I realize this isn't the worst problem my Mya could have; however, it's the first. We are avid campers and take about 6 weeks out of the year to pull our fifth-wheel camper across the country. We are trying to get our 15 wk. baby Mya ready for our trip to Florida (then she will be 17 wks.) by taking her for short rides in the car and the truck.

Here's the problem, when she's in the car for about 15 minutes she starts smacking her chops. 18 minutes, then it's grunting, and smacking, and BUUUUURRRRP! We've only had to pull the car over once in the last few trips to let her vomit - but…whew....it's exhausting watching her!

I'm taking her on a couple of car trips this weekend. They're all fun car trips too! I can see it in her eyes that she knows that the destination is worth it. But it's killing me that we'll be driving for HOURS in a couple of weeks - this is what we do. Should I suggest to the vet getting a car-sick-thingy-ma-bobber drug for Mya?

Anybody??

Thanks!

I know they can take dramamine, but you need to watch the dosage.
Your vet should be able to advise you on that, just make sure the vet is
aware of the sensitivities of the Basenji system. They cannot take all meds that other dogs can.

Also, feed less before you travel. If you are traveling in the morning, make the last real meal the dinner the night before.

Jazzy is 3 yrs old and STILL gets carsick. I'm not a fan of medications, so I've never gone that route. Instead, she's been trained to throw up into a trash can in the car - just sticks her head in and throws up, LOL. The trash can is lined with plastic bag, so we just tie it off and put a new one in.

Try a crate, that does the trick for lots of carsick dogs. And even if she does urp in the crate, it is much easier to clean up…line it with lots of paper.

I have heard people swear by ginger, a 'natural' nausea remedy. But for long trips, I would talk to the vet about drugs, might as well be sleeping and not barfing! I traveled that way as a child, drugged on dramamine and sleeping most of the trips and it was way preferable to feeling sick all the way.

"better living through chemistry"

Anne in Tampa

I think that is you get her out and about, used to riding, she will be find. Many of my pups the first couple of time would "barf"…. And a crate IMO is the way to go... all of mine ride in crates... and make sure that you don't feed her right before a car ride, however that said, if it has been a while since her last meal, you might want to try a small cookie before the ride.

I'm hearing you Tanza and Quercus, but I am…...wondering, esp. about the "easy clean-up".

When Jazz travels in her crate, she still gets sick but then she slides all over in it and it and is a disgusting mess when we arrive at our destinations.
For me, the seat belt works best where we can catch the vomit {or as I said, hold the trash can still while she does her thing}.
That way I still have a clean dog when I arrive at my destination. Seems that it'd be easier to cover the seat with something easy to clean {cheap vinyl tablecloth???} or try to teach your dog to use a bucket, than to have a vomit covered dog.

She is a bit better now than when she was a pup. Sometimes she doesn't throw up until just after the car stops moving and the engine is turned off.
But she always throws up at some point.

Ew, and when she was very small -- say up to four months -- she's throw up AND have diarrhea when we traveled. She was crated then, and THAT was soooooo nasty! I can live with the vomit, but the other end....ew ew ew. SO glad she outgrew THAT!

Yeah, good point about being covered in vomit from the crate. I think it is quite remarkable that she has been trained to use a barf bag, though. I don't usually travel with someone that could do that (usually me and preschooler and a dog or three)…and I don't know that all dogs would be able to get the idea?!

I would rather have the vomit contained, and have to wipe off the dog....but I suppose that is just a personal choice

@Quercus:

Yeah, good point about being covered in vomit from the crate. I think it is quite remarkable that she has been trained to use a barf bag, though. I don't usually travel with someone that could do that (usually me and preschooler and a dog or three)…and I don't know that all dogs would be able to get the idea?!

I would rather have the vomit contained, and have to wipe off the dog....but I suppose that is just a personal choice

It IS pretty funny to watch , I will admit. It was easy to teach her – she IS a Basenji and she does prefer to keep things neat and tidy, unless it is something stuffed that can be gutted, of course!