Harley McGuire, SedonaEye.com star pet columnist sends a Four Paws Up to Inoch, a Super Supreme Service dog and Sedona pal
Sedona AZ (February 24, 2014) – Much like humans, dogs and cats can also experience a feeling of illness while traveling. Car sickness can make trips, whether short or long, quite an ordeal for the Four Paws Up Village and their families. Fortunately, as always, SedonaEye.com Star Pet Columnist Harley McGuire has great advice to help his on-the-go pals!
Here are the most common reasons for car sickness in puppies, dogs and cats:
- The ear structures used for balance aren’t fully developed in puppies. This can cause motion sickness. Fortunately, many dogs will outgrow car sickness.
- Stress can also add to travel sickness. For example, if your pal has only been in the car to go to the vet, she may make herself sick from the worry and apprehension of being taken to the vet! Believe me, it’s true!
- If my pals has been nauseous the first few times traveling in the car as kiddies, they may be conditioned to see car travel as a time when they’ll be sick.
Pal parents should look for some common signs of car sickness:
- Inactivity
- Restlessness
- Excessive Yawning
- Whining
- Hyper Salivation (drooling)
- Vomiting
Harley McGuire pal, Cody
Typically these symptoms will go away shortly after the vehicle stops. Believe me, it’s true!
There are a number of treatment options available to help prevent car sickness: Physical comfort in the car, reconditioning, medication and holistic treatments can all help to make car traveling a lot easier on my four paws up pals. Holy cow!
- Physical Comfort in Car? Use these Harley McGuire ideas to make a car ride comfortable for your pals.
Face your dog forward in moving vehicle – if my pal is facing forward he will see less movement. Looking out of the side windows causes objects to blur and that can cause or compound motion sickness. Holy Dizzy Gillespie!
Avoid letting my pals in the farthest backseat ‘cause this is where there is the most motion. Holy Moly, Mom, can you swerve any faster!
Harley McGuire’s pal Skipper out and about
Open the windows! Yep, it reduces air pressure inside the vehicle and allows for better ventilation. Who knew? Me!
Don’t give any food to my pals a few hours before getting in the car or you will find it on your seats or floor. Try a travel crate! Sometimes this keeps up-chuck off your seats and floor.
Holy Barfs A Lot!
Keep it cool in the vehicle! A hot, stuffy ride can make car sickness worse! Holy Chili Today, Hot Tamale! (Get it? Chili today hot tamale…pals, I crack me up sometimes when I’m on a roll…)
Lots of Toys are a distraction! Holy, Holy, Holy Christmas!
Taking frequent potty breaks helps! (Holy ****! You fill in the blank. Mom deleted it and put me in time out!)
Harley McGuire’s friend, Chunk
Exercise is good before getting in the car to travel. Holy Miss Piggy! What?! You wanted Richard Simmons?! Jane Fonda?! This is a PET COLUMN FOLKS!
- Reconditioning: Sometimes reconditioning helps us relax in the car. Reconditioning is needed if my pals associate riding in the car with something bad, like getting sick or going to the vet. It takes patience. Here are some tips to help.
Try a different vehicle! Take short car trips to places we love. Holy Parks A Lot!
If you’ve got plenty of time on your hands, sit in the car with your loved one with the engine off. Do this over a few days. Scratch our chins and rub our bellies! Then, when we’re comfortable, sit in the car while it idles. After this, take a ride around the block. Now a longer trip! By doing this slowly and over a period of time (once a day can never be too much…yeah, yeah, yeah, give me four guys!) my pals will think good thoughts about the car.
Use treats to make the car a fun place and buy a special toy that stays in the car only! Holy Bacon Bacon Bacon!
- Medication: There are times when medications are necessary to help during travel like over-the-counter and prescribed medications. NO MOM I DIDN’T MEAN FOR YOU PET PARENTS! Give ’em an inch, they take a mile!
Harley McGuire pals Mojo and Nikki
Anti-nausea drugs – reduce vomiting.
Antihistamines – used to lessen motion sickness, reduce drooling, and aids calmness.
Phenothiazine and related drugs – reduce vomiting and help to sedate.
Always discuss medications with the vet before using! Pet dosages are not like people dosages!
- Holistic Approach: Holistic treatments are popular with my Sedona pals so try these.
Ginger can be used for nausea. Ginger snap cookies or ginger pills can be given at least 30 minutes before travel.
Peppermint, chamomile and horehound naturally help calm tummies. Holy Catnip!
Harley McGuire Pals Leon and Marmalade
Hold on! Here it comes! This is my personal favorite!
MASSAGE helps to relax Four Paws Up pals before travel.
Holy Pets A Lot!
Harley McGuire’s pal, Kim Salerno of Trips with Pets says, “Patience and training may help in preventing car sickness during pet travel. You may also need to stock up on certain medications or holistic remedies to help calm your pets if physical changes and reconditioning don’t do the trick. Hopefully, with time and a little effort your pets will be able to ride safely and happily.”
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WE LOVE YA HARLEYYYYYY
Hi Lucy Diamonds:
Well, you said the right thing today. Mom took me to the doggie beauty parlor and guess what. When she picked me up my grooming lady told Ma Kettle she could no longer handle me. Moi? How could she do such a thing. But you see I’ve been going there for probly bout a year and I was sposed to get nicer. But today I wasn’t in the mood for nice or to have her mess with my front toe nails or clip round my disengaged jaw. Mom’s not too happy and when she’s not happy ain’t nobody happy. A bit of being car sick right bout now might get me some sympathy. What do ya’ll think?
Lovingly,
Harley McGuire
poor harley ! have a better day !
Poor Harley, mom and the lady at the doggy beauty parlor. I understand that some days you just don’t feel like being groomed and handled by someone. You would much rather curl up for a nap. Hope life is better tomorrow.
“Riding in the car is an adventure for me”, even if we just circle the roundabouts. Mom has a car seat in the back so I can look out the window and we even go up that twisty Canyon and sometimes I feel a little woozie, but I just cover my eyes and it gets better, but I would never tell her I feel sick cuz she might leave me at home. Sometimes she gives me “Rescue Remedy” and that calms me down.
Harley, I guess your Mom will be grooming you. Well, more “Mom Time” is always a good thing in my mind. Way to go Harley.
Tweets “Yowzaa Yowzaa funny”
First, we are thrilled to have our picture up there. Fabian might have been a little slighted, but then he can’t hear or see very well. Loved the article on car sickness. We’re car riding lovers but on the subject of taking a pet to the vet as being the only time in the car here’s a little hint for multi-pet owners on going to the vet. Our parents always take all of us (3) regardless who the visit is for so we’re very used to going to the vet (and the vet always gives us treats). This makes us at ease in the car and at the vets and makes us better behaved (which always means an extra treat or 2). Looking forward to your next article…you write so well.
Hey Nikki & Mojo, great to hear from you. And Fabian, please think a moment. Not too long ago you were my star attraction during all that horrid surgery you needed to keep ya perkin’. So, just a bit of equal attention here (plus it’s my publisher who decides on which photos to use.) As for being car sick, not this pup. In fact, I don’t even shake when Mom takes me to the vet . . . only that nasty doggie beauty parlor place. And, of course, that’s no longer an issue since I’ve been x-comunicated. Oh happy day!
Lovingly,
Harley McGuire
You give great advice, Harley…we now know what to do when trying to get out of doing or going somewhere we don’t want to do or be……grrrrrrr. Love ya, Nikki, Mojo & the fabulous Fabian