Although the
cause of motion
sickness is not fully understood, it is generally thought that it occurs when the inner ear is disturbed from repeated motion, such as the movement of a
car, plane, or boat.4 Motion
sickness is most commonly reported in puppies and young dogs, many of which outgrow it.5 Unfortunately, many more do not outgrow it, and it becomes a lifelong problem.
When a dog is riding in a
car or other vehicle and is not familiar or comfortable with the sensation of traveling, this pathway is triggered and over-stimulated,
causing the dog to develop what we know as motion
sickness, or «
car sickness.»