I can relate.
Many dogs suffer from motion sickness when riding in an automobile. As an avid bass fisherman, I don’t have any trouble when on inland waters, but cruise ships send me looking for a rail to launch over!
Motion sickness, also called car sickness, occurs when emetic centers in the brain are stimulated. Such stimulation occurs when the motion detected by the vestibular system of the inner ear is not coordinated with visual input. In people, such a condition occurs when one is in a boat with no windows.
Riding in an automobile is an “unnatural act” for a dog, so their compensating mechanisms may fail to prevent the nausea associated with unpredictable motion.
Your veterinarian can help. Pfizer Animal Health produces a medication called Cerenia (maropitant citrate). Our primary use of Cerenia is in control of patients with medically-induced vomiting such as that associated with gastrointestinal disease, renal failure and chemotherapy.
If your dog suffers from motion sickness, ask your veterinarian if Cerenia is right for him. Dogs should be fasted one hour prior to administration of Cerenia, and Cerenia should be given two hours before travel begins.
While vomiting is the major sign associated with car sickness in dogs, some dogs respond to the uneasy feeling with restlessness, drooling, panting and licking the lips. Cerenia can help to resolve all of these problems when they are motion-sickness-related.
To help you get your dog comfortably to Grandma’s house during the holidays, Pfizer Animal Health has provided a $5.00 off coupon toward purchase of Cerenia from your veterinarian. Simply click here, print out the page, take it to your pet’s doctor and ask him whether Cerenia is suitable for your dog’s motion sickness.
