Long shot.
My 2 year old female chihuahua (fixed) absolutely hates the car rides. As soon as the engine starts - she starts panting and shaking real bad. But when I turn it off, magically she stops these behaviours straight away. Also she continues it even when the car is not moving at all.
I’ve tried so many different types of natural remedies (oral drops) includes phenomenal spray and a collar. Also a thunder vest, dog relaxation music, a crate with/without cover in the back seat/front seat, 4 different types of dog carrier boosters, anti-anxiety puffy bed, a dog behaves training, treats, changing the cars/drivers, let her sit on my lap (in the car parking, to see how see reacts)
Nothing worked.
when I let her out of the car, she wags her tail and skips around with happiness.
I took her to a vet and she was prescribed clomicalm (antidepressant) to correct her brain chemical imbalance but it didn’t work and next she got Fluoxetine (human grade antidepressant) but that made her sick a big time. (Spewing, shaking 10 hours, lying in bed not getting up) So we stopped it before even this medication got kicked in.
I have never had even one near miss accident. So I don’t know why she’s so scared. Her eyes are consistently telling me “mummy mummy I’m scared let me out mummy!” This kind of miserable face. Hard to watch. So I don’t look at her or talk to her at all in the car. (Also this is an advice from the vet - ignore her behaviour n not give her my attention - it’s hard!!)
She won’t spew, whine, drool, not even try to get comfortable, just sits n being miserable. I could hear her panting so hard. Hard to listen for me.
I take her to work most of the week and I take her out for hikes almost every weekend so she has a car ride almost every day.
my vet said it’s been 2 years like this and too late to correct it .... as if I left it too long. I’m the one (solo mum to her) watching like this every day and spent a lot of money on this. Of course I haven’t ignored it.
I asked this issue at the other forum but got no answer. I’m getting desperate here. I do a long road trip (8 hours one way every month in the winding hills - last 6 years. Cookie is only 2 yo so yeah every month in her whole life ) to see my sick sister.
im worried if her anxiety hormone gets produced too much and it would lead her some health issues in the future. Also I just don’t want her to suffer every day in her short life (chihuahuas life expectancy is 15 years or so)
Can anybody please point out to a right direction what I can do to help this issue?
Thanks for reading!
My 2 year old female chihuahua (fixed) absolutely hates the car rides. As soon as the engine starts - she starts panting and shaking real bad. But when I turn it off, magically she stops these behaviours straight away. Also she continues it even when the car is not moving at all.
I’ve tried so many different types of natural remedies (oral drops) includes phenomenal spray and a collar. Also a thunder vest, dog relaxation music, a crate with/without cover in the back seat/front seat, 4 different types of dog carrier boosters, anti-anxiety puffy bed, a dog behaves training, treats, changing the cars/drivers, let her sit on my lap (in the car parking, to see how see reacts)
Nothing worked.
when I let her out of the car, she wags her tail and skips around with happiness.
I took her to a vet and she was prescribed clomicalm (antidepressant) to correct her brain chemical imbalance but it didn’t work and next she got Fluoxetine (human grade antidepressant) but that made her sick a big time. (Spewing, shaking 10 hours, lying in bed not getting up) So we stopped it before even this medication got kicked in.
I have never had even one near miss accident. So I don’t know why she’s so scared. Her eyes are consistently telling me “mummy mummy I’m scared let me out mummy!” This kind of miserable face. Hard to watch. So I don’t look at her or talk to her at all in the car. (Also this is an advice from the vet - ignore her behaviour n not give her my attention - it’s hard!!)
She won’t spew, whine, drool, not even try to get comfortable, just sits n being miserable. I could hear her panting so hard. Hard to listen for me.
I take her to work most of the week and I take her out for hikes almost every weekend so she has a car ride almost every day.
my vet said it’s been 2 years like this and too late to correct it .... as if I left it too long. I’m the one (solo mum to her) watching like this every day and spent a lot of money on this. Of course I haven’t ignored it.
I asked this issue at the other forum but got no answer. I’m getting desperate here. I do a long road trip (8 hours one way every month in the winding hills - last 6 years. Cookie is only 2 yo so yeah every month in her whole life ) to see my sick sister.
im worried if her anxiety hormone gets produced too much and it would lead her some health issues in the future. Also I just don’t want her to suffer every day in her short life (chihuahuas life expectancy is 15 years or so)
Can anybody please point out to a right direction what I can do to help this issue?
Thanks for reading!