My Pet World: It's important to help your animals adjust to car rides
"It takes some effort to do all this, but outcome means the cat will be less stressed, and so will you," DePoter said.
There's a great free handout, http://www.catvets.com/public/PDFs/ClientBrochures/Cat-to-VetHandout.pdf.
Wanting to better understand anxiety of cats before and also after vet visits (when they first return home), DePorter and I are conducting a study to measure, define and describe exactly how stressed out cats are, and what that stress typically looks like. Help us and help cats by filling out a survey; to receive a copy, email steve@stevedale.tv.
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Q: I describe our 7-year-old Springer Spaniel as emotionally laid back but high energy. For the past few months, he's been acting nervous in the car, trembling and jumping into laps. Especially as we go over rumble strips or we accelerate fast. We like to take road trips. We really need to figure out a calming technique. Do you have any recommendations? S.B., St. Paul, MN
A: "I want to know if anything happened that the dog is suddenly frightened, unless this is an instance of anxiety building over time, particularly as dogs age," said veterinary behaviorist Dr. John Ciribassi, Chicago-based president of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.
If your dog is also getting sick (which you didn't mention, so perhaps that's not the case), ask your veterinarian about a trial of a drug called Cerenia. Motion sickness can make dogs really anxious because they expect to get ill.
Ciribassi said to play with your dog around the car. Tossing toys inside the car -- don't even think about turning on the motor, until your dog's opinion of the car has changed.
There are tools you can use. Some dogs feel more comfortable wearing a harness, or small dogs might feel cozier buckled into a booster seat for dogs. Some dogs actually prefer being inside a carrier.
A nutritional supplement called Anxitane (which is L-theanine) helps lower anxiety, as does a copy of pheromone, called Adaptil.
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