Fear and Motion Sickness

I was asked this question this week and here is my reply so it may benefit more pets and their parents – and save me wrting a fresh email each time!

Please comment on this below– Let us know things that have worked for you perhaps

I’m wondering if you can suggest something for travel stress in my Whippet and Lurcher please?

The whippet is the worst. He gets very stressed, shaking and panting and eventually crying. He does not settle at all. He does not vomit or drool and settles very quickly once we stop driving. He is not very good in a car but the main problem is my camper van which is more noisy and has rattles, which I have tried my best to muffle with padding in the cupboards etc. I have tried a couple of things with him and more recently some ‘Cerania’ from our vet which only very slightly helped – he was still panting and could not settle, but he wasn’t shaking. My Lurcher is the same but less so. We travel a fair bit and it is an unhappy experience for us at present.

Hope you can help thanks Carol

Hi Carol

Thank you for your email

There are a number of recommended things I can think of which may help

1. Pheromones

Adaptil or Dog Appeasing pheromones this is very good at calming many dogs It is a distillate of the calming scents a bitch gives off to calm her pups. Either spray – spay on a bandana like thing is ideal or a collar

or spray https://amzn.to/3ZGIC75 to buy or read more on the website www.adaptil.co.uk/

2. Pet Remedy

Again a spray to spray in the car or onto a bandana Valerian essential oils which work well – You can us both together if you wish but I would try one at a time but combine with

3. Herbs and vitamins – Nutracalm

Passiflora Skullcap, Hops and Valerian are calming herbs I have used and recommended over the years Dorwest Herbs Skullcap and Valerian and Nutravet’s Nutracalm Read More are very helpful.

4. Homeopathic medicines

There is a combination medicine on the market called Homeopet travel which you can buy on Amazon on this link https://amzn.to/3ti1Vr9

It is designed and marketed by Irish Veterinary Surgeon Tom Farringdon who you can listen to here discussing his medication and it use. He is an experienced homeopath and vet

If you use single remedies try Petroleum 30c give a dose an hour or so and just before travel. Coccukus 6c using the same regime.

5. Training ideally with some of the above.

Now I am not an expert in this but you desensitise them to the experience by a gradual process of getting them calm in a vehicle

1, Without engine even on – feed give treats if he sits calmly or when he does – Then next time try engine only not going anywhere when calm sitting treat.

Then next time short journey etc

Gradually getting accustomed to the sight, feeling and motion of a car. is the idea

A brief google gave me this website which explains it better

May be CBD but combine all the above first perhaps or at least 1. or 2. with 3. Homeopathy & desenitization training