For many people, travelling is a major source of enjoyment, particularly when taking their pet with them. But for pet owners whose dogs suffer from travel sickness, travelling can become a stressful and messy experience.
Travel sickness is a common occurrence often affecting 1 in 6 dogs of all ages, with puppies and younger dogs more susceptible.

The typical signs of travel sickness include:
1.Vomiting
2.Nausea
3.Drooling
4.Restlessness
5.Anxiety
6.;Trembling

The causes of these symptoms are complex. Travel sickness can occur when the brain receives excessive signals from the body’s balance system. Anxiety and fear can increase the effect of other impulses and together all these stimuli can cause the feelings of nausea and eventually trigger vomiting.
Sedatives and anti-histamines have been used for their ability to dampen the sensory impulses which trigger the vomiting centre of the brain. However, they are not very specific for this area and so tend to cause more general sedative effects. This results in the dog being ‘dopey’ for a long time, not just the journey, so much so that it often misses out on the fun it could be participating in at the end of the journey.
Many pet owners have found that the only practical solution is to leave their pet behind when travelling—not a very satisfactory situation for either the owner of their pet.
Travel sickness no longer needs to be a reason for leaving your dog behind. The vomiting caused by this medical condition can be easily prevented.
Speak with you veterinary surgeon for a solution that enables your dog to stay awake, alert and fully able to travel—putting the fun back into travelling with your dog.

The following advice will help reduce the risk of your pet feeling uncomfortable.

1.Let your dog get fresh air during the journey by partially opening the windows.
2.Make sure the car is not too hot or too cold. Dogs cannot adjust their body temperature as readily as humans.
3.Drive carefully and avoid braking or accelerating unnecessarily.
4.Get your dog used to car travel by starting with short journeys and gradually build up to longer ones.
5.During longer journeys, take regular breaks and allow your dog to get our of the car to drink.
6.If your dog associates the car with an enjoyable activity, such as a walk at the destination, then this will help reduce anxiety and fear.
7.Make the first few journeys as enjoyable and stress-free as possible for puppies, as this experience will determine how they feel about car travel from then onwards.
8.Ask your veterinary surgeon about medication that may help to prevent travel sickness in your dog.