Most dogs love to ride along in the car, and it’s usually fun to take them along – except when they’re miserable from motion or “car” sickness.
A medication called Cerenia is proving beneficial for dogs with motion sickness.
What causes motion sickness?
The cause of motion sickness is complex, and researchers hypothesize it’s caused by a conflict between signals to the brain about the body’s location, posture, and movement.
A dog’s brain senses motion through three different signals coming from the nervous system. The brain integrates signals from the inner ear (where the organs that govern balance and equilibrium are found) with information from the eyes (vision), along with information from proprioceptors in the body (providing information about posture). When these three types of signals don’t “match” or add up, the brain is confused and conflicted, resulting in nausea.
Effective medications
Older medications like Dramamine and meclizine are usually effective in lessening or preventing the symptoms of motion sickness. However, they often cause lethargy and sleepiness – not so fun if you’re taking a drive with your pooch for a hike in the woods or a romp in the park.
Cerenia doesn’t cause drowsiness. Dogs are alert and ready to hit the trail when you arrive at your destination. And, Cerenia lasts 24 hours – 3-4 times longer than the older medications. It can be given the night before an early morning departure (all anti-nausea medications must be given at least two hours before travel).
If your pooch suffers from motion sickness, we’d love to talk with you about how to help make the trip easier for everyone. Cerenia may be an important part of your strategy!
Learn more about Cerenia. Give Atlantic Veterinary Hospital a call at 206-323-4433, or e-mail us.
I tried meklizine and cerenia both my little dog still drools and throws up. Now what do I do?