SEDATING dog for travel in car? No not me, the dog!!

[Pam and Ginger Snap]

We are driving 18 hours with Ginger.  The trip is split in two days...nine hours each.  The vet gave me a script for aceprmazine 10mg.  She said to give 1 and 1/2 pills    2 hours before we leave for the road.

Questions:  Do I feed her prior to the meds?

                   Will she sleep and then be up all night and then do I drug her again the next day? 

                   Has anyone given their dog any type of sedation for travel and were there any side effects? 

                  Any receommendations?

 

Thanks

 

Pam 

[Dori & Rua]

Just say NO to drugs!  LOL  During Rua's first 6-1/2 months of life, she did several long road trips and two plane trips (she flew from NE to CA & back) and then a few weeks later flew from NE to FL & back).  For the road trips, we stopped every 2-1/2 to 3 hours.  Rua is a great traveler. 

 

When we drove, Rua was small enough to fit in a travel kennel (strapped into the back seat.  Now I have a hammock cover for the back seat of my SUV and I have a seatbelt harness.  She either lays down or sits up.  Mostly, she lays down and sleeps.

[Tina, Clover, Plus 5 More]

I agree with NO sedating.  Take it with you, see how it goes and used it only if needed. 

[Susan and Sasha]

Hi Pam...

I don't think there is a reason to sedate Ginger from everything you are explaining.

We travel with Sasha twice a month...13 hours each way...not split up...and have No problem at all.

We've been doing this since she was a puppy...so she's use to it.

For the long trips like this...Sasha travels in a crate...and has water available...and is very comfy... cozy and safe.

She can sit...stand...look out of the window...and she rests and sleeps most of the time....and doesn't make a peep.

For shorter trips...she wears a car harness and is always strapped in.

If Ginger rides well in a car for short trips around town...I wouldn't have any reason to think that she will have a problem with a longer trip.

You can  stop at rest areas to let her walk and go potty...keeping her usual schedule...and she should be fine.

You can give her water to drink when you stop...if you don't have it provided in the car.

You might find that Ginger won't eat as much as she normally does for a day or two...so don't worry.

She might just be a little off schedule from traveling.

I'm sure that Ginger will be fine...

Good luck!

 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Traveling with a dog who gets car sickness can be both brutal for you and the dog.  Many others are saying how GREAT the dog was on a long trip so that is promising and I hope for you and the dog, your trip will go well also.

That being said, give it a try without the meds since the dog has no known history of car sickness, but do take the medication with you.  Always ask yourself, " How would I feel if it were me?  What would I want done if I were feeling so horrible?   Anyone who has experienced  severe motion sickness might be saying something different here.  

The vet would not give you something if it were going to harm your dog.   Take it with you just in case.  Enjoy your trip!  

[Adina P]

I agree that sometimes it is necessary, but from Pam's description it sounds like all she did was ask about travel and the doc prescribed meds immediately.  Pam didn't say that her pup was particularly car sick in this discussion.  Half of car sickness for me (because I get car sick) has to do with the drive and the driver.  If the road is smooth and straight I'm fine.  If the driver drives like he's trying to knock down standing toddlers in a bus then I'm not.  Or if the road is winding, lots of stop and go...then I can get car sick.  But otherwise if a dog is not typically car sick I see no reason to assume they WOULD be just because the trip is longer.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I did say above, ........ give it a try without the meds since the dog has no known history of car sickness, but do take the medication with you.

In other words, Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.  So take them with you just in case you might need them.

Reading between the lines,   I found it odd though, that the vet would just prescribe the meds so readily unless there was a history or more was said at the visit.

[Adina P]

I know, it was just that without a history of issues, I can't imagine most dogs would HAVE issues on a long car ride.  This isn't an anti-nausea med but a sedation med--it just seems odd to me that a vet would jump to that without there having been more talk about a real ongoing problem.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Adina, reading your description of a car trip made me want to puke!

;o}

 

[Adina P]

Because you get car sick easily or because you envisioned toddlers getting knocked down?  I think maybe I stated that oddly.  Just to clarify.  Clark's goal when driving a group of people is to drive as though there was a child standing in the back and his goal is to keep the child standing--in other words, drive smoothly without abrupt changes of speed or direction.  On the other hand, I have a family member (whom I love dearly) who drives in stop-and-go traffic as though the goal was the opposite.  At first I thought it was because the traffic and town roads were so different or because of the vehicle, but when Clark would drive that same vehicle on the same roads I didn't get HALF as car sick.  So a person's driving can make a big difference to a car sick person...POSSIBLY this might apply to a dog too.

 

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Because I get car sick easily, because I imagined your pregnant self weaving through country roads putting myself into that situation....ugh bleck!

DH used to drive like your family member, until we got Daisy, now he drives like a 90 year old Clark.

:o)

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Our Bella gets car sick everytime she goes anywhere and our breeder suggested "Rescue Remedy", It is all natural and available at the health food store. It seems that having something on hand a little less strong for possible motion sickness would be prudent, but my guess is she will be fine. Even though Bella gets sick she just acts like she loves going in the car. She is the first to hop in.

Murphy has traveled across country with us his first year and I too would never have thought to sedate him. I think I'd even take the meds back. Hate to think what they cost? Or bottom line, I would just take them myself, as an 18 hour drive sounds brutal to me anymore. (kidding, I don't do drugs)

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

That is very true with many sedative medications we humans take, so it makes sense it could affect dogs adversly as well. GOod point