The boyfriend and I are going to visit his parents next week. We were planning on boarding the dog at the vet like we usually do but funds are tight so we're going to bring the doggie along.
But it's a 10, maybe 11 hour drive. He doesn't get car sick, but he's a big pain in the ass in the car. He won't sit calmly but INSISTS in crawling in the lap of the passenger (or sometimes the driver), and then standing up to stick his head out the window. If we put him back in the back seat, he whines and just crawls back into the front. Not only is it annoying, but it's DANGEROUS.
So we're going to bring along his huge crate and keep him in it, strapped into the backseat. That way he'll be safe. But he's going to HATE it and cry the whole way. And if we have to stop at a rest stop to go to the bathroom? Fuhgeddabout it. He will FREAK OUT if we leave him alone in the car for five minutes.
Then I heard about stuff likeNaturVet® Quiet Moments™ and Pet-Eze. Both use tryptophan (the hormone found in turkey that makes us all sleepy) to calm the dogs down.
Has anyone ever tried this before? Are they effective, and more importantly, are they safe?
Mango
I dont own any pets, but GL!
1Have you guys thought about trying a doggie seatbelt? They are usually available at any pet store for under $20. Keeps pup in place AND safe.
Good luck!
2Yeah, Jen, I was considering getting one of those as well. I'm just concerned with keeping him quiet, too. :selfish:
He's going to have so much fun once we get there, though. They live on a huge plot of land, right on a lake. My city pupster is going to see the country for the first time!
3I've never had to sedate mine, but if the turkey pills don't work your vet can give you a couple knock out pills for the trip.
4they make little doggie car seats too. I haven't heard anything bad about those 2 products you listed. I think I've seen something similar in the pet aisle at Earthfare. Bodhi does the SAME DAMN THING in the car!
5I work with a guy who has to get pills from the vet every time he takes his dog to the groomer.
6I hear ya, Whip. I can't imagine he'll carry on for 10 hours. I'm sure he'll get used to it at some point. I guess it could be a reeeeeeeeeally annoying while before he gets used to it, though.
7i drove 4 days, across country, 40 hours from CA to PA with my little doggie and he managed to survive. he slept most of the time with my big long fluffy pillow in the backseat. he occasionally came up in the front and looked out the window, but besides that, he was pretty good. he ate treats along the way and we stopped plenty for him to eat and drink and do all the puppy stuff he needed. GOOD LUCK!!! if i can do it, you sure can!!
8I have only gotten stuff from the vet. Just call the vets office and ask their opinion on the OTC ones.
9i have taken steeler many times from indiana to pennsylvania and also to north carolina. he goes in his dog crate. he whines at first but after awhile he concedes defeat and sleeps most of the time until we take him out. i have never used any dog sedatives but i can imagine if steeler never calmed down i would have had to think about it.
10Our dogs sleep during trips.
11Wm's old Beagle used to freak out in the car so he gave him something from the vet which didn't work. He swears Tucker would fight it and become more of a spaz.
Hey Whip..
In addition to trying some tryp pills or getting something from your vet, you can also try to rub some Rescue Remedy behind his ears and put some in his water. It's an herbal remedy that the emergency vet once used on my cat (when the cat decided to try to jump into a window sill he couldn't fit in and instead hung there for a minute and ended up snapping of his dewclaws..ouch!). Also, if your pooch isn't good about taking pills, some pharmaceuticals can be milled into a fine powder that is mixed into a topical type form that can be absorbed through the ears.
And though I couldn't imagine an animal carrying on for hours, it can happen...one of my cats meowed in the car for 5 hours straight! She would have kept going if we hadn't arrived at our destination!
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