Dog anxiety medication

PJ134

PJ134

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Hi friends
Our 7 year old Cockerpoo, Luna suffers from travel anxiety. The usual panting and general unsettled behaviour. We have a seat box with zip up folding panels and she has her favourite toys and blanket with her but she still gets the anxiety wherever we go in the van. We are planning for 2025 some road trip holidays and we would like to make her as comfortable as possible for the journey.
So do any of you have experience of medication that actually works? It’s not travel sickness as she shows symptoms even travelling from the pitch to the campsite exit at walking pace.
Many thanks IMG_9306.jpeg
 
Try her in different places in the van.
Our one likes to travel shotgun and doesn't second guess my driving so we're cool. A friend's dog was so nervie, she would projectile vomit whenever they drove more than 5 minutes but figured out there wasn't a problem if she sat in the back in their hatchback and she looks forward to trips now - and no vomitus.
Otherwise - if you haven't already tried - try letting her sit in the van when you aren't driving - leave doors open - let her spend some time in there just chilling and you sit next to her and read a paper or something.
After a few times and she is less anxious shut a door - one at a time then eventually, just let the engine run and sit next to her.
See how far you can push it - but slowly.
 
We have an extremely nervous cat who we rescued 7 years ago but she’s still terrified of nearly everything. We were recommended to try Yumove calming care (they do it for dogs and cats) - and it does seem to have made a decent improvement.

But it does take a few weeks to take effect and is an ongoing thing rather than just something you’d just give her before travelling
 
Ah - remembered - there is a doggie equivalent of Feliway = Adaptil
There is a spray version you can spray in the van.
 
We tried lots of medication and aids to no avail with our Spanial.
He ended up riding up front with us so he could see ahead. Not perfect but definitely less drool !
 
Our 3 year old poo stresses in the van but not in the car or the motorhome.
The difference is she can't see out the window the same .
We've found that if she travels in the back with the bed out flat she can see out the windows and so she stresses less .
Worth a try :thumbsup:
 
Thanks for your suggestions. So we have two captains seats up front so unfortunately no room for Luna. She travels on the back seat with a seatbelt restraining harness on but in the aforementioned seat box thingy. We bought the box to try and make her feel safer as she travels in our Mondeo similarly without problems and without a box. But the van, box or no box, she just pants and drools. No vomiting though but I’m just concerned she’s getting stressed which can’t be good for her.
Whenever we have been anywhere in the van with her, we have been to places that she seemed to enjoy as well so we are not sure why the association makes her stressed.
 
JumpShip said:
Can she see out of the windows ?
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I think she is able to but whether she does is another matter. Same in the Mondeo, she generally settles down even though she could see out. But in the van, she is unsettled, sat upright drooling everywhere. Like I said, even short journeys. We do more miles in the Mondeo with her than the van too, so we are not sure at all what to do.
 
Some time in the van without travelling is required! Sitting in there having a cuppa, reading the newspaper, being calm and demonstrating “comfortable” vibes is important. Leave the door open so the pooch can come and go. This is important. The dog must make an association with the van as being a “safe place”.

As you spend time in the van, just observe the dog. He will eventually reveal what is causing his anxiety.

I’m not a fan of dog cages and restraints though I appreciate that the law around restraining dogs has been updated. (We find that a barrier between the captains seats is sufficient or they’d happily creep up under our feet - not conducive to safe driving!!!) Allow the dog to find his favourite place to settle.

Then short trips can be attempted. One of you should sit in the back and engage with the dog. Start with just closing the doors and firing up the engine. Progress to drives off the drive, down the road, back to house and park up again.

Leave the bloomin stereo off so you can both talk to the dog.

The trick is “calm, normal, safe” and taking things slowly to achieve that.
 
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JOG said:
Some time in the van without travelling is required! Sitting in there having a cuppa, reading the newspaper, being calm and demonstrating “comfortable” vibes is important. Leave the door open so the pooch can come and go. This is important. The dog must make an association with the van as being a “safe place”.

As you spend time in the van, just observe the dog. He will eventually reveal what is causing his anxiety.

I’m not a fan of
Click to expand...
Yeah, we do this when we are on site. Many hours just relaxing in and around the van, same as what we did in our T25 which she knows from being a puppy. Totally nonplussed until senses that we might be on the move soon then starts getting anxious.
 
PJ134 said:
Yeah, we do this when we are on site. Many hours just relaxing in and around the van, same as what we did in our T25 which she knows from being a puppy. Totally nonplussed until senses that we might be on the move soon then starts getting anxious.
Click to expand...
Do it at home regularly!
 
took a year for our little lady to grow out of travel anxiety probably because she suffered from travel sickness as a puppy that was in the car on back seat but the van was a worse situation possibly seperation anxiety until we moved her to between the 2 front seats and like magic it stopped and never had a problem since
 
Bargy62 said:
took a year for our little lady to grow out of travel anxiety probably because she suffered from travel sickness as a puppy that was in the car on back seat but the van was a worse situation possibly seperation anxiety until we moved her to between the 2 front seats and like magic it stopped and never had a problem since
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I’m glad you found a solution to your dog’s problem.
 
My Daughter works in a Vets in Shooters Hill London. I’ll ask her tomorrow what she recommends.
 
PJ134 said:
It’s not travel sickness as she shows symptoms even travelling from the pitch to the campsite exit at walking pace.
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This stands out as being important to me.
I wonder if she is associating the vehicle movement with something that she fears, such as a trip to the vets?
I've had lots of dogs over the years and they all loved being in my vans and cars which I think is because almost every journey ended with a fun run in woods, or chasing rabbits, or some other treat.
That said, if the van started heading to the vets, they knew and became very anxious!
 
Bargy62 said:
took a year for our little lady to grow out of travel anxiety probably because she suffered from travel sickness as a puppy that was in the car on back seat but the van was a worse situation possibly seperation anxiety until we moved her to between the 2 front seats and like magic it stopped and never had a problem since
Click to expand...
My boy Bruce sits between the two front seats and with him being extremely well behaved I'm happy for him to be there. He pants a bit but I think it more ecitement as he usually lays down and snoozes after 10 minutes.

The law doesn't actually mandate what "restrained" means when it comes to pets in cars. Lots of guidance and advice, but none of it legislated and binding. As this is a summary offence and dealt with in Mags court there is no case law (that's only set in higher courts) so no legal precedent.

As such they tend to take a common sense approach, that which can be proved. If it can't be proved the animal was actually interfering with the driver safely managing the vehicle it won't even get a charge, and without a copper sat in the back seat and watching this all but impossible to prove anyway.

It's a bit like the old child seat regs. If a child was under 12 and shorter than 135cm it had to be in an approved child seat. Unfortunately, the police had no power to either measure your child or ask proof of its age so it was unenforceable.
 
I had one particularly ignorant MOP who insisted driving with his dog on his lap. Despite numerous warnings/advice/guidance he continued.
Eventually, he fell foul by weaving across the road for no apparent reason other than the dog hindering his steering, witnessed by me in full.
Successfully prosecuted. Some people just won't be told
 
Sackmycook said:
I had one particularly ignorant MOP who insisted driving with his dog on his lap. Despite numerous warnings/advice/guidance he continued.
Eventually, he fell foul by weaving across the road for no apparent reason other than the dog hindering his steering, witnessed by me in full.
Successfully prosecuted. Some people just won't be told
Click to expand...
Ayer, you've got 'em by the balls there.

In my case even if Bruce wasnt completely command obedient hed physically be unable to get up and on to be because of my bulk large manly frame.
 
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