Need Something For Ollie In The Car

[RobinM]

Ollie does not travel well. He stood and panted both ways for 5 hours to Gettysburg and back.

 

Poor thing just couldn't lay down. Wouldn't take a cookie or water. Even when we stopped for pee break. He ate fine when we were there and was OK as soon as he was out of the car.

 

But, it's pitiful listening to him and quite annoying since he stands behind me and just pants. The inside of the van door has wads of saliva on it!

 

I need to give him something to make him comfortable but I don't want anything long acting.

 

I have valium but would prefer something more benign. He weighs 90 pounds.

[krissn333]

hmmm...sometimes Benedryl works.

 

You might try dramamine too...it's mainly for motion sickness but does have the side effect of drowsiness.

 

Does he ride in the car very often? Maybe try to take him somewhere in the car once a week - sometimes desensitization works too. It's possible that he was so amped up about going that he was too excited to lay down...although I'd think on the way home he'd be zonked out, so, my theory there is probably incorrect

 

Wanted to add sometimes Xanax works...it's fast acting but if you just give a little bit, it won't last very long.

[Guest JudiK]

Safe Journey - is a homeopathic remedy for travel problems. The only place that I know of to get it is from a homeopathic vet. I have never found it available from any website. My old vet was a homeopath in a very chic part of town, she cost a fortune to visit, but she prescribed (and dispensed) a bottle of this for Nikoli. I don't use it much - and I have a lot of it left (I don't take the cats for car rides very often.) Send me an e-mail when you are planning a trip again and I will send it to you a couple of weeks before - there really is little sense in buying homeopathic remedies until you try them. Some remedies work on some animals while they do absolutely nothing for others. I had a thoroughbred who responded dramatically to homeopathics - and that got me started with them. With other animals I have had varying levels of response.

 

Glad to see that you got home safely - I didn't see you at the talk that I recommended to you... that is a good thing, it was dreadful this year. I don't want to trash anyone publicly, so I will send you an e-mail later. But - if I were grading GiG presentations - one of the speakers would be repeating the course.

[macoduck]

Ask your vet about Cerenia. It might work for Ollie.

[CaliforniaGreys]

When I first brought Misty home, she was like that. My shoulder would actually get soaked.

 

I used Bonine and it really helped her quite a bit. After awhile and many car rides, she got a lot better and didn't need the Bonine.

 

Cerenia, which Ducky mentioned I've used many times but never for car rides. It's a great drug to settle the stomach though. So it may be very helpful as well

[RobinM]

Safe Journey - is a homeopathic remedy for travel problems. The only place that I know of to get it is from a homeopathic vet. I have never found it available from any website. My old vet was a homeopath in a very chic part of town, she cost a fortune to visit, but she prescribed (and dispensed) a bottle of this for Nikoli. I don't use it much - and I have a lot of it left (I don't take the cats for car rides very often.) Send me an e-mail when you are planning a trip again and I will send it to you a couple of weeks before - there really is little sense in buying homeopathic remedies until you try them. Some remedies work on some animals while they do absolutely nothing for others. I had a thoroughbred who responded dramatically to homeopathics - and that got me started with them. With other animals I have had varying levels of response.

 

Glad to see that you got home safely - I didn't see you at the talk that I recommended to you... that is a good thing, it was dreadful this year. I don't want to trash anyone publicly, so I will send you an e-mail later. But - if I were grading GiG presentations - one of the speakers would be repeating the course.

 

it was soooooo good to see you. As far as the seminar, I was telling Rich about it. He really did not want me to go because he felt it would ruin the weekend for me. I would be on the phone, on my email and getting insane (more so than I normally am). he knew I would be filled in (Surprise surprise) and after gathering all the facts, I would be able to set a plan in motion if that was what I need to do.

 

Ask your vet about Cerenia. It might work for Ollie.

 

 

Cerenia- isn't that what I gave Polli for her nausea after chemo? Will that make him drowsy? I still have it if it's what I am thinking of, it's really expensive.

 

hmmm...sometimes Benedryl works.

 

You might try dramamine too...it's mainly for motion sickness but does have the side effect of drowsiness.

 

Does he ride in the car very often? Maybe try to take him somewhere in the car once a week - sometimes desensitization works too. It's possible that he was so amped up about going that he was too excited to lay down...although I'd think on the way home he'd be zonked out, so, my theory there is probably incorrect

 

Wanted to add sometimes Xanax works...it's fast acting but if you just give a little bit, it won't last very long.

 

 

I thought he would be so knocked out too, but the stress kept him wired. He is perfectly fine as soon as he steps out of the car and he jumps in voluntarily! We do go in the van at least once a week, whether it's to the store, to our PA house (2.5 hours away) or the vet.

 

My vet says a big NO to xanax and so did the vets I had before GHs with another breed but they both say valium is fine. I was hoping for something either holistic or benedryl- I need to find out which is shorter acting and how much for a dog his size.

 

Thanks.

[Batmom]

Might just need road-trip practice.

 

Joseph is apt to do that if he's traveling alone. As long as he doesn't overheat, I try not to worry about it. He's young and strong, and if he spends the entire event lying down because he's worn himself out ... well, he'll be in good company.

[BootsyCollins]

No advice - just wanted to pop in and say how lovely it was to meet you, Rich, and the hounds!

[Guest tinams8]

I would start with benedryl if you don't have easy access to any of the homeopathics. The dosage is 1 to 2 mg/lb of dog. So for a 90 lb dog you could give 90-180 mg. I believe plain old benedryl is 20 mg per pill so maybe try 100 mg and see how he reacts. Good luck, it is so stressful traveling with a stressed (or worse, sick) dog.