Dog motion sickness - how to recognize it in your pet?
When going on a trip, we must remember that a dog that travels by various means of transport may also be accompanied by motion sickness.If your dog has difficulty breathing, seems tired, often yawns or is restless, drooling heavily or vomiting, this reveals symptoms typical of transport intolerance. It can be caused by the movement of the vehicle or by fear of the sounds it makes.
Motion sickness in a dog, also called kinetosis, affects about 20 percent. population. Most of the symptoms develop within the first minutes of the ride and some worsen as the journey continues. Symptoms are the result of incorrect interpretation of signals from the environment. The animal's brain perceives signals simultaneously: in motion and at rest. Defensive mechanisms are activated that trigger the symptoms typical of kinetosis in the body. Transport intolerance can occur in any dog, regardless of age, sex and breed. However, it is most often diagnosed in animals under the age of two. Observations show that some adult tetrapods simply grow out of it with age.
Dog Motion Sickness - How To Reduce Disease Symptoms?
We should try to make sure that the dog has good associations with the journey. In the beginning, you should go with him to places he likes. Taking him on trips for pleasure will definitely help to overcome the animal's fear of driving a car and to forget about unpleasant associations. The last meal should be eaten six to eight hours before the planned trip, Motion sickness in a dog very often it causes nausea, and with an empty stomach the animal is less prone to vomiting. It should be remembered that drinking water does not irritate the stomach and the pet should have access to it. To minimize the risk of vomiting, you can give your dog some sedatives. However, it should be remembered that it is the veterinarian who decides what agent and in what dose we should give the pet.
How to help your dog while driving?
Some animals endure long hours of driving without any problems, others are fed up after a few kilometers. So it is necessary to determine which group the favorite belongs to. Usually the front of the car is more stable, so often sick animals feel better in the front seat. A four-legged friend will certainly feel better if you can also look out the window. Fresh air is good for anyone who is not well, including the dog. However, you should not open the car's windows to the full width, because it may encourage him to run away, just open them.
Some animals panic when the car is in motion. Motion sickness in a dog it usually exacerbates this anxiety. In this situation, you can also sit with him in the car for a while, without turning on the engine, give him a treat. Once your dog enjoys being seated in the car, try taking him for a short ride and then gradually increasing the driving time. His tendency to get motion sickness should disappear or be significantly reduced.
How to deal with the symptoms of the disease? Pharmacological treatment
We have already learned how to minimize the symptoms of anxiety displayed by your pet during travel. However, what to do in a situation when the above methods turn out to be insufficient or completely fail. Fortunately, there are appropriate pharmacological preparations available on the market that, after consultation with a veterinarian, can be given to your pet. Dosage is determined individually, taking into account, first of all, the general condition of the quadruped, its age, body weight and the frequency of symptoms typical of a troublesome ailment.
Important!
Motion sickness in a dog, as well as each disease, requires patience and great prudence from the caregivers. You absolutely should not give your pet any pharmacological agents without first consulting a veterinarian! Animals and humans have different metabolisms. Administering pharmaceuticals from our pharmacy in a dose intended for humans carries the risk of poisoning, and overdosing may even lead to the death of a pet.
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