Hellooo Labrador Friends Kinda long story and I'm sorry if it muddled up as not very good at writing on computer Ziva will be 13 weeks on Sunday since day we brought her home she has been sick or has a poo in car whenever wee go anywhere . To begin with I though it was timing issue that poo was just she needs to go which I think was correct being fed 4 times a day it's very difficult to get timings right. we have build up over 4 1/2 weeks everyday out in car ,fed in car which she doesn't have a problem with while car is stationery she very happy in car when it's not moving. Got a loan of small crate on Tue to see if that would make her feel little bit more secure in boot and not have as much room to move around in . Since we got crate I no its only been few days but we went to end of road sever times on Tue/wed which would be mayb 9 houses so not far but still very watery mouth on return get out of car and let her have small walk .So this morning I fed her in car at 7 she very happy lying in crate for minute or so after she ate we play ,sleep then on awake at 10.20 we had small walk play in garden she p & poo then into car at 10.55 as she was due to be fed at 11 am we went along road turned and came straight back (9 houses)then out car walkd few steps not far then back in car as she was ok not really watery around mouth put her back in and did the same but was very watery around mouth so out car walked round into garden had few min got a p then fed her at 11.05 . This aft when hubbie went back to work at 2 pm he drove but I had her in back seat with me and no watery mouth yes she was concentrating on kibble and small pieces of chicken which randomly I gave her as reward got into village and small walk to seat where we just sat n she watched all traffic go by in her stride maybe 10 min then back into car but this time into crate in boot I knew she be ready for poo as gave her chance at home before we went but she didn't go lol lol went 3/4 mile stopped car and as soon as I opened boot she had her poo lol lol, which I knew was my fault but she did have chance to go but hey that's fine her shit is my shit so put her in front seat got her to lyie down and drove between 2 nd and 3rd gear home which is only 2 miles If any one want's to ask a question as its not easy trying to write all this then please ask so we used Adaptil spray which I personally don't think helps could we go down to 3 meals a day would this help ???? or do I accept the fact I have sicky car girl and just deal with mess ??? not easy as I always went to Mums on a Tue night for couple hours only seen her once since Ziva arrived we have to go 18 miles but how when I cant go 600 yrds Meant to add in we live in country 2 miles from local village and feel at 13 weeks she is missing gout on her socialization because of this hiccup any suggestions just needed to have a moan thanks for listening Marie & Ziva
Hi , sorry to read of your troubles with Ziva . First of all yes she can now have three meals per day but I don't think this is the problem . Have you tried sitting her in the car with the engine running but not moving at all ? Some pups are just nervous of the engine noise, so if you haven't tried this , give it a go . Keep her car sessions really short , just a couple of minutes or so and gradually build it up . Many dogs who are sicky in cars do get over it, one of my past Labs was a shocker but grew out of it once she began to have more exercise and realised that the car was the monster that transported her to a place of running free
Poor Ziva and poor you, but it will get better. As Kate says try having Ziva in the car with the engine running for a few minutes at a time without moving and keep journeys to a few minutes. Also is there somewhere a short drive away that you take Ziva where she can play or run? Sometimes, as Kate says, Once they associate the car with good fun and happy experiences the sickness etc reduces and stops.
Hi Maccie D done all this she is happy in car with engine running as long as its not moving. We have over past 4 weeks gone just to end of road maybe every third day or so when you think she ok we try go bit further and on occasions have gone into village which is 2 miles when wee stop 3/4 times to open boot and check on her sometimes she on after 1/2 stops others not so good so get her out car let her have wander on grass for few min and pop her back in .Feel these baby steps not working n after almost 5 weeks getting no where. thanks both
Because i live in country driing 30 sec just round corner she can get out car only trouble narrow roads so not easy to get car parked , by time I get car parked within few min she either have poo or be sick
I don't usually recommend medication, but could you maybe try asking your Vets advice ? It sounds to me like you have done everything you can , you`ve gone down the right path , I really hope she grows out of it as my girl did , sorry I cant help any more but I wish you lots of luck .
I know it feels like a long time, but 5 weeks isn't really very long to get a dog used to something it's scared of - I'd just keep at it, and cut the steps down to smaller ones (so try to stop before she shows signs of drooling for example). I'm sure it's distressing but she is still only a very young baby. Charlie would cry and howl constantly in the car, you'd have thought he was being murdered to hear him, when he was young, and he wasn't completely ok with it until he was about 16 weeks. Chatting to your vet is a good idea though, if you can break the link between feeling sick and the car that might help a lot.
I know what you mean about rural living - once I'm at the bottom of my drive it's all country roads with no footpaths and nowhere to stop the car easily, just a narrow grass verge. Can you just drive up and down your drive a few times, just to get her use to the motion? As Kate and Julie have suggested it may be worth talking to your vet, but Ziva is very much a baby still and hopefully will grow out of it over the next weeks. You are doing everything right to help her and it may become easier when she is on 3 meals instead of 4. I haven't had a problem with a dog being sick in the car but my previous dog used to howl something awful and that didn't stop until he was around 10 months old when he realised the car was good and meant fun walks.
