Just like many of us, plenty of cats and dogs may not be able to handle long road trips, or perhaps air or boat travel, without feel nauseous. More common in young pets, it is important to realize what triggers the motion sickness in your dog or cat so that you can help them to accustom to travel.

In official medical terms, this malady is "gastrointestinal distress related to motion". If your dog or cat is suffering from this, it might start with only frequent lip licking, but then you might see them drooling, yawning, whining or giving distress calls, and perhaps looking petrified. Then your cat or dog might vomit, defecate, or urinate.

What sets off motion sickness? In puppies and young dogs, it could ultimately be the fact that their equilibrium is still inadequate, but it will likely adjust as they age. For cats and dogs alike, it can simply be the emotional response to bad memories from previous travels. There are still other possible reasons your pet could have motion sickness.

How can you help your pet when they have motion sickness? You have a few options:

• Train your cat and dog feel comfortable with car rides
• Give medications before travel (antihistamines, other over-the-counter medicine)
• Offer them ginger pills or ginger snaps 30 minutes before you head out (treats nausea)

Before you try any medications, you should try training as well as accommodating your cat or dog. Drive with the windows open a bit, don't feed them a few hours before the trip, and provide toys and "restroom" breaks. And before you administer any medicines or even ginger, you need to talk with your veterinarian to ensure that this is actually safe for your pet. You also want to make sure that you won't give your pet too much.

For more on helping your cat or dog to have a fun and healthy summer, contact a veterinarian today!