Please please help with travel sickness!

[foxredlab101]

Our lab is now nearly 7 months and we cannot travel with him in the car as he gets so travel sick. We've tried everything
Having him in the front
Not feeding him for a couple of hours before we go out
Someone sitting in the back reassuring him
Spending time just sat in the car with the engine off
Spending time just sat in the car with the engine on
Doing frequent short journeys

Nothing is working as soon as we set off he's sick within 5 mins and then walks all in in and spreads it everywhere. We've always had dogs and I have never had one that is car sick.

It has meant that we have cancelled loads of things we would normally have done e.g meet up with friends at local national trust properties, go to the beach etc.

Im at a loss of what to do, the vets won't give us anything as he is too young and said he will probably grow out of it by 18-24 months but we are so restricted as even if we go to visit family it means he can't come so not all of us can go or we have to cut our visit very very short so he's not left for long.

Anyone got any advice or success stories. We tried to take him to the pet shop today (15 mins down the road) as he's in desperate need of a new harness but we couldn't even get there!

Thank you in advance from a very frustrated dog mum

Have you tried crating him in the boot with a blanket over his crate so he can't see the movement outside?

@catelynjane we can't find a crate that will fit him in and fit in the boot. We can't clapse the back seats due to car seats for the little ones

Go to your vet and ask for Cerenia. For some dogs it is a miracle drug.

It is expensive but for some dogs just taking it on a couple of journeys it seems to turn off the sickness when they travel by car from then on.

It is really worth a try

You can give cerenia from 4 months of age.

Ours went through a short-lived phase of being a terrible traveller, although it was longer than 5 minutes in the car before the sickness started. We broke journeys up to let her have a short walk and fresh air, which seemed to settle her quite a bit for the next leg. So perhaps try the Cerenia before setting off and then quick fresh air breaks in the journey, however long or short that journey is?

Our lab was always travel sick until we gave tablets (think it was the one others have mentioned). He still used to whine and look uncomfortable though. We then moved him into the boot (not crated but we got the bars dividing the boot and seats). Now doesn't whine, isn't sick and jumps in quite happily. Can drive for 3 hours no problem.

Sorry forgot to say started giving tablets at about 5 months and now he doesn't take them at all.

Will give the vets a call again. Thank you all.

I love him to pieces but it's hard not being able to travel at all!

I’ll second the suggestion for Cerenia. It’s vet prescribed so not sure why your vet hasn’t recommended it. I found out about it and asked the vet to prescribe it for my 5mo GR. he took it 3 times on long journeys with shorter journeys in between without it to get him used to travelling. He’s not needed it since. He doesn’t love travelling in the car but is not sick or anxious and we regularly do 5hr journeys without a problem