Is your new Dachshund puppy suffering with car sickness? Do you want to know how to stop your Dachshund being sick every time you go out in the car? Here’s everything you need to know about Dachshunds and car sickness.
How Do You Stop Car Sickness In Dachshunds?
- Get your Dachshund used to being in the car
- Keep car journeys short
- Don’t feed your Dachshund immediately before travelling
- Exercise your Dachshund before travelling
- Raise your Dachshund’s car seat up
- Keep the car temperature cool
- Make sure your Dachshund is secure in the car
- Give a small ginger biscuit before travelling
- Cover a travel crate with a blanket
- Drive carefully!
Read on to find out what the symptoms of car sickness are and whether your Dachshund will ever grow out of being sick or drooling in the car.
Table of Contents
- What Is Car Sickness In Dachshunds?
- Are Car Sickness And Motion Sickness The Same Thing?
- What Are The Symptoms Of Car Sickness In Dachshunds?
- Why Is My Dachshund Sick As Soon As They Get Into The Car?
- Why Is My Dachshund Drooling In The Car?
- Are Dachshunds Prone To Car Sickness?
- Do I Need To Give My Dachshund Medication For Car Sickness?
- Will My Dachshund Always Have Car Sickness?
- How To Stop Car Sickness In Dachshunds
- What do I do next?
This article is based on research and personal experience as a Dachshund owner of 10+ years. I’m not a Vet, qualified dog trainer or dog behaviourist.
What Is Car Sickness In Dachshunds?
Car Sickness is when your Dachshund feels sick, or is physically sick, when they’re travelling in a vehicle.
It’s a very common issue that’s usually seen in young puppies, but for some dogs, it can continue into adulthood too.
Car sickness is thought to be caused by movement affecting the part of your Dachshund’s brain that controls balance.
It can be worsened by your Dachshund feeling anxious or stressed while they’re travelling.
In fact, the more scared they feel in the car when it’s moving, the worse their car sickness is likely to be.
Are Car Sickness And Motion Sickness The Same Thing?
Car sickness and motion sickness are essentially the same thing.
Motion sickness is the broader term used to describe any movement causing sickness.
For example, sea sickness when travelling by boat and air sickness when flying.
Whereas car sickness is caused specifically by the movement of a car or other motor vehicle.
What Are The Symptoms Of Car Sickness In Dachshunds?
The most obvious symptom of car sickness in Dachshunds is them being physically sick while they’re travelling in the car.
Most commonly, your Dachshund will start slobbering or drooling excessively and licking their lips before they’re actually sick – so that’s something to look out for!
They may also whine, whimper or bark if they’re feeling unsettled or ill.
You may also be able to tell from their body language, that they’re feeling uncomfortable or nauseous.
They may arch their back, hold their head low down and tuck their tail right in underneath themselves.
These are all signs that your Dachshund is feeling uncomfortable or nauseous in the car.
Why Is My Dachshund Sick As Soon As They Get Into The Car?
Car sickness usually comes hand in hand with heightened feelings of anxiety and fear.
Once your Dachshund realises they’re always sick as soon as they start travelling in the car, they may then become fearful of the car itself.
They’ll soon begin to associate the car with feeling or being sick, which in turn makes them even more stressed and anxious.
In severe cases, your Dachshund may even be sick before the car is actually moving at all.
This is simply because they’re already feeling stressed at the thought of how the car makes them feel.
Why Is My Dachshund Drooling In The Car?
If your Dachshund is drooling a lot while travelling in the car, they’re likely to be feeling nauseous.
Excessive drool is one of the early signs of car sickness in Dachshunds and may mean your Dachshund is about to be sick.
It’s a good idea to carry a dog towel in the car if the drooling is extreme as it can get pretty wet and messy.
Unfortunately, stress and anxiety can make the drooling much worse.
If you only put your Dachshund in the car when you go to the vets or dog groomer, they may develop a fear association with being in the car.
Are Dachshunds Prone To Car Sickness?
As a breed, Dachshunds are no more prone to car sickness than any other breed of dog.
Any dog can suffer from car sickness, at any age, so it’s not usually more commonly seen in Dachshunds.
However, Dachshunds are small dogs with short legs, and being lower down and unable to see out of the window can often make them more prone to car sickness than larger dog breeds that can see out of the window.
Do I Need To Give My Dachshund Medication For Car Sickness?
In severe cases of car sickness, you may need to give your Dachshund anti-sickness medications, anti-anxiety medications or a combination of the two.
This should always be discussed with, and prescribed by, your Vet.
However, this should only be done as a last resort and used alongside other training methods to help your Dachshund feel more comfortable in the car.
Medication should only ever be a temporary measure, to give other avenues of training the best chance of success.
So don’t rely on meds as a cure for your Dachshund’s car sickness on their own, try other methods as well.