Thanks guys Don't like idea of medication either but willing to try Julie T how can I stop before she starts watery mouth as wee only going few hundred yards which means going right back to square one ??? would I be better putting her crate in back seat then I can see her better rather than boot of c-max ?? although she not going to be in small crate long and bigger one you'd struggle to get it in and boot is where I'd like her to be kinda no win situation lol thanks though
MaccieD Hi car is parked out on road but could just reverse up mother in laws drive as she lives next door and go park car again take about 10/15 sec
That sounds like a workable solution. You could try one reverse up and back with Ziva in her crate and if all is well praise her and let her have a little rest. Then repeat the drive a while later, if all is going well repeat the drive again and gradually build up t where you can drive down the road to where you can turn round and drive home. Gradually increasing and building on the experience should eventually produce results. I would also have Ziva in the crate in the boot if that's where she will be when she's bigger. It will help her get used to being in the crate there.
I don't think you should be thinking "that you are getting nowhere" and it's a "no win situation" with a 13 week old puppy who is car sick. Although of course it is very inconvenient and worrying. I'd go back to square one, yes. I wouldn't wait until she is feeling sick or distressed and then take her out of the car. I'd try to end the exercise while she is still feeling ok.
MaccieD & Julie T Thank you both will give it a go back n forth up drive way and see how wee go over next week will let you no
This might not have any mileage in it (sorry about the pun) but one of the dogs I knew at training had this problem and their owners had very good success by using a ThunderJacket. Not sure if you have heard of them. I would hesitate a bit as clearly your pup is growing, and because they are by nature snug fitting, you might pay out for something that doesn't work or, doesn't fir for long. Its just a thought you might want to consider if other strategies don't work. I sympathise with your rurality. Lilly is not well socialised for Town Life either (JulieT's Charlie must be THE best urban socialised dog on the planet)
Rolling the windows down on each side is supposed to help equalize ear pressure to help alleviate nausea. Maisie vomits in the car…. I want to say she "used to" but the moment I say that, she will throw up the next time we get in the car to go anywhere, so I won't say that, haha. Maisie is getting more comfortable in the car, but she still drools occasionally. However she has gotten to where she will lie down more comfortably, doesn't act as "paralyzed" as she used to, and actually scruffed up her towel to make a nice place to lie down… all impossible for her awhile ago in the car. She hasn't thrown up the past few car rides (although I was frightened she was going to right as we were turning up my street today! I was like HOLD ON MAISIE WE ARE ALMOST THERE!!!) and she didn't, thankfully. Also the other night she puked at her class (too much excitement and sardines I think) before we got int he car to go home, or she probably would've thrown up in the car! She also has figured out how to jump out of the car, which is fabulous, because before she was just so "frozen" that she couldn't figure it out. I tell her it's okay to come out so she's not wildly leaping free without a command, but before she wouldn't even come out. What has helped - we go fun places in the car, to see her favourite people and dog friends, and to training class which i think she thinks is fun - gave her a new type of treat (bully stick) to chew on in the car, she had never had this before and was very excited about it; I need to keep doing this with kongs, etc. We do this for about half an hour at a time, I read in the front seat. I am going to work on turning the engine on for a few minutes as was suggested. - windows down, but I've noticed if it's noisy outside the car, this actually is kind of scarier for her, so I just have the two back windows down a crack for air pressure, and crank the AC - having her be quite tired before we drive, she is definitely MUCH more comfortable when she's dead tired. I took her to my boyfriend's house to play with her best dog friend and as we drove home she was SPRAWLED out on the backseat sleeping - really controlled speed: I try not to "lurch" her at all, try to brake early and slowly such as when coming up to a red light, etc, rather than abrupt stops or even what a person might think was fine (a little jerk or whatever), I try to minimize that to help Maisie out. Smooth driving! If you're really being careful and just training instead of going anywhere, roads that are smooth, not bumpy, not hilly, and not winding, are probably best. Maisie goes on car rides because, well, that's what she has to do. I don't take her anywhere unnecessary, but we have to drive to training classes twice a week, and if she wants to see her best dog friend and best human friend, well, we have to drive there. She doesn't like going in the car but she is still much improved. I have heard the sickness they will grow out of. So rather than focusing on that I have been trying to work on the anxiety associated with the car, because I think the anxiety will keep her being sick longer than she might actually be sick - as she anticipates the feeling, etc, you know? So a lot of just sitting in the car eating things is good. Sorry this was so long. We'v been working on this for awhile!
Well done! That is really good progress. Mind you....I would likely be the one sick if I had a bully stick in the car
A trainer had suggested ginger snaps (actually any cookie/biscuit with ginger in it). Maybe worth a try. I am sure the motion of the car is part of it until they get used to it. Mine still goes into the foot well at times and I'm sure that is a motion problem. Good luck.....lots of good advice from everyone.
