How can carsickness in a dog be treated?
Dogs may get carsick for two reasons: motion sickness and car-related anxiety. Motion sickness occurs when the moving vehicle causes excessive and continuous stimulation of the vestibular (balancing) system of the inner ear, which transmits signals to the flocculonodular lobe (part of the cerebellum) of the brain. This stimulation in turn activates the vomiting center of the dog’s brain. Anxiety-induced carsickness is caused when the affected dog becomes fearful of some aspect of travelling in a car. Many veterinarians believe that carsickness in animals is more often due to anxiety (nervous or anxious behavior) than to the motion of the vehicle. This is the opposite circumstance to that of humans; most carsickness in people results from vehicular motion rather than anxiety. Although Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) or Antivert (meclizine) can be used safely in dogs, these drugs may not be effective in preventing anxiety-induced carsickness. Most cases of carsick dogs can be resolved using b
