Tracey L. Deiss, DVM

Growing up, one of my fondest summer memories was our camping trips, which included our family dog, Benji. Benji would howl with excitement watching us pack, then would take his reserved seat between my sister and me for the long car ride to the lake. He loved to travel and since he was a member of our family, we loved being able to include him.

Fast forward a decade to my first road trip as a new veterinarian and dog owner with my heart dog and bestie, Riley Earp. Riley and I were inseparable, and the thought of leaving him behind as I set off for the open road never even crossed my mind. At least, that is, until I realized that Riley suffered from severe canine motion sickness.

Motion sickness is the outcome of a three-way conflict between a dog’s visual system, semicircular canals, and the otolith organs of the vestibular system.¹ Travel-related fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) from previous experiences coupled with unknown surroundings, loud noises, and strange smells can exacerbate motion sickness.^1,2   

In the United States, 37 percent of pet owners travel with their pet.³ 72 percent run errands with their canine companions daily, while 45 percent pack their pup’s bags for weekend getaways.⁴ In a recent survey nearly half of all dog owners reported signs of motion sickness when traveling in a car.⁵ These signs include panting, pacing, shaking, whining, yawning, lip-licking, drooling, and vomiting.⁶

Road trip warriors report feeling worried, sad, and anxious over their dog’s motion sickness, which limits their ability to include their dog on trips.⁴ Despite motion sickness being a frequently-reported condition from dog owners, only 40 percent of veterinarians have a protocol in place for diagnosis and treatment of the condition and rely on phone fixes and over-the-counter suggestions in place of recommending an appointment.⁷ While motion sickness may not be viewed as a serious illness,⁷ the detrimental effect on the human animal bond may be quite the opposite.

By diagnosing and offering relief for our motion sickness patients, we could increase the ability of dog owners to travel with their canine co-pilots. After all, without the excess baggage of motion sickness, happiness is a good (fur) friend and a full tank of gas.

Use this downloadable Car Sickness Quiz as a conversation starter in your clinic’s motion sickness protocol.

To learn more about Cerenia^® (maropitant citrate) Tablets, the number one choice among veterinarians for the prevention of vomiting due to motion sickness in dogs,⁶ visit CereniaDVM.com

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Use CERENIA Tablets for acute vomiting in dogs 2 months and older, and for prevention of vomiting due to motion sickness in dogs 4 months and older. Safe use has not been evaluated in dogs with gastrointestinal obstruction, or those that have ingested toxins. Use with caution in dogs with hepatic dysfunction. In people, topical exposure may elicit localized allergic skin reactions, and repeated or prolonged exposure may lead to skin sensitization. See full Prescribing Information at CereniaPI.com.

References

1. Encarnación, HJ, et al., Compend Contin Educ Vet, 2009 AR-07272
2. Yates, BJ, et al., Brain Res Bull, 1998 AR-07266
3. APPA Market Research: 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey AR-04057
4. ZMR: Cerenia Owner AU Report January 2018 TI-04393
5. ZMR: The Harris Poll Motion Sickness and Noise Aversion Omnibus Study December 2018 TI-04355
6. ZMR: Cerenia A&U and Diary Study: Veterinary Market March 2020 TI-06902
7. ZMR: Motion Sickness Mystery Call Findings November 2019 TI-05777

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.