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          Canine Car Sickness          

 talalogoa

Dogs can suffer from car sickness for many reasons.  Firstly you must identify the reason for the sickness.  It could be car motion, fear, concern at being confined with or without another dog, the sight of the horizon moving or the stomach getting rid of the excessive saliva that the dog is swallowing.  Whatever the cause, obtaining a purpose-built travelling box would be a good start to solving the problem.  The box should be used as the dogs sleeping and eating quarters in the kennel or home untill it becomes a place of absolute security.  It can then be transferred to the car and the dog allowed to live in it there for the majority of the day.  Only once the dog is comfortable with this arrangement should the car engine be started from time to time.  When you think all is well, take the dog on short journeys.  This desensitisation process will take several weeks but will be worth it in the end.


Preventing Travel Sickness
When Your Pet Gets Travel Sickness
Car Sickness
Overcoming Car Sickness

TRAVELLING WITH DOGS

 preventing travel sickness and inappropriate behaviour
Carole Bryant, Naturopath
(ATMS & HATAA accredited)
www.berigorafarm.com.au

Preventing travel sickness in dogs
The simplest method I know to prevent travel sickness (in humans as well as dogs) is to place some sheets of newspaper (5 - 10 sheets) underneath the dog when travelling. You can still place a mat or rug over the paper for comfort but it is important that the newspaper is between the dog and the vehicle.

For a dog that is on the back seat, spread several thicknesses of newspaper over the seat and cover with a rug. For a dog that is crated or travelling in a trailer, just place the sheets of newspaper underneath the normal bedding in the crate or trailer.  

Berigora Farm Travel Mix (a combination of homoeopathic remedies and crystal essences) is recommended for travel sickness. Give one dose (10 drops under the tongue) ½ hour before travelling with follow up doses every couple of hours on long trips.

For poor travellers, I would combine the newspaper method with the Berigora Farm Travel Mix.

Dogs that feel just a little unwell when travelling may bark or become restless or agitated (see below). Also see the section below on TTouch.

Reducing anxiety/barking
Some dogs react adversely to travelling by becoming extremely agitated, restless and/or barking.  These dogs may benefit from Berigora Farm Stress Mix (a homoeopathic/flower essence/crystal essence mixture). Give 10 drops under the tongue 15 - 30 minutes before travelling, with additional doses every hour or two while travelling, depending on how stressed the dog is). Some dogs become anxious as soon as they know they will be travelling). Berigora Farm Stress Mix and Berigora Farm Travel Mix can be given together if needed.

For dogs that are extremely agitated/unsettled and cannot relax, it may be best to give them relaxing herbs starting 12 hours before the trip. This should help your dog relax enough to lie down and sleep during the trip. However, if you are driving to a show or other performance competition your dog may be a little drowsy and not perform to his potential although this will depend on the herbs used and the dose given. Consult a health care professional to prescribe appropriate herbs for your dog Also see the section below onTTouch.

TTouch
Dogs that travel badly can be helped by using TTouch.
carsicknesscarol1
Dogs that suffer from nausea/vomiting can be helped by doing TTouch ear slides. Gently (imagine the ear as being as fragile as the petal of a flower) stroke the whole ear from the base to the tip in the direction the ear grows. The ear contains acupuncture points for the whole body, so by doing ear slides you can influence the whole body. At first it could be helpful to have a second person travelling with you, sitting beside the dog and working on his ears at regular intervals.

The basic circular TTouch is a 1¼ circle. If you imagine the circle being carsicknesscarol2 like the face of a watch, start the circle at 6 o'clock, then move clockwise right around to 6 o'clock again, then continue on to 9 o'clock to complete the 1¼ circle. You can use the ends of the fingers to make tiny circles around the muzzle; use the pads of the fingers to make small circles about the size of a 10 or 20 cent piece; or use your whole hand gently cupped to do large circles over your dog's body. Use just enough pressure to move the dog's skin.

