Cerenia side effects

[rockyrescue]

I have a 7-month old aussie/retriever mix that gets motion sickness on long car rides.  We tried Cerenia and it worked very well.  But he had the side effect of excessive drooling.  Is there anything given to dogs to avoid this?

[rockyrescue]

Yep we've tried the Dramamine but not the other two you mentioned.  Rocky throws up in the car about a half hour or longer after we leave.  And usually more than once.  I did get a call from the vet and he said that cutting the dose in half may help a bit with the excessive drooling.  If not, that's OK too.  We can live with drool easier than well, you know. :)  Rocky was a rescue dog and was brought up from Kentucky at 9 weeks.  Then when he was at the foster, they made a couple half hour trips to the vet.  I was told that Rocky wasn't the only pup that would get sick.  When we picked him up, he cried the 45 minute trip home but didn't get sick.   Since then, it's the longer car rides that get to him.  We drive 5-6 hours up north 6-10 times a year  and we wouldn't think of not taking him so keep your fingers crossed for us that he does grow out of this sooner than later!  Thanks again.

[Jaybay]

You can also try other meds.  Even over-the-counter dramamine can be used for dogs.  Reglan and phenergan are two other considerations.  As with any medication, make sure you check with your vet first.  

Does your dog actually throw up on car trips?  Is there a certain amount of time it takes to get really sick or is it immediate?  You're doing a great job taking Rocky on short trips to get him used to car travel.  Our Maggie still isn't a big fan of it, but is very enthusiastic about jumping in to go somewhere.  She's learned to settle down and take a nap until the ride is over.  LOL!

[rockyrescue]

On the Cerenia packaging it said that excessive drooling was a side effect of the drug.  I realize that drooling also goes with anxiety and vomiting.  Rocky actually drooled ALOT more on the Cerenia than when he got sick.  We still do many short trips with him and hopefully he'll outgrow this.  I only will use the meds on a long trip.  Thanks for the responses.

[ginger899]

My dog used to feel sick in cars. You could tell she felt sick, she drooled, looked very "down-dog" and licked her lips a lot. The more she rode, the better things got. Also she started to associate the car with fun, because we went for fairly short rides at first with a good walk to look forward to.  (I'd take her 6 miles, go for a decent walk with her, then bring her back) And always took her out again when we got back.
Now she shows no signs at all of being uncomfortable. In fact she is always excited when I say "Let's go to the car"

[Jaybay]

I kind of doubt it's the cerenia causing the drooling.  It's more likely the stress that's causing it - a normal reaction in dogs to any kind of stress.  While the cerenia can help with nausea and vomiting from motion sickness, it can't help with the mental end of it.  Frequent breaks - like every 30 or 45 minutes on a long trip - can also help set the mental reset button.

The good news is that most dogs who experience motion sickness as pups tend to outgrow it with practice.  Our dog Maggie couldn't eat for 2 hours before any kind of car ride or we'd see the food again.  She's 7 years old now and while she doesn't get sick, she does tend to drool a lot.  Maggie does much better sitting in the front seat.  I think it has to do with not looking out the side window and seeing everything turn into a blur.  Looking out the front windshield makes things appear stationary.  Good thing she doesn't mind wearing a seat belt.  :-)