Can dogs get carsick, or is it something else?

Question

I adopted a nine month old beagle mix last Sunday. He's been a really "quiet" car dog, as he usually just sits there or lays down. He doesn't look out the window or jump around, and he hasn't had a ride longer than half an hour. He does start to sort of "drool" and drip sometimes, which he doesn't do normally.

Today, though, on a ride about 40 minutes long, he threw up about twenty minutes into it. I had fed him two hours before we got in the car.

When cleaning it up, however, I noticed a piece of a plastic coat hanger (pretty small, no longer than 3/4 of an inch, and 1/2 an inch wide) I'd caught him chewing on earlier. Could this be why he threw up?

He acted perfectly normal when we got out of the car, running and playing and chasing squirrels. His poop was normal looking right after, but he did have a small yellow-ish bowel movement maybe an hour later.

If carsick, how do I work on this? If the plastic, should I take him to the vet? I really don't think there is any more in him.

His foster mom was feeding him (and I still am) food for sensitive stomachs, if that matters. Is it possible he just has a weak tummy?

Thanks for all the answers, you guys. I'll keep a good eye on him to check about the plastic and get him looked at if I see anything unusual; unfortunately, I don't know exactly how much he got, as I don't know how big it was in the first place and I keep finding chewed bits of it all over. Ah, my punishment for showering!

The way he's acted in the car before seems to look like car sickness, so I'll definitely take him to his vet and take the advice on how to combat it. He's never been in the car after eating a meal before, so I'll be sure to work on small rides to fun places.

Thanks so much!

Answer 1

Yes, many dogs do get carsick.

(Of course, I am concerned about the plastic he threw up. If you see any signs of illness such as feeling droopy, additional throwing up, straining to defecate, etc, please take him to your veterinarian. Check for the rest of the coat hanger so that you can see exactly how much he has eaten -- it may be more than you think!)

Here are some suggestions to help with carsickness:

Before you leave:
Most dogs do best on an empty stomach. Some do better with a small meal (a biscuit or two) about an hour before they leave. A full meal within an hour can usually contribute to the problem.

Many dogs will have less carsickness if you give them a small piece of ginger about a half an hour before you leave. I use a piece about the size of a pea, wrapped in cheese, for a dachshund-sized dog.

In the car, turn on the air conditioning full blast to make the car as cold as possible. This will make the dog curl up to get warm and usually go to sleep. Don't open any windows and don't let the dog jump around in the car or stick his head out of a window. Most dogs do better if they are in a crate or a seat belt harness to keep them secured in the car.

If it looks like a major problem, this is the way to solve the problem. Don't rush it -- the success comes from repeating each step many times to help the dog get used to the car.

1. Sit in the car with your dog, with the car parked. Repeat this until the dog is comfortable in the car, and shows no signs of distress, including drooling, pacing, heavy panting, etc. Before getting him out of the car, give him a treat and lots of praise.

2. Sit in the car with your dog, start the car, and drive a few yards or meters. Stop and give him a treat and lots of praise if he's calm, and exit the car. Repeat until he's comfortable with this.

3. Drive around the block. Give him praise and a treat if he's calm and exit the car. Again, repeat until he's comfortable.

4. Gradually increase the distance you drive, never going far enough to start him drooling. Make sure that you go to happy places like the park most of the time, not just to the veterinarian!

You're on your way to happy drives together!

Answer 2

Yes, dogs can get carsick. Especially when young but on a really curvy road even an adult dog might get carsick. Carsickness is just motion sickness and if you don't do a lot of turns the dog will probably tolerate it just fine. You stated the dog has been in the car many times before without any problems so I don't think the dog was suffering fear stress which might also cause car sickness. My guess would be that it was the piece of plastic that caused it to vomit and since it came up I would guess the dog was in the clear as far as having further problems.

Answer 3

hmm ..drooling indicates that he is probably getting car sick.
I usually fast my potential car sick pups for about 4 hours before going anywhere. I find for some dogs any less amount of fasting will not prevent car sickness. Length of fasting and if the dog ever improves really depends on the dog!
side note: some of my dogs are fine for a 20 min ride, but make it 25 and up everything comes! So, some dogs do have a time limit as well as a "turns and curves" limit. The only way to test it is to go on another ride without the ingestion of a hanger as a contributing factor, lol!
ok, so you don't know how much of the plastic he ate? Well, dog digestive systems are really a very low pressure system, so unless they block their gut, there is not really a lot to worry about. My dog ate an entire razor one time and he did just fine! Not to say I wasn't a wreck, but he was fine! Soo, I am guessing that "This too, as they say, shall pass..."
Here is a link about bowel blockage just as an FYI:
http://dogs.about.com/cs/disableddogs/p/bowel_obstruct.htm
As long as he continues to eat, drink, and play as per normal, I would not worry about it too much. Puppies eat a lot of things that they should not, and the majority of the time they are just fine! Just keep an eye on him, if he has any behavior changes, go to the vet!..and if he continues to go after plastic, try those chicken flavored nylabones...

Answer 4

Yes, dogs can get car sick, especially if they eat before riding i the car. When you take your dog for a ride, I suggest doing it when he has not eaten in the last hour or two. If my dog has eaten within the last hour, I can be sure to clean up vomit in the car. It also helps to crack the windows a little bit to ensure good air circulation.

But, I am thinking the coat hanger has everything to do with why he threw up! Provide your dog with lots and lots of chew toys so he is not so tempted to chew on bad things behind your back :-).

Answer 5

Hello & yes it could have been the plastic hanger..great that he threw it up & yes, dogs do get car sick too..so if he don't usually get car sick..then you can safely figure it was the peice of plastic...if it car sickness...dogs can have Dramimine up to 50 mgs every 8 hours or also mix bout a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon in some peanut butter & feed it to him bout 30 minutes before the car ride ...Take Care :)

Answer 6

Yes, some dogs are prone to getting carsick and it sounds like your little dog is! You can give your dog dramamine (sold over the counter) about 30 minutes prior to a car ride, but ask your veterinarian about the dosage for your dog. Also, in order to get him "used" to car rides, you can start off by giving her short car rides around your neighborhood, starting off with rides only about 10 minutes long. Increase the distance as you see your pup building confidence during the rides. Best of luck!
J. Smith, Animal Control Officer

Answer 7

Well the hanger will definitely upset his stomach and cause the irregular bowel movements. Wattch him carefully for the next day and if he seems distressed at all get him into the vets.
That being said dogs also get car sick too. Try to take him on a ride on a empty stomach and see how he does.

Answer 8

Wow, that sounds like my beagle right down to the drooling in the car and the sensitive stomach. I bet your dog is a little afraid of the car.The drooling is caused by nerves. He may or may not get car sick again. My bet is his nerves mixed with the chunk of plastic in his tummy caused him to throw up. If he throws up again in the car, you can assume it's car sickness. My beagle gets car sick and my vet told me to get some motion tabs for him for when we take long car rides. Talk to your vet about dosage. As far as seeing the vet about the chunck of platic, that's your call. I've had my dog in for x-rays many times because of things he has eaten. Usually things pass or come back up on their own. Sometimes they don't and the silly dog needs surgery. I would watch him. If he starts acting abnormaly take him to the vet right away. I would also call your vet for advice about wether or not you should bring him in. Good luck! Aren't beagles great?!!!

Answer 9

Don't take him to the vet. Get the dog used to the car with short car trips getting progressively longer. Show the dog that the car can be fun. Open the window and let the dog roam in the back to find a comfortable position.