My limping dog hates car rides. How to make a long vet trip easier?

Benadryl is generally quite safe for dogs so it's unlikely that this would cause any harm; however, it rarely does much to help with anxiety in my experience. A better option would be to talk to your veterinarian about prescription anti-anxiety medication such as alprazolam or trazodone - these medications are much more effective for anxious pets, and can be used as-needed for car rides or other situations that may cause stress :)

Hi there. So sorry to hear that Snowden is limping and in pain. It is not recommended that you give her any over the counter medications at home. The medication may mask the severity of her problem during the vet's exam and it could interfere with the medication your vet will want to prescribe. Dogs are actually very sensitive to non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and should really only take the ones made for dogs that you can only get from your vet. Just keep her as calm and quiet as possible and only take her outside on leash to use the bathroom and then right back inside. At her age it is also more likely the medication could upset her stomach. If you are really worried about her pain level you could always get her to the emergency vet this evening or you could look for a clinic that is open tomorrow during the day.

Hi there. You can try a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure just before the trip, along with a DAP pheromone collar. If she gets extremely anxious and you think this might not be enough, I would suggest talking to your veterinarian about prescription anti-anxiety medication such as trazodone or clonazpam.

VetriScience Composure chews or liquid daily for at least a few days prior to your trip is effective in noticeably calming many patients. It contains natural ingredients including theanine and is available on chewy.com and PetCo.com. If you find that the Composure is not sufficiently relaxed with just Composure, I would schedule an appointment with your vet to make sure that Rexy is up to date on vaccines and flea/tick/heart worm prevention and to inquire about a sedative such as trazadone or prescription Xanax that your vet may be comfortable with for Rexy. If you are flying, definitely inquire with the airline about whether an official health certificate is required. Enjoy your vacation!

There is an awesome medicine called cerenia that is great for car sickness, but it is a prescription. I would call your vet and see if they would be willing to prescribed you some for your drive. One dose will last 24 hours and I would give it about 1 hour prior to leaving on the road. Be sure to tell your vet how many days you will be taking to drive 18 hours to ensure they give you enough doses. I hope this helps!

I apologize - I accidently hit submit too soon. You need to determine if she is anxious or if she is feeling carsick as well leading to anxiety. There are medications available by prescription that can help but if you don't have time for a vet appointment in the morning, that may not help this trip. I would recommend discussing with Maia's vet for future road trips. Here's a bit more info https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/motion-sickness-in-dogs Melatonin may help some dogs with car sickness. . . https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/melatonin/#! Best of luck on tomorrow's trip.

No there is not really any medication we can recommend you give Didier without having examined him. Also, many over the counter medications are not safe to give and it is difficult to get the correct dosing for a small dog. I suggest you just rest him strictly for the next 7 days. Leash walk to go outside to use the toilet only then right back inside. No running, jumping or playing. No stairs if that can be helped. If no improvement within that week or if he gets worse then you should get him to your vet for an exam. If he does seem better after a week then you can go back to GRADUALLY increasing his exercise over the next couple of weeks. Hope this helps. Best wishes.