| Any dog can get carsick, but it seems to be far more common in wolfdogs, especially those of high wolf content. Sometimes this is due to the animal not being accustomed to the car, and a simple program of desensitizing him to the car will do the trick: feed him, play with him in a non moving car...then drive a very short distance--perhaps back & forth in the driveway...then take a short ride across town...and work your way up to longer rides (with much praise for his efforts, of course)! In other cases, it involves a very real physical phenomenon...the same thing that occurs in some humans. If your wolfdog is one of these, even if he has experienced frequent car rides since infancy, there's a good chance he may develop severe carsickness at an early age. Carsickness is a form of motion sickness, related to the fluid of the inner ear moving back and forth over the hairs that line the inner ear canals. This mechanism is responsible for giving the animal a sense of balance or equilibrium...the problem lies in the conflict between his visual perception, and the perception of the inner ear. In short, what the eyes are seeing doesn't match what the inner ear is registering. In humans who get carsick, it is common for them to be fine when they are the DRIVER (and can anticipate each curve or hill), but get sick as a passenger, who is not mentally prepared for what their body feels. Some believe that more intelligent or more aware/perceptive dogs have the most trouble reconciling the mixed messages...perhaps they're actually smart enough to rationalize that their body feels like it's in motion, as if they were running, but there's no wind in their face & their legs aren't moving. But, that's just a theory. ;) Theory aside, there are some things you can do to help your carsick animal: Open the window, and be sure they are able to get their nose or head out of it. Make sure they are facing forward, not backwards--if they are crated, turn it towards the front of the car; if they're loose, keep getting their attention so they look out the windshield or (if using a window) keep their face to the wind. Most animals seem to do better out of the crate, if possible. Up in the front seat is better than in the back, if your dog can be up there without deciding to walk around on the dashboard. Drive easy; if your driving is choppy or erratic, they are more likely to get nauseous. Usually, an empty stomach is better...but for some, it might help to have a bit of food in there. Every animal is unique, you'll find out by trial and error what works for yours. Some folks have had success with Benadryl or other over-the-counter motion sickness medicines. Never yell at your carsick animal. It's not his fault that he's drooling on your window or throwing up on your upholstery. :-( Lay a blanket down and accept what comes...after all, he feels much worse than you do about all this! Don't leave a carsick animal alone in the car for any length of time; he may tear at the upholstery in an attempt to escape into the fresh outdoors. If you must leave him unattended, you'll want to bring his crate--a wolfer can do a LOT of damage in a very short time frame! Keep trying, keep him accustomed to the car. It's so easy to say "that dog is never going in my car again!" but keep in mind that he does need to go to the vet on occasion, and there may be other times you need to get him somewhere. It's best if he is able to at least tolerate the car, sickness or not...and minimizing *his* discomfort, will minimize your own as well! ;) |
| Car Sickness |