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E
arly training is important.
Keep your puppy as calm
as possible and start with
short journeys.
After the initial vaccination
course is completed, start
taking the pup for a nice walk
or play session at the end of
car journeys, so that your
puppy associates the car with
a pleasant reward.
Plan ahead:
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Don't feed your dog just
before travelling.
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Plan regular comfort breaks
for long journeys.
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A bit of fresh air, stretching
legs and a small drink of
water will help maintain
your pet's wellbeing while
travelling.
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If possible, a good long walk
before setting off can help
tire your pet so that he is
more likely to sleep.
During the
journey:
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Open the windows a little to
allow in fresh air.
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Avoid smoking or other strong
odours in the car.
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Allow your pet to see out
of the car. Some harnesses
allow dogs to safely sit up
on the back seat and face
forward. Being unable to
look out and focus on
distant objects can trigger
motion sickness.
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Sleeping dogs tend not to
develop nausea, so a
non-slip surface or comfy
bed to sleep on when the
dog gets tired can help
them to relax and sleep.
Longer term
management:
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Older pups and dogs that
have already developed
travel sickness problems
need behavioural
modification, which really
just means restarting the
training process at a very
slow pace.
l
Allow your pet to sit or sleep
in a comfy bed in the car
without travelling anywhere.
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Perhaps offer a much loved
toy or treat and lots of
affection and praise.
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After 2 weeks, start the
engine for a little while
without going anywhere.
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After another 2 weeks, try
a 2-3 minute journey and
slowly build up your pet's
confidence following the
travel hints already discussed.
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A pleasant end destination
will again be useful for
positive reinforcement.
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Hopefully your patience
will be rewarded with your
animal companion enjoying
journeys with you.
For the stubbornly travel
sick case, the above advise
should still be followed, but
medication can be added
in. Mild sedatives and
antihistamines can reduce
the symptoms of travel
sickness by reducing anxiety
and causing drowsiness,
which will help the pet sleep.
A specific anti-sickness tablet
can be prescribed for severely
affected cases. It is always
best to have your pet checked
and weighed by your vet
before starting on a new
medication.
So how do we help puppies and dogs that are prone to
motion sickness?
Here are some handy
hints to avoid travel
sickness occurring.