Tips for Conquering Doggy Carsickness

We've all been there: zipping around town with your canine companion in tow, when suddenly that hiccup like doggy stomach pumping "I'm about to throw up mom!" sound starts...oh no!  If your dog is a puppy, take heart that most dogs grow out of their carsickness, but some do not.  My big boy Riley is a 5 year old Shiloh Shepherd and he still suffers from carsickness if we're not careful.  We take this rather seriously as a 100lb carsick dog can make a big mess!  (Of course, it doesn't help that he usually ends up laying in it).  Long story short, we've waged a war on doggy carsickness to great success, and we'd like to share our triumphant tips with you.

• Concoctions that actually help.  We've discovered two concoctions that you can give to your dog 20 minutes before leaving that have given us a 100% carsickeness prevention rate, along with the situational precautions below.  The first is FastBalance GI- this is available on 1800PetMeds website.  This is a strange chunky brown substance in a huge syringe-like dispenser which your dog will voluntarily eat and it works very well, but it's quite pricey for a dog Riley's size.  If you have a small dog, the FastBalance is the most convenient and quick to administer of the two, and the price would not likely be prohibitive as it was for us.  The other concoction is a mix of InClover Optagest and HomeoPet's Travel Anxiety drops both of which we got at Denny's Pet World in Kirkland, but they are also available online.  We measure the appopriate dosage of each (according to your pet's weight) and mix the two in cream cheese and wrap in a piece of ham for an undeniable "treat" that packs a major puke prevention wallop!
• Fresh Air.  Keep the windows slightly unrolled or crank the A/C to keep cool, fresh air coming at his face.
• Face Forward.  If at all possible, position  your dog's crate so that his body is oriented with his face forward and his hind end toward your trunk.  Preferably, position it so that he can look out the front windshield.
• Keep Them Down.  If you can keep your dog in a "down" for the car-ride, he will have a lower center of gravity and therefore will not be jostled about as much by your driving.
• Do Nothing Quickly.  You see, I share Riley's affliction of motion sickness, and I immediately realized I need to drive for him the way I wish people drove for me when I'm getting carsick- as smoothly as possible.  This includes starting, stopping, accelerating, decelerating, and turning all very gradually.
• Choose Safe Routes.  When Riley is along for the ride, we think ahead and plan to take special routes with as few stops and turns as possible.  Even if it takes longer, its worth it.

Go forth with these suggestions and may your carseats stay clean!