[billethkid]

I have heard about benadryl....sounds like it may or may not work for some dogs.

The vet has what they call composure chews (non Rx) which is supposed to have a calming effect.

They also have acepromazine which is an Rx and will semi sedate the dog.

Our dog just will not sit or lay down and pants as if she were in the heat. So I am looking to help her relax (and me too) on a 10 hour trip.

What have you done/used?

btk

[JSR22]

Rescue remedy. Spray under the dog's tongue. We are starting our 1050 mile trip to TV on Friday. We will be frogs on Sunday.

[pooh]

Our dogs loved to travel, especially our last one. Even though she was a good traveler, we made sure to stop every couple of hours so she could stretch her legs, sniff around, take a potty break, have a drink of water or a treat. When we drove from CA to FL, Mike's Mom and her dog followed us in Mom's car. Jasmine, her 100 lb Rottweiler wasn't a good traveler, but the frequent stops seemed to settle her down and she did very well on the trip from the left coast to the east.

When driving around on some of the freeways in CA, our dog Sydney would be startled by the rushing traffic, loud big rigs.....so we did get a Bach's floral remedy for her, though not Rescue Remedy. The flower essence we used stated it would be calming. Alas, it caused more agitation than relaxation. Rescue Remedy might have been a better choice, but personally, I'd try it before the trip if you can just to see how pooch responds.

[shcisamax]

I used Rescue Remedy for plane trips onboard and it was very helpful.

[ronsroni]

i have used the ace and it really helps them calm down. the action you discuss is stress and not good for a dog to do for 10 hours. Is this only a 1 way trip or are you returning with the dog? Give the dog a break. You will both be glad you did. Make potty/stretch stops along the way. Good for both. Good luck.

[Ohiogirl]

Not exactly the same problem - our dog (a 15 yr old miniature poodle) is calm but would never drink anything on our 15 hr trips back and forth (we now do 2 8 hr days, visiting my daughter in Cary, NC going and coming). Didn't matter if the car was moving or we were stopped at a rest area.

Anyway, the older he got, the more stressed he seemed, especially when it was hot out. We discovered by accident that he would lick ice, and when the ice is melting, will also actually drink up the water that results. So - now we take little plastic containers of ice, and if we run out, we get more ice at gas stations or fast food places for him to lick and drink.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by shcisamax

I used Rescue Remedy for plane trips onboard and it was very helpful.

I haven't had any success with Rescue Remedy. I've tried it on both cats and dogs. It's just never worked for me. But I know that many pet owners love the product. As Pooh suggested, it may be a good idea to try it first.

Our dogs are great travelers and sleep for most of the 26 hour drive from Ontario. We do the trip over three days, stopping often for short walks. We stay at Red Roof Hotels, they are very pet friendly, no extra charge.

When I fly with my small dog, he becomes very agitated, so I sedate him with a product from the Vet, which makes him drowsy. The Vet told me that the secret to making a sedative effective is to give the pill prior to the trip, don't wait until the animal becomes upset. I hate to sedate my little guy, but I truly believe it is the humane thing to do. By the way, I would never ship a pet in Air Cargo, he comes in the cabin with me.

[gerryann]

I like the ice idea. Our little Gilda get soooooo stressed. Thought initially that it was car sickness until one day, all we did was take the kennel out to the car....she panicked and started vomiting. We tried the Benedryl (didn't work). Tried a sedative (vet suggested)....it actually made her more hyper. So...I sit in the back seat with her and clean up after her for the whole trip. (two days). I have lately been taking her on short trips to my daughters (20 miles) and shes been tolerating it. I've had many dogs and they all loved traveling...not my Gilda.

[justanormalgirl]

We have sisters and one of them has grown out of her carsick stage but the other one is still working on it. We used to use Benadryl but I don't like to sedate her so someone told me about the Thundershirt and it works quite well for her.....it's like swaddeling a baby. You can go to their website to check it out: Thundershirt | The Best Dog Anxiety Treatment

[Avista]

Our dogs go right to sleep!

[collie1228]

Our five year old beagle, Bob, will be traveling with us to TV in early August, over 1200 miles, and he hates riding in the car. He basically whines non stop and wants to get on my lap while I'm driving, so we are going to the vet next week to see what he recommends. We would try benedryl, as it works great for me for sleep on long airplane trips, but we don't know what the correct dose would be. If we learn anything new, we'll post it then.

[ariel]

My toy poodle calms after about 30 minutes. Seems to do better in the car if he sees a suitcase and his bed - I guess he knows he is going too. I put him in the front seat next to whoever is driving - in his bed with a seatbelt on. Non-driver has to sit in backseat. He seems to do much better in the front seat. I've tried Benedryl and it helps some but makes him really drowsy so I don't use it much. I have a relative who uses the thundershirt. It is amazing. Calms her dog in many situations - biggest help is in a thunderstorm; but helps in any stresful situation. Works wonders and well worth the investment. But it is hot so in summer, so need to be careful and remove it when the dog is out of the air conditioned car. We also stop often to take walks and check "pee mail". That seems to tire the poodle and help him to sleep in the car.

[lightworker888]

Years ago I had a bichon that didn't like the car and we gave him about 1/4 of a Gravol and that calmed him down enough that he would sleep. That was before we knew about Rescue Remedy. Now if I had a dog that was stressed, I would give RR and then a bit of Gravol as that would help to sleep on the trip especially if it were a long one. Our 2 shih tzus just sleep on my husband's lap on the way down for 3 days. We have their bed and stuff in the back but they spend most of the time on his lap. We do 8 hours a day and stop a couple of times so it isn't really a stressful trip, and we have the Red Roofs booked ahead so we always know where we are heading each day.

LW888

[gerryann]

I'm grateful to be reminded of the thunder shirt....gonna order one ASAP. I remembered it also on the 4th of July.

Also, just an FYI.... LaQuinta is also very pet friendly...no charge for dogs ever.

If you sign up for their rewards program, the cost can be do-able.

[bogeybabe]

Originally Posted by billethkid

I have heard about benadryl....sounds like it may or may not work for some dogs.

The vet has what they call composure chews (non Rx) which is supposed to have a calming effect.

They also have acepromazine which is an Rx and will semi sedate the dog.

Our dog just will not sit or lay down and pants as if she were in the heat. So I am looking to help her relax (and me too) on a 10 hour trip.

What have you done/used?

btk

Our vet prescibes Valium. one mg every 4 hours. we have tried everything else. This works! She is not very groggy just calm, which makes the 13 hours in the car more pleasant. good luck!