Will My Dachshund Always Have Car Sickness?
Car sickness or motion sickness is most commonly seen in very young puppies, simply because they’ve never experienced being in a car before.
For some Dachshunds, if this isn’t addressed carefully and consistently, their car sickness may well continue into adulthood.
However, it’s possible to reduce or even stop your Dachshund’s car sickness no matter how old they are, so they won’t necessarily always suffer from car sickness.
It’s much more common for a puppy to suffer with car sickness and then grow out of it as they get a bit older.
How To Stop Car Sickness In Dachshunds
Prevention is always better than cure. So, by learning how to prevent your Dachshund from suffering with car sickness in the first place, you can avoid the often lengthy and difficult process of stopping the issue.
This is how to stop car sickness in Dachshunds:
Get Your Dachshund Used To Being In The Car From An Early Age
Socialisation is so important, especially while your Dachshund is still young!
So, if you have your Dachshund as a puppy, you need to get them used to being in the car right from the start.
Begin with making the car a calm and safe place for your Dachshund to help them feel relaxed.
Spend 5 minutes each day letting them explore the car while it’s still stationary on the driveway.
Even if you adopt an older Dachshund, you can still do this process as if you’re starting from the beginning.
Keep Car Journeys Short
Keep your car journeys to just a few minutes long to start with and then very gradually increase the length of them over a period of time.
This gives your Dachshund confidence in the car during journeys which reduces the likelihood of car sickness or motion sickness becoming an issue.
The younger you start socialising your Dachshund in the car, the better your chances of success.
Don’t Feed Your Dachshund Immediately Before Travelling
Travelling with a full stomach is much more likely to make your Dachshund feel or be sick.
So try to avoid feeding them less than 2 hours prior to travelling.
Exercise Your Dachshund Before Travelling
It can be beneficial to exercise your Dachshund before they’re due to travel in the car.
By doing this, they’ll not have as much pent-up energy and will therefore feel calmer and even sleepier, which should help them settle during their car journey.
Raise Your Dachshund’s Car Seat
If your Dachshund can see out of the window, they’re much less likely to be and feel sick.
So use a booster car seat and raise them up so they can see out of the window and can’t feel the vibration of the car as it travels along the road.
This is one of the most successful methods for helping to stop car sickness in Dachshunds.
Keep The Car Cool
Keep the car temperature fairly cool. Open the window beside your Dachshund a fraction if you can, or put the air-conditioning on.
By opening a window, you’re increasing the fresh air circulating around the car and also helping to stabilise the air pressure inside.
Both of which are known to reduce the chances of your Dachshund feeling car sick.
Make Sure Your Dachshund Is Secure In The Car
You may wish to consider using a seatbelt attachment that secures your Dachshund’s harness into a seatbelt plug, if your Dachshund feels more comfortable sitting on the seat.
An alternative option is fastening a crate into the boot of the car. This can be made comfortable and cosy for your Dachshund which can also help them feel more settled.
Wherever they sit, try to make sure they’re not slipping around as the car moves, as this is likely to increase the chances of them feeling sick.
This isn’t just a way to help prevent travel sickness. It’s also a legal requirement in the UK that your Dachshund is fully secured when travelling by car.
Give A Small Ginger Biscuit Before Travelling
Ginger has natural anti-sickness properties that may stop Dachshunds getting car sick.
Some owners give their Dachshunds a small ‘dog-safe’ ginger biscuit before travelling to help with any nausea.
You need to find a ‘dog safe’ biscuit that contains real ginger and not ginger flavouring, or look for ginger capsules.
However, its always best to check with your vet before giving your Dachshund any ginger just to be sure it’s safe for your Dachshund to take.
To be clear, I am NOT a Vet or a dog nutritionalist.
Cover A Travel Crate With A Blanket
Even though the majority of Dachshunds do better being able to see out of the window when travelling, some don’t.
Some Dachshunds prefer to curl up in a travel crate that’s completely covered with a blanket to block out the view from the windows.
If they travel on the back seat, you could also use sunshades on the windows to help prevent motion sickness by physically blocking the view your Dachshund has of the movement of things going past the window.
That said, some Dachshunds prefer to be raised up on a suitably secured booster seat so they can see fully out of the window.
It’s whatever works for your Dachshund!
Drive carefully
If your Dachshund suffers with car sickness, it’s a good idea to drive a bit slower and more carefully, especially as you turn corners.
And, if you’re going on a long journey, always be sure to give your Dachshund regular breaks along the way.
So, there you have it! Dachshunds can suffer with car sickness, especially when they’re young. But by getting them used to the car, keeping journeys short, not feeding them before travelling and raising them up so they can see out of the window – you’ll be able to increase your journeys in no time at all!
What do I do next?
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