Experiment with this by closing your eyes and doing a small circle on your eyelid using just enough pressure to move the skin. As dogs normally have loose skin, it only needs a very light touch to do the circles on your dog (TTouch is not massage - we are not working with the dog's muscles). TTouch works on the nerve endings to influence neurological pathways and provide the dog with information about his body. Only when the dog is aware of what he is doing is he able to make changes leading to more appropriate
behaviour.

Incessant barking while travelling is usually "mindless" in that the dog isn't even aware of his own behaviour. For those dogs that bark when travelling, it is best to do the TTouch work with your dog for several days or more before travelling if possible. Try doing small TTouch circles on the outside of his muzzle/lips, then inside his lips, then on the gums, then rubbing across the gums in front of the incisors (especially the upper incisors which is especially important for emotional issues). Do these things as a gradual progression. Stop and back off and gradually work your way back again if he shows any signs of emotional discomfort at any stage. When he is comfortable with all this, then try gently tapping your fingers on his tongue (like playing the piano) and also rubbing a little on the roof of his mouth. These will all help
to raise his awareness of his mouth and how he is using it. Initially, it could be helpful to have a second person travelling with you, sitting beside the dog and gently massaging his gums whenever he starts to become agitated.

Also try the TTouch nosewrap on him as this is excellent for helping with unthinking behaviour in relation to the mouth. The TTouch nosewrap is simply a piece of soft elastic - place the centre on top of the dog'scarsicknesscarol3 muzzle, take the ends under the muzzle, crossing over under the jaw then back up behind the ears and tie in a knot. The elastic should fit snugly without being tight (I would be especially careful of this when using it with teething puppies). The dog can still eat, drink, yawn, etc. but every time he opens his mouth the feel of the elastic helps him become aware of what he is doing (changes an unthinking behaviour into a thinking behaviour). I use soft 1" (25 mm) elastic for large dogs and 1/2" (12 mm)for small dogs/puppies. If your dog is uncomfortable with the nosewrap, do some small TTouch circles around his muzzle as preparation before putting the nosewrap on.
©carole Bryant, Naturopath
(ATMS & HATAA accredited)
• nutrition • herbal medicine • homoeopathy • flower essences • iridology • massage • kinesiology • reflexology
• manipulative muscle therapy • Neuro-Linguistic Programming • Thought Field Therapy • Reiki
plus for pets: • TTouch Practitioner I • TTEAM Practitioner-in-Training • Cert IV Behavioural Dog Trainer
Webbers Arcade, 133 Prince Street, Grafton. 2460 Ph: 02 66439035
Email: carole@berigorafarm.com.au Website: www.berigorafarm.com.au
….. natural health care for people, pets & livestock

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 When your pet gets Travel Sickness

by Caroline Kjall at DogBasics
www.localpetpeople.com

If your dog suffers from motion sickness, drools or throws up in the car, there are things you can do to ease his suffering.

Below is a link to a web site about natural remedies that you can give your dog before a drive, to help her cope with the stress of the journey. Even if the sickness is based on fear, it is still stress related and she could be helped by B6 vitamins. Here is the link:

http://www.sfgsrescue.org/articles/carsick.htm

There is also a specific herb called Scullcap & Valerian by Dorwest Herbs, which will help against travel sickness. The local vet here in Hitchin sell them and I'm sure other vet practices and pet shops sell them too.

It is a great idea to sit with her in a stationary car and just get her used to the environment. Maybe bring a filled Kong with you, that she can munch on in the car, whilst you read the morning paper.

When you've done this often enough for her to be relaxed and happy to jump into the car with the engine off, you go through the same process all over again, but this time with the engine on. The car is still stationary though.

