You may be wondering why pets can get motion sickness. Here are some of the common reasons:
In puppies, their inner ear structures are not fully developed yet. Since these structures are used for balance, their lack of development can cause them to feel dizzy and then sick in cars. The good news about this is that your puppy should start to outgrow this around the time they are one year old.
If your pet typically only rides in the car because they are on their way to the vet’s office, they may get sick due to stress. They associate riding in the car with the stressful visit that happens afterward, which can heighten any motion sickness symptoms.
If your dog frequently got sick as a puppy after riding in the car, they may grow to associate riding in the car with getting sick.
If your pet is taking medication that causes any stomach upset, the motion and stress from riding in a car may exacerbate those symptoms.
Pets can end up swaying in the car more than people because they can’t sit down completely, and they also can’t anticipate turns and other upcoming movements to then brace themselves accordingly. This back-and-forth motion can lead to motion sickness, especially if there are many turns or stops/starts along the trip.