Tricks to avoid car sickness in dogs

It’s spring time! Yay! This means it’s getting hotter and we can start taking road trips to the beach with our dogs. Have you wondered if dogs get car sick? They do! 20% of dogs get car sick, especially puppies.

Dogs get car sick due to the over stimulation of the ear structure that’s used for balance, especially if it’s not fully developed. Therefore, it’s more common in puppies than in adult dogs, in most cases dogs outgrow it, but in some it continues throughout their life.

Factors that may cause car sickness:

• Strong smells
• Long trips
• Rough or fast driving
• Where they are sitting inside the car

How to avoid car sickness?

1. If your dog has had bad experiences before: try to help him feel comfortable when he is getting inside the car.
2. Avoid giving him food around four hours before, this way he won’t throw up.
3. If your dog has never been on a car: try to go on short trips so he can start to get used to it. Don’t get mad at him if he gets dizzy or throws up.
4. Make sure the environment is fresh, you can achieve this by having the AC on or the windows down.
5. Stop every few hours, let him walk around and relax.

We hope these tips help make your trips with your dog as pleasant as possible!

Lastly, remember that dogs need to wear seat belts that are especially made for them or travel inside of crates for your and his safety.