Even though you will find that many dogs enjoy car rides, it’s not always the case for poodles. Poodle Car sickness is a common thing – whether you’re just heading on a long trip or a short one to the park.
Poodle Car Sickness
It may be a case where your poodle is experiencing some form of motion sickness or just traveling anxiety. However, with these, the symptoms are pretty similar, so it can be a bit challenging to tell the difference between them.
Symptoms of Dog Car Sickness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Yawning
- Whining
- Panting
- Pacing
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- Restlessness
- Excessive drooling
The thing is that car sickness in poodles is said to be a confusion with the inner ear. It might be a case where your poodles don’t have a clue why they are seeing and feeling movement, yet they are still in the same position.
Apart from that, if your poodle is stressed about car rides, it can cause similar symptoms to motion sickness including nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Another thing to keep in mind is that if your poodle vomited on their first few car rides, it can result in them having anxiety and constant worry next time they should get into a car. The reason for this is that they have conditioned their mind to be scared about what exactly might happen when traveling.
Do Poodles Outgrow Car Sickness
One of the most common questions is, how long does motion sickness last in dogs? The fact that car sickness is more prone to happen to puppies, you can expect your dog to outgrow it at some point. As your poodle becomes an adult, you can expect its inner ear balance to be fully developed and won’t cause any symptoms as time goes by.
So, if it’s a case where your puppies don’t handle car rides so well, then you can be hopeful that over some time as they become older, they will actually outgrow it.
With that said, not all poodles will eventually outgrow car sickness and it has to do with their experience which can trigger travel anxiety.
How to Prevent Poodle Car Sickness
The good news is that there are things you can do to help out with car sickness and these include:
1. Make the Car Ride Enjoyable
The first thing you’ll want to do is ensure that the car ride is as comfortable as possible for your poodle. For this, you can bring his favorite toys and treats. If you are going on long trips then you may want to take a few breaks here and there so that your furry friend can sniff around and discover new places.
2. Desensitize Your Poodle
If somehow your poodle has had a bad experience with a car ride in the past, then you may want to desensitize them. We don’t think it would be a good idea to take them out for a long ride as yet, you should probably sit in the car and turn the engine on for a few minutes.
You can actually do the same thing the other day but also drive around the neighborhood for a few minutes. You’ll have to continue doing this every day until your furry friend gets used to riding around.
3. Roll Down the Window
At this point, you may want to ensure that your car is properly ventilated so that it doesn’t get hot inside. Another thing you may want to do is pop the window since they will definitely appreciate this. However, if you have a dog seat belt, you can roll the window entirely down without having to worry about anything bad happening.
There’s no doubt that your dog will appreciate the window being down so that they can enjoy the fresh breeze pouring inside. This will result in your dog feeling less nauseous.
4. Don’t Feed Your Dog Before the Car Ride
Another thing you should keep in mind is not to feed your poodle before taking him for a joy ride. This helps with avoiding vomiting from occurring. You should probably wait for around one hour after your dog eats a full meal before getting in a car. This can also prevent stomach twisting from taking place.
Medications For Your Poodle Carsickness
When you have tried everything and none of those methods work, your veterinarian may recommend medication for nausea and anxiety. However, it is best to keep in mind that some natural herbs and plants may even help to keep your poodle calm and settle his stomach. We always recommend that you consult your veterinarian before introducing your poodle to any medications or herbal remedies.
Over time your poodle will eventually outgrow carsickness, while some just hate car ride overall. With that said, it would always be good to try your best to see how you can treat your dog’s car sickness so that car travel can be easier for everyone.