To travel with our dog the car becomes essential since other means of transport such as public sometimes make our transfer too complicated.
In the car is where he can go best since he will have space and we can also stop every so often so he can go out and stretch his legs. Despite all these comforts, we are going to see how to prevent our dog from getting sick in the car, since it is very important that he gets used to being in the car.
Get the dog used to the car
Regardless of whether your dog may be more or less predisposed to motion sickness when traveling by car, it will always help and also a lot Getting him used to riding in the vehicle since he was a puppy When they are young they absorb all the experiences and incorporate them into their natural background, and as adults they naturalize what they have lived.
That is why it is recommended that from a very young age we make small trips or short outingswith him in the car. Because if he has never had this experience when he is older, it may be that when we want him to get into the car he sees it as something unnatural and becomes so nervous that it makes him sick.
Regardless of whether it is advisable to start getting him used to it from a young age, even if the task is with an adult dog, we always have to go from less to more. The first trips should be as short as possible. About 10 minutes maximum, so it doesn't get heavy. And driving the car at a suitable pace, if we go very fast the impact is greater.
The positive association: car=fun
Positive association is really important. If we want to prevent our dog from getting dizzy while traveling in our car, we have to associate it with something relaxing and fun. In other words, if we only take him by car to bring him to the vet, it is logical that the experience scares him, he does not like it and it could end up making him dizzy.
Going by car is something unnatural until we get used to it, the sensations, the movement, the noises, everything is unknown and can be disturbing for your dog until he gets used to it since he doesn't know why so much hustleThat is why it is important what happens before and after of entering this strange habitat of the human being.
- Before a trip: Although a trip can sometimes be stressful we have to try to be relaxed because our state of mind is transmitted to our pet. So we have to be calm and prepare all the necessary accessories calmly. It will also be very positive to have given him a good lap that leaves him tired and wanting to sleep during the journey.
- After a trip: The first few times we have to end the trip in a fun place for him. In this way when he takes the car he will normally associate it with pleasant experiences. We can go to a park or a place where we take him to play. And even if we go to a place that is not a park, we will always reward his behavior with a prize, a dose of games or a dose of caresses.
Tips for the drive
Although the dog feels comfortable and associates the car with positive things, it may feel very bad physically from the ups and downs of the journey, to avoid dizziness as much as possible, takea series of more physiological measurements which can be:
- You must not feed him in the two hours prior to the trip. This way we avoid bad digestion.
- You have to tie it well with the specific belt for pets and thus we will prevent it from moving during sudden accelerations or strong stops.
- If during the journey he goes with his favorite toy or stuffed animal and with a person behind him who caresses him sometimes and gives him affection (without startling him or overexcite him) may relax him greatly.
- Finally it is important to stop every hour at the latest so that he can relieve himself, stretch his legs and drink water. We can't do a long trip all at once as that will tire him out too much.
Find out what the requirements are for traveling by car within Spain.
Go to the vet in case of persistent dizziness
If, despite our efforts, we observe that our dog takes car trips very badly and does not get used to it, he continues to feel dizzy and becomes too tired, we have to go to our veterinarianto prescribe more medical help.
There are medications that help make you less dizzy or even make it go away. And although if we can help our dog in a natural way, it is much better. The important thing is that he can lead his life totally normal.
The car is going to belong to his routine life, so if your dog suffers from dizziness take him to the vet so he can prescribe the adequate medicine and so stop suffering on the journeys. Sometimes these medications get the dog used to driving calmly and end up not needing anything to travel.
