Question:
I have two Maltese cross border collies who are five months old and they both suffer from travel sickness. They are not afraid of travelling, but if we go around too many corners, they’ll be sick after about 15-20 minutes. I’ve tried not feeding them before travelling but that didn’t work; they just threw up the water. Is there anything I can give them that won’t make them drowsy but will solve the problem?
Nicole Pardon
Answer:
With travel sickness, you need to consider two causes. One is the trigger from the brain when a certain part of it is stimulated, just like if we get motion or seasickness, and there isn’t much you can do to prevent this. The other is an anxiety-related cause. And you could be dealing with a combination of both.
Unfortunately, most of the conventional medical treatments for travel sickness do have a sedative effect and so you really only want to use them when you absolutely have to. They can also make them feel disorientated, which can add to anxiety.
If there is, in fact, an anxiety-related cause (don’t rule this out, as it isn’t always obvious), your vet can prescribe medication to help without causing sedation, as well as some behaviour modification techniques. I have also heard good reports about both ginger and homeopathic treatments for prevention, so you might want to see a veterinary herbalist or homeopath for further details.
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