Expert: Dr. Christina Chambreau - 2/6/2012

Question
Hello! I recently got a 3.5 month old beagle pup. He is now 5 months old, and he has been carsick since the day we got him. He gets very drooly and sometimes vomits, even on very short car rides. I've tried not feeding him before, feeding him very little, and feeding him normally. I drive very carefully with him. I've tried ignoring him, speaking soothing, speaking excitedly, having someone hold him, having him sit alone. He sometimes shakes on car rides. Also, he is a very nervous dog. He is skittish, and he also has a sensitive stomach. I know this all makes for the perfect recipe of a carsick dog, but any information would be helpful in making him happy in the car. His obedience class is a 20 minute car ride away, and I want to be able to run short errands with him in the car so he doesn't have to be alone sometimes.

Answer
You have done a great job at trying the basic ways to help a puppy get over being car sick. I am not at my regular computer, so do not have all the basic health care info, so please read some of my older answers to find ways to help your pup live a longer, healthier life that with merely conventional veterinary care.

A few more things you can try for the car and for the general nervousness and skittishness as well as the sensitive stomach.

1. Rescue Remedy from the health food store is a combination of 5 Bach flower essences that is great for people or animals with anxiety. do not waste your money on the Pet one. Put 4 drops into a one ounce dropper bottle of water. Shake it several times before each use. Put a few drops on your hand and rub his body, especially hairless areas, with it. Squirt a few drops into his mouth. Put several drops in a separate water bowl and change daily. Put a dop in each meal. You could experiment with Bach flowers Mimulus (fear of known things), Aspen (vague fears), Larch (lack of confidence), or even others you read about in the books on treating animal with Bach flowers.  There are also other flower companies who make remedies specifically for animal problems (some are on my web site with discounts) - Spirit Essences, Green Hope Farms, Anaflora. These are 100% safe so you can experiment at will. Try to dose at least 3 to 4 times a day in some way.

2. Mitomax, a probiotic found at my website (Pets max city), helps many animals with anxiety.

3. You can learn TTouch, and about TTouch anxiety wraps (start with an ace bandage, not the expensive jackets) through books, videos and classes.

4. VetriScience (my site) has Compose, made of vitamins and amino acids to calm dogs.

5. Switching to a raw meaty bone diet, not vaccinating again except for Rabies and following the other 7 keys to health (on my web site or in earlier All Expert questions) may also help.

6. Feeding ginger before a trip may help the nausea.

Acupuncture (www.ivas.org and www.tcvm.com), homeopathy(www.theAVH.org) and other holistic modalities (www.ahvma.org) may be needed to help you have a confident, easy travelling pup.