Once she's happy with this, you can make small trips with her. It is beneficial if you can take the trips to a favourite place of your dogs, such as your local dog park, a friends house, etc, and then for one of you to walk your dog home, so that the trip ends with something really positive and not another dreaded car trip home.
reprinted with kind permission from
Caroline at http://www.localpetpeople.com
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Car Sickness

If your dog is miserable from a ride in the car. What can you do, short of doping the animal up??  Here are just a few suggestions -

1. One of the best herbs for nausea of any kind is ginger - be it a couple of ginger snap cookies ginger ale/beer, crystallized ginger, or a 500 mg capsule of the powder. Just give it about 30 minutes before any car trip. Good for people, too. Even for seasickness.Try powdered ginger root capsules. Ginger root does help calm the stomach. Ginger can be given in tea, too, if the animal prefers it. Ginger root raw is a little strong, and most animals don't like it. Scale down the human dosage for animals, and give a little before the car ride as well as during the trip if needed. You can buy Hofel's High Strength Ginger 'Pearles' (a fancy name for capsules!) for the dogs and their car sickness. Each capsule contains the same as 12grams of fresh ginger and you only need one per day, given about half an hour before traveling. They have found that it really does help in reducing salivation and nausea.

2. In Pat Colby's book - Natural Pet Care, under the heading Travel  Sickness is says  "In all species, (including humans) this is due to a vitamin B6 deficiency". Goes on to say "give half a teaspoon of ascorbate, one B complex and one B6, or half of each for a small dog (the two must always be given together). If it is to be a long journey, giving all the recommended vitamins on the feed the day before as well, and during the journey, would also be a good idea as it would guard against the extra stress"

3. Fenugreek, another herb, can be used just like ginger.

4. Rescue Remedy can be given just a few drops on a small treat. This is a Bach Flower Remedy. It tends to calm down an animal but doesn't make them dopey like drugs do. Give about 4 drops in the mouth or ears about 10-12 hours before starting the trip, repeating every four hours or as needed. You can also spritz the car with a dilution made with spring water. RR is absorbed anywhere through the skin, so even rubbing some RR in can help calm. RR can also be given in drinking water - dilution does not affect its efficacy.

5. Peppermint is wonderful for motion sickness. A drop or two of tincture of peppermint might help or try brewing some peppermint tea and giving the animal some cooled tea. This also calms the stomach.

6. Try giving a little raw honey before the car trip. It tends to calm the tummy. Repeat as necessary. (If your animal has a heart problem, however, do not give honey, as it tends to make animals retain fluid, which is not good in the case of heart patients)

7. Behavior. Start the dog (or cat) out by sitting in the car. After several times and the attitude is calm, try starting the car with the dog in it. Wait until the animal is comfortable with a running parked car before driving a short (and I mean SHORT, like down the driveway) distance. *Slowly* keep increasing the time spent in the moving car until the animal is more comfortable with being in a moving car. Spread the "training" out over several weeks for best results. Dosing with any of the 4 remedies above can help too. When in the car, keep your voice cheerful rather than soothing. This will help the animal see that there is nothing scary about being in the car.

8. Try the training on both a full and an empty stomach. Some animals need to eat before riding, some need an empty stomach.

9. When driving to a destination for the first time, make sure it is a fun place. Nothing will undo all your hardwork more quickly than the first visit being a vet clinic or some other "unfun" place. Go to the park or the beach or some other place your dog can look forward to.

10. Some doctors say that carsickness is from a lack of Vit B6, so try giving your dog extra B vits on the morning of the journey. Raw liver (fed the night before or that morning) has lots of B vits, and a human supplement can also be given in pill form. Please give a B complex vitamin rather than just one B vitamin, as they need to be balanced out for maximum effect.

11. Ask your homeopathic vet about perhaps trying one of the following homeopathic remedies (in about the 6th potency): Petroleum, Cocculus, Tabacum, Borax.

Always remember to secure your animal properly in the car. Loose in the back of a truck may look "cool", but your animal can be injured and perhaps killed this way. Crates tied or bolted down in the back of a truck or the back of a car is the safest route. Seatbelts for animals are also available. A simple downstay in the backseat may not be sufficient in preventing injury should an accident occur.
Good luck!:)

Compiled by and contributed by a SFBAGSRescue volunteer.
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Overcoming Car Sickness

by Capt. Arthur J. Haggerty and Carol Benjamin

Car sickness is a form of motion sickness that is caused by excessive, uneven, rhythmic motion in a car. Some doctors say this malady is caused by motion's effect on the labyrinths of the inner ear, but many other factors can bring on motion sickness. In humans, car sickness can be caused by smells and odors, physical discomfort, unsanitary conditions, suggestion, and fear. Fear has a decided effect on the dog. Psychosomatic illnesses in dogs have been well documented in veterinary literature. In severe cases, merely putting a dog in a parked car will cause salivation. Car sickness can not always be cured in humans. This may be true with some dogs, but we have never experienced it to be so.

