pet moving

Question
I am moving cross country soon and i have a dog.  He doesn't like riding in cars though and he gets motion sickness.  Is there something i can give him like dramamine or something to just kind of knock him out to make his trip a little easier?

Answer
There is a medicine called dyphenhydramine that your vet could give you. There is also an over the counter medicine for humans called Dimenhydrinate that some people will give to their dogs. But as always talk to your veterinarian before giving him any kind of medication. Usually it is givin one hour before the trip, and the dosage depends on his weight. Your vet can supply stronger medications, such as acepromazine which has the additional effect of sedation. I would only recommend this for long trips and it should not be given two days in a row. For natural remedies, try peppermint tea or bach flower remedy. Peppermint tea is available in capsules and the bach flower remedy is given via dropper. Both are given orally every two hours to combat excitement and subsequent nausea, and both are available in health food stores. It also may be helpful to encourage your pet to lay down on the floor of the vehicle or to keep them in a well-ventilated travel crate if they are small enough. Another good tip is, do not feed him 6 hours priror to the trip. However you should always have fresh water available for him. A lot of the sickness has to do with excitment so it might be a good idea to take him on a few small trip like to the post office or something like that close by to get him used to it if he can handle it. Well, I hope I helped. Have a great night.