Motion sickness

[Xxena]

Originally Posted by PurpleChicken

My beagle gets horribly motion sick. She likes going in the car, but sadly gets very ill, even after a short journey. We have tried to slowly introduce her by only going short distances with the aim of gradually making them longer, but everytime we spend more than 5 minutes or so in the car she gets sick.

Does anyone have any suggestions??

We are actually planning on moving house in the next month, which means a flight for poor Maddie. I'm really concerned about how she'll go.

Our late doberman of 13 years had the same problem. We tried all the usual suggestions and tricks like sitting in the car off, then on for a few minutes, increasing it etc etc. Nothing seemed to work. He wanted to go with but would get so carsick it was horrible and then would whine till he drove everyone nuts. When we moved where we are now years back.. we changed vets... the new one suggested studies he had been doing that it was motion sickness like people get and tied to the inner ear just like in people. He gave us motion sickness meds that people usually take geared to his size and age and its was a "downer" of sorts and mellowed him out but hew ould be awake and happy, we'd stop and walk him at his usual spots along the long ride from here to our house on the lake.. and he always KNEW we were almost to those spots a few miles ahead of time.. BUT he didn't get sick any longer and NO WHINNING... I don't remember the name of the meds, I'll ask my daugther and see if she does or if there is something new on the market now from vets since that's her field.

[southern yankee]

i wonder if it is a beagle thing. my part beagle does too. the last time she didn't up chuck. but drewled horribly. and shook like she was ready to have a fit. My other dog is a riding fool. I have to drag the beagle in the car. Now she will ride in the back of hubby's truck. maybe the air calms her?

[Xxena]

years down the road I guess dogs and even cats can be just like people with motion sickness.. for some it is an inner ear problem, others its anxiety and some the high pitched noise of the motor their fine tuned hearing is aware of we are not bothers them. Its been quite a few years since our dobe passed .. but our old female now who is a street dog we rescued is a pitbull/corgi mix and never had a car problem with her ever.. she gets into her spot in the rear seat and sleeps most rides to anywhere.. my male pitbull has learned to sleep most of the ride once he's sure we're not going to the vet. He shows no signs of any type of car sickness at all just he wants to make sure its not the vet but somewhere else he likes we're going to, once he's sure the trip is for pleasure he settles down and goes to sleep with his pack member and they take turns snoring most of the ride to our house up north which is about a 10 hour drive. There are things like
valerian root and other natural products you can use but you have to make sure
you get the correct dose for the dog's weight and age since too much can make them really ill, its used for people as wel to calm them and for sleeplessness or anxiety. Good luck with your beagle. I love dogs they are what most people should be.