The initial manifestation of car sickness in dogs is often an excessive amount of salivation. This is often—but not always—followed by retching and vomiting. The presence of food in the dog's stomach may increase the likelihood of car sickness. Even with only the discomfort of salivation, the dog's appearance would be sickly. He would neither be ready for the show ring nor a visit to Aunt Judy's.

Every ride for the dog should not end up with an inoculation at the veterinarian's office or tedious plucking at the grooming salon. These factors would certainly increase the incidences of psychosomatic car sickness.

The standard method for combating motion sickness in humans is to give Dramamine before the onset of the symptoms. Dramamine will cause extreme drowsiness and is unsatisfactory as a cure for dogs. The show fancier cannot arrive ready to enter his dogs in the ring if they have been given this medication. It is equally unsatisfactory for the average dog owner who wants to make his dog a true part of the family and take him along on outings.

The "sink or swim" method is not the best approach. In this method, you would take the dog out driving until the problem is cured. This is hard on the dog and on the humans who have to clean up after him. The following steps are designed to give dog owners with car sick dogs a minimum amount of work. Some of the steps can be followed when you are going out in the car anyway. If your dog is responding well, you can skip some steps and proceed more rapidly. It will depend upon how severe the problem is. Proceed when your dog seems blase with the present step.

How to Cure Car Sickness
1. Put your dog in your parked car. Praise him, pet him, reassure him. Make him feel it's a party. Do not start the motor. After a few minutes, take him for a walk and then home. Do this twice a day for a few days.

2. Take Fido out to dinner…that is, out of the house and into your car. At his normal feeding time, put him in the car and give him his chow. After a few trys, leave the car and let him eat there alone. Come back, praise him and walk him as soon as he finishes eating. If he won't eat with you gone, take your favorite magazine and keep him company. Try this for one week.

3. Now put Fido in the car, turn your engine on, make sure the window is cracked so that he has air and talk to him. Tell him "The Three Bears", shut off the motor, and take him out. Always praise him for sitting in the car.

4. Increase your warm up—motor on, car parked. Tell him a longer story. Praise and go home.

5. Time for a spin. Proceed as above and go for a very short ride. Talk to him, reassure him, praise him when you get home. Do this for a few days.

6. Now you can start to take Fido on your short errands. When running out to the drugstore or for the Sunday papers, take him for a ride. When you get to your destination, take him with you. Tell him he's terrific—and drive him home. If he begins to salivate while you're driving, pull over and stop for a few minutes, then proceed. A nice walk before the trip home will relax him and make it all worthwhile for him as well. He'll look forward to the next journey.

7. Continue slowly until you can take him on longer and longer trips.

Final Tips
A. Don't feed your dog before you work with him in the car. Except when feeding him in the car, let him look forward to dinner immediately after the lesson.

B. Always leave the window open for enough fresh air but NOT enough for him to jump out.

C. As he progresses so that he can go for short runs, take him whenever you can…on chores, for a short visit to friends, for a fill-up at the gas station. Work his rides into your normal routine whenever possible.
Happy motoring!
reprinted with kind permission from Tara Todd
Assistant to the Managing Director Delaware County SPCA
555 Sandy Bank Road Media, PA 19063 610-566-1370 X 219
Fax-610-565-1156 ttodd@delcospca.org

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Travel Sickness Supplements



chloebutton  talabutton  
The above information is simply informational. It's intent is not to replace the advice of a veterinarian nor to assist you in making a diagnosis of your pet. Please consult with your own veterinarian for confirmation of any diagnosis. Your pets life may depend on it.