Lab gets carsick

PairOfLabs

PairOfLabs

Active member
Have any of you had experience with your dogs getting motion sickness? My 11 mo. lab pup Parker has issues. This could be on hunting trips or trips across town to the dog off-leash park. It doesn't seem to matter if has eaten recently or not. I've given him a single Dramamine with a little food--sometimes he's OK, sometimes not. I should add that he rides in his kennel box in the back floor area of my megacab with the seats folded down.

The offshoot of this besides the mess and smell, is he now associates the truck with hurling and doesn't want to get in. I have to drag him close and lift him in. For awhile, things were looking up as I was working with him with treats kenneling up in the truck. He was jumping up and in. Good boy. But then after a couple more hurling trips, he wouldn't come near the door.

As a counterpoint, my 13 year old retired lab Cody still tries to run past me out the garage door to try to climb in the truck whenever he thinks I'm going somewhere.

Any ideas???
Thanks,
POL
 
Man that is tough. Can you pin point for sure if it is motion sickness or anxiety?

I would maybe try to face the kennel so that it is facing the direction you are traveling. (Sounded like he was maybe sitting sideways on the seat?)
Take baby steps back and start with literally around the block and back. Treat, happy, done. 20 min later around the block etc. And build it up.

If it is anxiety you can give him and over the counter product called Calm and cool. But talk to the vet first.
Hope it gives you some ideas
 
mstand said:
Man that is tough. Can you pin point for sure if it is motion sickness or anxiety?

I would maybe try to face the kennel so that it is facing the direction you are traveling. (Sounded like he was maybe sitting sideways on the seat?)
Take baby steps back and start with literally around the block and back. Treat, happy, done. 20 min later around the block etc. And build it up.

If it is anxiety you can give him and over the counter product called Calm and cool. But talk to the vet first.
Hope it gives you some ideas
Click to expand...


Sounds logical to me. Most get by it. But this is a stumper. I would start here as well.
 
I usually let my dogs wallow around in the truck because I drive beaters for hunting.It may cause you a mess, but try leaving the dog out of the crate and let him look out the window,or even stick his head out.If he still gets sick,it's likely car sickness and not anxiety.If he only hurls in the crate,it probably is anxiety related.I eat ginger snaps prior to hunting from the airplane and it helps.Not sure if it would be good for dogs,or not.
 
Not sure if you can move him (and his crate) to the bed of the truck but when I try to read while someone else is driving I start to feel sick and the only thing that helps me is to open a window and let some fresh air in. The crate sitting sideways, the feeling of being cramped in the crate and not being able to see out may be compounding the effect.
 
The cause of motion sickness is the same in humans and dogs.
The inner ear (which is used to keep balance) tells the brain. You are in motion.
When the eyes tells the brain. We are not in motion. The brain gets conflicting signals therefore the sickness.

The suggestions above should help. Anything that will allow the dog to use one or more additional senses to confirm what the inner ear is telling it.

This could be, hearing wind blowing by. Seeing out the side of the kennel. Smelling many different smells.

I would suggest multiple short rides. Keeping the full extent of the motion to a minimum until the pup can get use to what all his senses are telling him.
 
I've had the same problem with 2 of my goldens. I think it was the motion more so than anxiety, as they have always gotten excited about rides.

Make shorter trips and/or more frequent stops. Let them out to walk around or zip down the window at stop signs. Interestingly, I have always taken my pups out on the boat (I'm an avid fisherman when I'm not hunting) and never ever had them get sick bouncing around in the boat. I think the fresh air and their focus on all that is around them when in the boat is what's different than just laying in a truck focused on nothing while they bounce around from the ride.
 
My setter would throw up in the car as a pup. I called the breeder and he said it is more than likely anxiety/excitement. He said to put him in the car(in the shade) in a kennel a couple different times for 4-6 hours. This will teach him that the car is boring as hell.

This worked for my dog.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I forgot to mention that there is the question of motion sickness or anxiety. He has been in a kennel in the bed of pickups and he has hurled some of those times, too. On my last trip, he hurled 15 minutes into the drive-I wasn't even out of town yet.

He's in the kennel for several reasons: safer for him, new truck syndrome, sometimes I have two kennels back there for Parker and his 13 yr old retired lab buddy Cody, 4 season HVAC comfort.

I'll start trying out some of these ideas.
Thanks again,
POL
 
Making progress. I had both dogs in their kennels in the truck for a while this afternoon while I was loading stuff for my hunting trip tomorrow. I still had to lift Parker in as he was not grooving on getting in, even with a treat, and even though his buddy Cody was already in the truck. I took them for a short ride to fill up with fuel. So far, so good.

Just now while loading some more stuff I thought about seeing how he would react to me throwing one of his retrieving bumpers into the kennel. Whoa--should have thought of that sooner. He was into the truck and kennel like a shot-no running start, no booster help, just a vertical vault and he was in. I may be on to something. I'll keep working with a variety of these suggestions to see how he progresses.

Thanks again for your tips--and any more that you think of.
Regards,
POL
 
Just thinking a bit...you have space for both dogs in either a big crate, or the vehicle itself? NOT separated, but just hanging out together?

Sounds like it is a fixable thing.

Best wishes.
 
One of my dogs got sick once but thats the only time it ever happened.

Now, I am sick of my lab in the front seat does that count?
 
Well, our hunting trip was only 15 minutes old Wed. when I detected that bad smell from the back seat. I pulled over and cleaned out the kennel-luckily I'd given him just a smidge of kibble. The motion sickness pill didn't work. But once that spell was over he was fine for the rest of the two day trip. Even with the allure of hunting, he still associates getting in the truck with bad memories. When I was trying to get him in the truck Wed. night so I could go get some dinner I had to drag him to the truck and lift him in. I'll be continuing to try things.

Let me know if any of you have any other suggestions.
Parker-Yuma010RSm.jpg


Thanks,
Parker and POL
 
Maybe try small feedings before you travel . . . perhaps a bit of cottage cheese, plain yogurt, or pumpkin or withhold food entirely until you return/stop for the day. You might consider feeding him in the truck prior to leaving to add that "good" association to travel. Hang in there . . . this too, will pass.
 
I understand you had a trip to go on. But when you get back, continue with very short and FUN trips.

It can be fixed. Just have to have patients. :)
 
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