Car Sickness

[JaniceH]

I have just started bringing my 3 month old puppy to work with me.

She is fed after exercise at about 7.45am. I go to work currently at 9.15am but in January this will be 8.30am. The journey takes 20 mins. She is used to the car and after an initial whine she either settles down or looks out of the window. She is in the back of the car behind a dog guard.

Every morning, at the same place in the journey, about 15 minutes into it, I smell dog food so I assume she is being sick. The road is winding so I am not surprised after eating only 1 - 11/2 hours previous. When I let her out, as there is no sick to clear up, I assume she has eaten it up (bless...she does love her food).

My 2 questions are;

1) Will she lose some of the goodness of the food by eating it as regurgitated food ?

2) Will she grow out of this ?

I know I could feed her when I leave her in the kennel, but it seems a long time to go without proper food since tea time the previous day. Or I could try feeding her a little before the journey and the rest when we get there.

I would prefer to feed her in one go before the journey, but it depends on the answers to my questions.

I would appreciate any advice.

Thank you.

[mmgy]

Is this still happening?

Do you think maybe what you smell is a big belch??

If I were you, tomorrow I'd stop when it happened and see if she's thrown up. If not, when you go to get her out of the car, there should at least be a wet spot.

Eating regurgitated food won't hurt her, and she may grow out of it. But to me it sounds like a big burp!;)

[spidey]

She should grow out of it, eating regurgitated food won't harm her (the nutritional value isn't changed, especially since any digestion which has taken place took place inside her anyway). But why not just take her breakfast to work with you and feed here there, so that she doesn't have to travel on a full stomach?

[Brooke&Ryan]

Originally posted by spidey
She should grow out of it, eating regurgitated food won't harm her (the nutritional value isn't changed, especially since any digestion which has taken place took place inside her anyway). But why not just take her breakfast to work with you and feed here there, so that she doesn't have to travel on a full stomach?

I agree. Julius grew out of his car-sickness stage also. We thought it was NEVER going to end. We also would withhold food if we knew that we were going on a car trip of ten minutes or more. Then we would feed Jules when we got to wherever we were going. No vomit! :D

:)
Brooke

[JaniceH]

Thank you for the replies.

Yes, she is definitley sick...there are damp patches.

Last week she wasn't sick until the Friday, but yesterday she was sick both going to work and just before we got home. She had her lunch at 1.45pm and we didn't set off home until 5.00pm. She hadn't been sick going home before. This morning no sick !!!! So she isn't really sticking to a consistent pattern.

What I will do is feed her when we get to the kennel and hope for the best on the return journey. I do drive very slowly and cut the corners to minimise any sickness but hopefully, as you suggest, she will eventually get used to it.

I am just glad that she loves her food so much she eats it all up again LOL.

[LavenderRott]

When I was married, my husband was in the military. When we moved from northern Maine to Idaho, one of the passengers in my Pathfinder was this scruffy terrier mix named Kat, who got carsick if you backed out of the driveway. By the time we got to Idaho, she was riding like a pro.

Your pup should outgrow this in time.

[JaniceH]

Thank you again Sandi.

I feel more confident now that she will grow out of it.

[Rott-Wiley]

I have known large breed working dogs that would get sick like this on a some what regular basis. As they had matured, their digestive system had also matured and they simply outgrew this. It usually stops when they are about a year old (or a little sooner for most).

[Brooke&Ryan]

Also----I think that one of the things that made Julius feel so crappy was that he was a little pup in the winter time & we had the heater on full-blast. It's yucky when you feel sick & then you're in this hot car. So we would crack the window & turn the heater down pretty low. We were a bit cold but didn't have vomit to clean up. Now he's okay with the heater on...he's just matured.

:)
Brooke

[JaniceH]

I will keep the heating low which is difficult in the winter, but I will certainly keep the blaster off unless it is just for a short blast.

She wasn't sick at all yesterday, nor this morning, but I really have been driving slow and cutting my corners (much to the annoyance of the vehicles behind...I wish I could have a sign in my rear window...PATIENCE PLEASE...SICK PUPPY !!!!)

Anyway, I feel confident now she will improve.

Thank you.

[poohbearsmom]

LOL.

The Deit used to be a professional car barfer as a pup.
We actually had to resort to dramamine for show trips. It helped.
Your trips are shorter, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Try waiting till you get to your destination to feed her.

We could always tell when ours was about to ralph, he'd start drooooooooling, and looking like he was turning green.

She should grow out of this.

[JaniceH]

I have never heard the term "car barfer" before. I like that !

At least I don't have the "barf" to clean up...she eats the lot again...what a star !

[moondog]

My daughter was a professional car barfer as a toddler! :D

Janice, waiting to feed her until you're at your destination will really help. Also, the closer to the center of the car she is, the less motion she'll be subjected to. The back end of a car swings the most.

[Brooke&Ryan]

Also---I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned Rescue Remedy or if it can be purchased in England (probably online....) but this was a lifesaver for my aunt's collie when it was younger for travelling in the car. It did not work for Julius but it's different for every dog.

:)
Brooke

[JaniceH]

Moondog,

I will definitely wait until she arrives at the kennel now. She was sick last night when we were nearly home (her lunch was over 3 hours before) and again this morning. So I am not sure about the lunch time feed. I can't feed her earlier as it is my lunch time which isn't flexible. She doesn't seem as keen to get in the car at the moment so I do need to try and minimise this problem as we have to travel every week day.

Do you think in January when she is 4 months old, it would be ok to miss out a full meal at lunch time and only give her a handful of kibble? Then when we arrive home she will have an increased meal.

Brooke, we do have Rescue Remedy here in England. I would rather see if the change in feeding routine helps and also rely on her own natural system to get hardened. However, if we are going on a longer journey I think I will use it. I had forgotten about this, so thank you for bringing it up (oops...apt words don't you think !!!).

Your advice regarding missing out a proper meal at lunch time would be welcome.

Thanks.