• My girl Noel gets sick and vomits every time we travel any type of distance. She can handle a few miles. The first trip we took (80 miles) we crated her and she got very sick. I thought it may have just been the movement of the crate rocking. Although the other day I took her to the park and she had gotten sick in the back seat. Luckily I have leather seats.

    Anything I should do to help her?


  • Many of them get car sick but soon with enough traveling, get used to it… however there are a few that never do... Mine would get sick as baby puppies, but since we were on the road lots... by the time they were 4 or 5 months were seasoned travelers.


  • My male would get car sick within a block of being in the car. I was told to try Rescue Remedy which you can pick up from any organic foods store. You can also buy it online. It comes in a a little spray bottle. I would squirt 5 sprays in his mouth about a half an hour before we would go anywhere. It would help calm him down but not make him groggy or tired. Its great for people too who get nervous/anxious.


  • I've only had one incident with my B getting sick. After that I asked my vet what is best to help prevent car sickness. I was told a tablet of Benadryl 1/2 hour before the car ride would calm him down enough and help him sleep on the car ride. Sure enough it worked.

    Rescue Remedy, as previously mentioned, should also work.


  • Great suggestions….Thanks so much!!!


  • I give my 2 b's dry biskets before the trip.
    I also take them about a mile and walk them…they always empty, even if we just get back from a walk.
    This might help, giving them a chance to get used to the car in small trips.


  • Please do be cautious with Rescue Remedy - check the ingredients. I believe it contains alcohol, which is not a wise choice for dogs; they cannot metabolize well.

    As Tanza said, some do not ever outgrow carsickness. My Jazzy has always gotten car sick – four years and she's not outgrown it. BUT, she HAS been taught to use the garbage can, LOL. I don't crate her because that just made it worse for her -- the sliding around, etc. and then she would be covered in vomit when we reached our destination. She sits on a seat and when we see the signs -- licking her lips, panting, the B-smile - we hold up the garbage pail and she throws up in it. Then we just tie off the bag and the next bag is ready.


  • My thought about Rescue Remedy too… it is loaded with alcohol...


  • A non-medicine way to potentially cure carsickness is to cover the dog's crate with blankets, sheets, or clothing that smells of home, owners…etc. The darkness over their crate provides some comfort that is only enhanced by the smell of something familiar.


  • @JazzysMom:

    She sits on a seat and when we see the signs – licking her lips, panting, the B-smile - we hold up the garbage pail and she throws up in it. Then we just tie off the bag and the next bag is ready.

    Heh, I've only seen my B do this once (obviously did not know the signs) and that sure was the warning signal.

    Funny you have it down to a science.


  • I have heard (but never needed to try) that ginger is a folk remedy for nausea (think ginger ale when you are sick). It comes in capsules, and I have had people tell me that they gave their dogs a couple of ginger snaps before short trips and thought it helped. That is purely anecdotal, second hand information but might be worth a try. I was always car sick as a kid so I am very sympathetic!


  • @MacPack:

    I have heard (but never needed to try) that ginger is a folk remedy for nausea (think ginger ale when you are sick). It comes in capsules, and I have had people tell me that they gave their dogs a couple of ginger snaps before short trips and thought it helped. That is purely anecdotal, second hand information but might be worth a try. I was always car sick as a kid so I am very sympathetic!

    That very well may work. I know for a fact that ginger is a nausea suppressant. Used a lot on boats.


  • @Kananga:

    That very well may work. I know for a fact that ginger is a nausea suppressant. Used a lot on boats.

    OK…this is bad.. but can you all see a Basenji smoking weed?


  • @tanza:

    OK…this is bad.. but can you all see a Basenji smoking weed?

    Ha, ha, ha…in California, yes! 😉 Although, I wonder if they ate marijuana whether it would have the same effect.


  • @MacPack:

    I have heard (but never needed to try) that ginger is a folk remedy for nausea (think ginger ale when you are sick). It comes in capsules, and I have had people tell me that they gave their dogs a couple of ginger snaps before short trips and thought it helped. That is purely anecdotal, second hand information but might be worth a try. I was always car sick as a kid so I am very sympathetic!

    I get horribly seasick (amazing that I've raced sailboats since I was a kid)…and get motion sickness in general. Ginger capsules are my saving grace and have used them for years & years!

    The only thing I would worry about with a dog taking the capsules would be that if you don't wash them down with plenty of water, they leave a burning sensation in your stomach for about 15 - 20 minutes. If I were to try ginger on a dog, I would definitely give it in a ginger snap and not the capsule.

  • Houston

    Great ideas, Our B hasen't shown carsickness signs yet, but our Schnorkie does. I am going to have to try these things when we go on vacay in July. Having three dogs and two kiddos in a car, and then somebody gets sick…not a god combo.Thanks for such wonderful people on this forum.
    Basenjimamma


  • I just read a short article in our local paper about a recent study using ginger vs. a placebo in treating nausea in chemo patients and found it to be very effective. Funny to read it the day after our "conversation".


  • @MacPack:

    I just read a short article in our local paper about a recent study using ginger vs. a placebo in treating nausea in chemo patients and found it to be very effective. Funny to read it the day after our "conversation".

    Sigh. Didn't do a thing for Jazz…but then, she's a "special" girl :rolleyes: when it comes to car sickness.


  • When Rally was a puppy she would get carsick. We tried the ginger snaps. She ended up puking them back up. For a while after that all you had to do was show her a ginger snap and she would curl her lip and make a "yuck" face.


  • @JazzysMom:

    Sigh. Didn't do a thing for Jazz…but then, she's a "special" girl :rolleyes: when it comes to car sickness.

    She really IS a special girl, since she uses the bucket! That is better than a lot of humans I have known. Poor thing, having to feel lousy when going on fun trips!

    I had a sheltie that got horribly carsick once, if we HAD to take him somewhere, we had to sedate him. None of the other remedies worked at all. Of course he was a nervous wreck, that dog, we had to sedate him during thunder storms too, or he'd wet himself silly because he was so afraid. He'd climb all over you before a storm came, then when the first thunder hit, he'd whiz all over your lap!!

    Poor guy, he was just terrified. July 4th, same thing. I had so much Ace in the house I could have tranquilized a HORSE.

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