something is ment to be go for carsickness


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

Does she show stress while being in the car? Whining? pacing? panting?

There are stress pills for dogs, if it is causing it they might help.


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

My cockapoo is never car sick, however growing up we had a golden retriever that would get car sick, poor guy never got over it, it wasn't stress related, he seemed fine in the car, but would get sick...now I don't reccomend doing this without talking to your vet, but our vet at the time said to give him a half gravol, and that worked


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

It may be worth just putting her in the car and taking her round the block then parking at the start of your walk, even if it's just a few yards from home. If you did that for a few days she may be more relaxed about getting into the car. You wouldn't have to keep it up for ever, just until she understood that getting in the car means going for a walk and started jumping in willingly.


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## Jane (Mar 2, 2011)

Have just met a women in the village who has rescue dogs and she said get a bean bag - apparantly the beans absorb the motion of the car. She said it was a well known remedy!
Have ordered one off internet, hopefully it will work.

Once Betty is in the car, she just curls herself up and doesn't show any signs of stress whatsoever, I don't think she likes getting in the car cos she knows it makes her feel ill. After about 10/15 minutes she starts to paw at the seat and then promptly pukes! The signs are always the same so I am sometimes able to stop.

Thanks for all your suggestions

Jane


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Yeh maybe do trips shorter than this distance so that she goes in the car without getting to the stage of being sick then if thats sucessful after a while build it up... after all the above I think you might crack it good luck to you and Betty x


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## paul1959 (Aug 3, 2010)

Jess used to be sick in the car until she was about 6 months old. We now take her out in the car at weekends for her long walks with no issues, she eagerly jumps in, knowing what is awaiting at the end!


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

Jane, might be a bit of an odd idea, but have you thought about getting Betty to puke into a bag?

Told you it was odd. 

When we were young we rescued a very sick pup that had been dumped in front of a pet shop, and the owner just left him their to die. =( Once well, he'd puke after around 15 minutes in a moving car. He would start the 'erp erp' noise with lowered head, and we'd put a grocery bag under his head, and he'd lower his had more into the bag and puke lol.

He slowly grew out of it, 20 minutes without puking, 25, 30, 40, ect until he stopped finally.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Enneirda. said:


> Jane, might be a bit of an odd idea, but have you thought about getting Betty to puke into a bag?
> 
> Told you it was odd.
> 
> ...


Ah thank goodness for your lovely family, poor little mite x


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## parapluie (Dec 22, 2010)

I posted this on another thread a while ago but Rufus used to get car sick when we first got him. We started putting him the car every day, no matter what. We would drive to pick someone up at work, drive to the store, just drive around the block. He got better in no time, I think he was just stressful at first but then he realized it really wasn't that bad and got used to it as an everyday thing. Now we don't have to drive him all the time and he's confident and hops right up into the car, whereas before he would pull and pull to get away from it. Hope that helps!


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## Jane (Mar 2, 2011)

Thanks everyone,


Have found a big memory foam pillow (very thick) and have put this in the car for her to sit on. My theory is that this will absorb the motion of the car. Have done two 15 minute journeys plus a five minute journey and so far so good. 

Spoke with vet today who reckons she will grow out of it. Fingers crossed. My personal theory is that she is prone to car sickness as are some humans.

Have had a couple of nice walks at the end of the above journeys but she is still not keen on getting aboard!


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Great news x


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## alfiedoo (Sep 6, 2010)

Fingers crossed Jane. My friend used a beanbag in the car for her puppy who was car sick and that did the trick.


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## Wendy (Mar 11, 2011)

I had to take our little demon Dudley 50 miles to a friend's house and used the small carrier for him rather than his crate so he could be on the seat next to me and 3 mins from our destination he was sick but by the time I got to the house he had 'cleared' it all up!! The next time I took him on a longer journey I put him in his crate and he was sick once more (and cleaned up again.......) but since then he has been fine on every journey, whatever the length, so, fingers crossed Dylan might improve in time too.


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## maureena (Jan 15, 2011)

*Car sickness*

I have an eight month old cockapoo who is exactly as you describe. When he was younger he was sick but didn't mind getting in the car but now I have to lift him in and he shakes and drools when travelling. Sometimes he only goes about ten minutes without being sick. He has always been going for a walk when he gets in the car and as you say he is fine as soon as he gets out. Please let me know if the bean bag works and I will get him one.


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## Jane (Mar 2, 2011)

Hi Maureen,

The honest answer is that I thought it had - have been out a couple of times and she hasn't been sick, however, this morning we were only out for about 10 minutes and she was sick!


Will persevere with it as the theory behind it makes sense.

Jane


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Sorry to hear it Jane, hopefully its just a blip x


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## Jane (Mar 2, 2011)

Morning,

I am sure your cockapoo is the same as mine, they want to be involved with everything you do! Saturday morning, I just wanted to take some rubbish to the dump, five minutes there, five minutes back. Betty was sniffing around the black sacks and as usual where I was, she was. On the spur of the moment, I picked her up and popped her in the car on her bean bag. Sure enough on the way back, only a couple of minutes into the journey, she was very sick. I really don't know what to do, currently, Betty has to either stay at home or when I visit friends/family for the day she just has to be carsick. As you say, the very second they are out of the car they are as happy as larry! I am really at a loss, it is quite difficult as I am out and about a lot and always assumed my dog would be coming with me.

Jane


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

have you tried taking her for a quick run before getting in the car. or maybe puting her in the boot of the car. maybe if she cant see things wizzing by she might not be sick. have you given her a chew of a kong in the car to destract her. 


this is a bit daft but have you tried driving just around the block, if you see any signe of her posible being sick, pull up somewhere and see what happens, drive off again. 

i think its just going to have to be more car journys and longer ones till she gets over it. sorry


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## maureena (Jan 15, 2011)

*Car sickness*

Hi,

I think I have solved the car sickness problem. Put the dog in the front in the footwell on the passenger side. Alfie was sick every time he went in the car but since I have done this he has not been sick for about 10 journeys.

Hope it works for you.

Maureen


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## Jane (Mar 2, 2011)

Thanks, I never thought of that, I will definately try it and let you know.

Jane


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