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ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by Kimberly

If a puppy throws up while riding in the car, will she always get car sick? She has never done this before. Could it be possible she ate too much before we left? I enjoy taking her with me, but I don't want her to be miserable. I just went and bought a soft side travel bag, so I could sneak her inside places with me. What should I do?

DISCUSSION:

I am now sneaking my 5 month old everywhere. She goes with us on each and every erund in the soft bag. She loves it and jumps in it immediately when we put it on the floor. She goes to the grocery store, drug store, hotels...ect. I;m considering bringing her to the movies. She LOVES the bag and we do excercise her too. She once threw-up in the car too and I think she was just under the weather that day. Good Luck!
-Ruben

Hello! My Ellii also gets car sick. I felt very bad about it because we travel quite a bit, and one of the reasons we deceided on a Maltese (besides them being the greatest dogs in the world) was because it was small enough to travel with us and not be left home with a dog sitter. We went on a short trip in our VAN and she threw up about every 15 minutes. I swear, I didn't think the poor thing had ANYTHING left in her to throw up, but she did, and up and up and up. Unreal! A few days later I took her with me in our CAR and she seemed to do better. Especially when I faced the vent blowing cool on her. My vet said to start taking her on short trips to start with, maybe even just sitting in the parking lot with the car running. Then lengthening the trips little by little. She said that she may even just outgrow the problem. I sure hope so. Someone else said that their dog had the same problem, but they raised her up so she could see out the window and that seemed to solve their problem. I haven't tried that yet. Hope your little one gets over it. I too would love to hear if anyone has a good solution to this. Good Luck to us both, and any other 'gypsies' out there.
-Jeannie

Kim, Dogs generally become sick in the car because they are frightened, not because they have real motion sickness.You need to get her used to the car by taking trips that are short enough that she does not exhibit the typical signs of car sickness--drooling, vomiting,etc. It may be necessary to start out by just sitting in the car together and giving your dog a treat after a few minutes. Then take very short rides followed by a treat even if you can only make it to the end of the driveway. Gradually increase the length of the trips until your Maltese enjoys her car rides. If by chance she really does have motion sickness, it is possible that dramamine will work.
-Jay

Thank you to everyone! It was only a short trip to the school when Chelsea had to throw up. She has been on quite a few long rides and never vomited. Her first ever ride was 3 hours long (bought her) and she was fine. I will try the sitting in the car idea with her, and I hope it does work. Thank you again!
-Kimberly

Yes, dogs can be prone to car sickness. My Gyn,Gyn absolutely loves car rides. Infact, sometimes when I let her out for a walk , she will walk over to ther car and put her paw on the door asking to go for a ride. But she gets sick every time. Taking her for short rides and gradually increasing the distance of the ride is an excellent idea. It works. Although if your pup is prone to car sickness, it helps to take this into consideration:Every so often stop the car and let her out for a walk. Some pets travel best on an empty stomach, others feel more comfortable after eating a small meal. Some need a little food in their stomach to keep from getting sick. Keep them Up front, there is less movement in the front of a car than in the back. Let him see out the window. He'll fare a lot better than if he has nothing to set his sight on.Fresh air is good for anyone who feels a little sick, including your dog. Crack down the window.If you feel you must use medication, Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), the same stuff you would buy for yourself, helps. Dramamine comes in 50-milligram tables. You can split it into quarters. A small dog should only have about 12.5 milligrams at least an hour before travel. Warning!!! If your pup has glaucoma or bladder problems You shouldn't give him dramamine without a veterinarian's approval. Even a dog who is prone to car sickness, can learn to really enjoy trips, if you are as considerate of carsick pet, as you would be if you had a carsick child. Don't fly around curves, slow down, and help your pup learn to enjoy the ride.
-DL