If your dog drools, whines, goes quiet and green, or is sick every time they get in the car, you are not alone. Travel sickness is common, especially in puppies and young dogs, and the good news is that many grow out of it or can be helped a great deal with patience. The short version: build up car journeys slowly and calmly, make the car a nice place to be, and if the sickness is stubborn or your dog is truly miserable, your vet has effective medications that can transform trips.
Getting dogs to and from us is part of most owners' week, so I hear about a lot of car-sick pups. Here is why it happens and how to make travel kinder.
Why dogs get travel sick
Travel sickness in dogs works much like it does in people. It is usually a mix of two things:
- The inner ear and balance system. In young dogs the parts of the ear that sense motion are not fully developed, which is why puppies are so often car sick and many improve as they mature. It is the same motion sickness mechanism we get, a mismatch between what the body feels and what the eyes see.
- Stress and association. A dog who once felt sick, or whose only car trips end at the vet, can learn to dread the car. The anxiety then makes the sickness worse, and round it goes.
Signs range from obvious vomiting to subtler ones: heavy drooling, lip-licking, yawning, whining, restlessness, panting, trembling, or going very still and withdrawn. Spotting the early signs helps you act before it tips into being sick.
Making the car a calm place
Before worrying about medication, it is worth resetting how your dog feels about the car. The aim is to build good, sickness-free associations gradually.
- Secure and settled: use a well-fitted crate or a proper travel harness so your dog feels stable and cannot slide about
- A window on the world, sort of: facing forwards and being able to see out can help some dogs, while a covered crate suits others; try both
- Cool and airy: crack a window for fresh air and keep the car from getting stuffy or too warm
- Empty tummy: avoid a big meal in the couple of hours before travelling, though a totally empty stomach is not ideal either
- Smooth driving: gentle acceleration, braking and cornering make a real difference
Building confidence step by step
This is the heart of it. Rather than only using the car for stressful trips, you desensitise your dog by breaking travel into tiny, positive steps, moving on only when they are relaxed at each one.
- Sit in the parked car together with the engine off, treats and calm praise, then get out. Repeat over a few days.
- Progress to the engine running but not moving, still calm and rewarded.
- A short drive, literally to the end of the road and back.
- Gradually extend the distance, always ending somewhere nice like a favourite walk, not just the vet.
Go at your dog's pace. If a step brings on drooling or worry, drop back to the previous one. This takes weeks, not days, but it works because it changes the emotional picture as well as the physical one.
Groomer's tip: For a nervous traveller, try a few practice runs to somewhere lovely before their first grooming visit, so the car does not only ever mean an appointment. A relaxed arrival makes the whole groom go better.
When vet medication may help
Sometimes management alone is not enough, and that is absolutely fine. If your dog is still being sick, is genuinely distressed, or the problem is stopping you doing things together, speak to your vet.
Vets can prescribe medicines specifically licensed for dog travel sickness that are very effective, some target the nausea directly, others help with the anxiety side. Please do not reach for human travel-sickness tablets, as many are unsafe or wrongly dosed for dogs; anything medicinal must come from your vet. The RSPCA's dog health guidance and your vet together are the right port of call. For any sudden or severe illness, out-of-hours vet advice is available too.
Frequently asked questions
Do dogs grow out of travel sickness?
Many do. Because young dogs' balance systems are still developing, a lot of puppies improve as they mature, often by around a year old. Gentle, positive car experiences during that time help enormously.
How can I stop my dog being sick in the car?
Combine a settled, secure spot in a cool car with a light or empty stomach and smooth driving, then build up journeys slowly from parked to short trips. If sickness persists, your vet can prescribe effective anti-sickness medication.
Should I feed my dog before a car journey?
Avoid a large meal in the two hours or so before travelling, which reduces the chance of vomiting. A completely empty stomach for a long time is not ideal either, so a small amount is usually fine.
Is travel sickness the same as travel anxiety?
They overlap. Some dogs feel physically sick from motion, others are anxious about the car, and each can make the other worse. Building calm, happy associations tackles both, and your vet can advise if anxiety is the bigger driver.
This isn't veterinary advice
We're professional dog groomers, not vets, so please treat this as friendly general guidance. If you're worried about your dog, or before acting on anything here, speak to your local vet. In an emergency, contact your vet or nearest out-of-hours clinic.
Fluffs is a professional dog grooming salon in Wigginton, York, offering one-to-one grooming for dogs of every breed and coat type across Haxby, Strensall, Huntington, New Earswick and the surrounding villages. We know a calm arrival sets the tone for the whole appointment, so we never rush a nervous dog through the door. Book a relaxed, one-to-one groom.