Redditor Asks If They Were Right For Not Feeding Their Carsick-Prone Dog During A Long Trip Despite Their Family’s Instructions

"I’ve learned that if I don’t feed her the morning we leave, she’s less likely to throw up."

Filip

• Published in Animal Stories
• December 2, 2022

Having a dog is like having a baby. You know the basics about how to take care of that little creature, but over time you discover and learn its needs and reactions, so your care for it can become absolutely complete.

And every caring dog owner tends to discover and learn it as soon as possible so that his dog would be satisfied and happy. Once you realize your dog's needs, no one can teach you what you should or shouldn't do about it.

You know your dog the best, so you can make the best decision for him. Unfortunately, people will always find something to say, no matter whether they are right or wrong.

They will force their opinion and even judge you if you don't follow their advice and do as they think you should. Something similar happened to a Reddit user recently, and he shared his story online.

He learned his dog gets car sick if she eats before the trip, so he stopped feeding her before the car ride. This way, the dog enjoys the car ride and doesn't throw up along the way.

But the last time they went on a trip, Redditor's brother and dad noticed that he didn't feed his dog, so they had to say something. Actually, they yelled at him and insisted he feed the dog.

So he did, and, of course, the dog puked several times during the seven-hour journey. You probably think the Redditor has proven his point, but that's not his whole story.

Check out below what happened further.

Here's the OP's concern:

"I’ve learned that if I don’t feed her the morning we leave, she’s less likely to throw up"

But he always feeds her when they reach their destination.

"Sounds like you knew what was best for the dog, and the family didn't listen."

"It's dad's own fault he'll be cleaning up puke."

But the OP answered that he had to clean it up:

Only because his family insisted, but...

"NTA- dogs don't need 3 squares."

"It sounds like you know your dog well"

Dogs can have car sickness too.

Dog motion sickness is a typical issue. Younger dogs are more likely to experience motion or vehicle sickness than older ones.

The inner ear structures involved in balance might not be fully formed, which could be the cause. Puppies often "outgrow" motion sickness when they are approximately a year old.

Due to a lack of conditioning and the overwhelming unexpected sensations involved with traveling inside a vehicle, many adult dogs experience anxiety or even nausea during travel. Dogs that take rare trips are not accustomed to automobile rides and frequently associate them with the stressful event that comes next.

Here's one helpful advice:

Well, this was an interesting story. Car sickness in dogs is not an unusual thing.

Also, dogs can easily go a day without eating. So his decision not to feed his dog during the trip was in the dog's best interest.

His family should learn more about car sickness in the dog or at least mind their own business.

Filip