You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Travel sickness (or motion sickness) is common in dogs and cats.

Travel sickness may be caused by several factors :

• Fear, stress or a change in environment. This is called psychogenic vomiting.
• Motion sickness - which is due to movement stimulating nerve endings in the ear (in an area called the labyrinth). These nerves send messages to the brain which cause the animal to vomit.

Dogs or cats which salivate and vomit almost as soon as they get into a vehicle (usually a car, but sometimes a bus, boat or train) and before it starts to move are almost certainly suffering from psychogenic vomiting. In animals which vomit after the vehicle has started to move the cause could be either psychogenic or motion sickness.

Cats are often very anxious and fearful during travel and so they most likely suffer from psychogenic vomiting.

Animals with psychogenic vomiting can sometimes be treated (or desensitised) by taking them for frequent short journeys to somewhere that they like (a park, woods or a friends house) or even just a trip around the block. This helps to familiarise them with travelling and  gradually reduces any fear or anxiety. Giving them rewards (pats, treats) during the journey can also help to make the experience pleasant.

For true motion sickness, and for psychogenic vomiting which cannot be treated by desensitisation various medications are available from veterinarians. Some of the most commonly prescribed drugs cause drowsiness, which can be a problem if the animal is going on a short trip and is expected to exercise at the end of it.

Animals should not be fed a full meal immediately before a journey because if they do vomit there is always a slight chance that some of the food could be accidentally inhaled....which can be serious.

Other tips which might help are :

• Keep cats, small dogs and puppies in cages for travel. 
• Cover cages with a blanket - keeps dark and muffles outside noises
• Plan journeys for evenings/overnight when the pet might sleep
• Exercise your pet well before a journey - may sleep due to tiredness.

REMEMBER  - WHEN TRAVELING NEVER LEAVE PETS UNATTENDED IN VEHICLES WITH INADEQUATE VENTILATION DURING HOT WEATHER

Updated October 2013