A recent survey* has shown that although one dog in six suffers from travel sickness, only two out of five people ask their vet for help with the problem. In many cases this doesn’t stop people from travelling and dogs prone to the condition can be, on average, sick five times a year during journeys.
Taking your dog on a vacation in the UK is increasingly common but there are also countless everyday journeys to groomers, boarding kennels and country parks. Being unable to travel because of motion sickness not only deprives a dog of experiencing new sights, sounds and smells but it also reduces the pleasure of dog ownership.
Travelling with your dog can be stress free as there is a medication available that can prevent motion sickness in dogs, without making the pet sleepy or disorientated.
Motion (or travel) sickness is thought to be caused by a combination of stress, anxiety and movement causing disturbances in the balance mechanism in the inner ear. Dogs usually first suffer motion sickness when they are puppies and are thought to experience progressively greater levels of stress during later journeys. By preventing vomiting we can make the journey much less of an experience to be feared and that, in turn, can make future journeys even easier.
DOs and DON’Ts for pet owners travelling with their pet:
- Do allow plenty of fresh air into the car
- If the pet associates the car with an enjoyable activity, such as a walk at the destination, then this will help reduce anxiety and fear.
- Don’t just assume the problem will go away or the pet will ‘get over it’.
- Do ask your vet for help.
- For further information visit www.dog-car-sickness.co.uk
Reference: Pfizer Market Research. June 05 and Feb 08
No Comment