Guest digs Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 So I searched through a bunch of pages to make sure this hadn't been asked already, I couldn't find anything. I was just curious if anyone ever had a greyhound that got diarrhea from car sickness or nervousness about car rides. My thought is it happens because he is nervous, he doens't really like car rides and usually gets so nervous his whole body shakes for a little while. He use to poop/diarrhea in the car a lot, but I have managed to stop that for the most part. However, he will still have a few small peices of poop come out if I drive for more than 15-20 minutes without letting him out, and when I stop he will immediatley diarrhea. 100% of the time before any care ride I make sure he poops outside, so he never has to go when he gets in, but he still always has Diarrhea when he gets out. He comes to work with me 2-3 times a week, sometimes even more. So he rides in the car very often. I just thought car sickness was usually throwing up, and I didn't think it came on that fast, because even if I go for a 5 minute or less car ride he still ends up with a diarrhea when we get out. If its because he's nervous hopefully he will just get over it eventually. I just figured I would ask to see if anyone had dealt with anything similar. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest twogreytkids Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Nerves can cause diarrhea. When we bring hounds from the kennel to the kennel club for M & G's, they all have to make a pit stop before going inside. Yep, diarrhea. It clears up the minute that they go back to the kennel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kkaiser104 Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I know this wouldn't solve the problem, but Teddi sometimes has to take immodium for diarrhea when we travel to my parents (he gets over-excited). Have you tried giving him some while you work out the nerves? I just can't imagine it would be comfortable for him. Has he always gotten diarrhea on car rides? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest digs Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I agree, i'm sure its not very comfortable at all. He has not always done it, when we first got him he did o.k. in the car. Then he got a lot worse, and now hes slowly getting better. I might start bringing him to work with me everyday so he eventually just understands he doesn't need to be afraid of it. I would be giving him immodium like 3-5 times a week, that seems like a lot. I could always give it a try though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ShanYu Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 When we first got Nike he seemed very uncomfortable in the car - he drooled a lot and became "Mr. Fartypants" - and often diarrhea once he was out of the car. My vet suggested gravol for car sickness. Slowly it got better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mld Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Has anyone ever used DAP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racindog Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 IMO you area correct-its just nerves. Slim used to get it when he would have to go to the vet. It never caused any problems and he was fine as is your boy. If ti were me I think I would try some of the Bach Flower Essences that deal with fear because I have had remarkable success with them but he may never change. I personally don't think it is harmful to him-certainly the positives he gets from being at work with you far far outweigh a little nervousness on the ride IMO and you never know he may just get over it eventuaally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 One other thing you may try is ginger snap cookies. Ginger is good for calming an upset stomach. I have given this to one of my hounds that would drool like crazy when we took car rides, after a few cookies, the drooling stops. Maybe your boy gets car sickness which causes stress and the loose stool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retread Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 I gotta say it...maybe its your driving? He may outgrow it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 (edited) I don't mean to hijack this thread, but hello and welcome from another Pittsburgher! What is your grey's racing name, and when did you get him? Edited December 6, 2012 by a_daerr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Oh, and to address your original question, it sounds like your boy is extremely fearful of riding in the car. If he was getting motion sickness, he would be throwing up, not having diarrhea. I wouldn't take it lightly- if he is so scared that he's pooping himself everytime, I would recommend a couple of things. Primarily, it's important to work on car training. Slow down his exposure to the car as not to overwhelm him. Start by walking him near/around the car and giving treats. Do that a couple times and graduate to having him get into the car and giving treats while the car is turned off. Next time, drive the car around the block. Just keep training sessions short (no more than five minutes a couple times a day) and make the process as gradual as possible. Also, if he's recently retired, stick with a very plain treat like boiled chicken, as not to upset his stomach. If you absolutely *have* to take him somewhere in the car, I would ask the vet for an anti-anxiety prescription temporarily which you can give 30 minutes prior to the car ride. Is he nervous in other ways, or just the car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest digs Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Thanks for the responses everyone. I will give them a try. I actually did do the training with treats in a non-moving car, then trips around the block. He use to be worse than he is now, I will try to keep the rides as short as I can still though. Thanks for the welcome a_daerr! We have had Tag (Racing name was "Watch Closely") for almost a year now I think, he has always been a very timid/nervous dog, but is very slowly getting a little more brave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Thanks for the responses everyone. I will give them a try. I actually did do the training with treats in a non-moving car, then trips around the block. He use to be worse than he is now, I will try to keep the rides as short as I can still though. Thanks for the welcome a_daerr! We have had Tag (Racing name was "Watch Closely") for almost a year now I think, he has always been a very timid/nervous dog, but is very slowly getting a little more brave. Oh boy, I didn't know you've had him for that long! He must just be really scared of the car. I'd definitely talk to your vet about an anti-anxiety med for car rides if the training doesn't help. Also, myself and a few other friends from the forum (jenniferk and RMarie) take our boys to dogs parks fairly often to run off leash. We like Hartwood, but we've also been to Riverview. I'm from the Greensburg area, so I also take my guys to Twin Lakes a few times a week. Now that the weather is getting colder, we probably won't go as much... but maybe Tag would want to play with other greys sometime? Feel free to email me if you are interested. [alicia . daerr @ gmail . com] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EllenEveBaz Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 (edited) My first grey had similar car problems. Sometimes she'd throw up, instead. We acclimated her with the method reported by a_daerr. We didn't use anti-anxiety medicine; just dog biscuits. It helped that she was extremely food motivated. After she was relatively ok in the drive-around-the-block stage, we progressed to the very-short-drive-to-somewhere-fun stage. Then gradually longer. Soon, she was tolerating rides well. She was never an enthusiastic car passenger, but she willingly hopped in and didn't have diarrhea anymore. We even took numerous long trips. Good luck with your boy. Edited December 9, 2012 by EllenEveBaz Quote Ellen, with brindle Milo and the blonde ballerina, Gelsey remembering Eve, Baz, Scout, Romie, Nutmeg, and Jeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Trammell Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 (edited) Mine has the same response to car rides, and we do them often. I tried the treat thing put she won't take treats when she is nervous. I got a soft sided crate for the car so she could still see me, but wouldn't move around as much. Now she is fine, I have to lift her in, and she pants, but the liquid pooping has stopped. Oh, and I play country music because it was suggested here on one of the forums I read, seems to make her calmer and happier, besides I like country so no skin off my back. I figure that the more often she goes somewhere fun she will eventually want to get in the car. And she hates crates, doesn't want anything to do with them other than in the car! ETA: I think it makes her secure, and not sliding around, we secure the crate so it doesn't move, we also put a big bed in that is big enough it won't slide around. Edited December 10, 2012 by Trammell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.