Does your dog get a little green on car rides? If you can’t make it around the block without barf, here’s some good news: the Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug called Cerenia to prevent and treat vomiting in dogs. Cerenia comes from drug maker Pfizer Inc, and is currently only available from a veterinarian.
In tablet form, Cerenia can prevent motion sickness and related barfing. When I was younger, my best friend’s family took a car trip from NJ to Vermont (a good six hour drive) every winter to ski. The family dog went along and ever year ended up throwing up at least once on the way and once on the way back. For families who love to travel and want to bring their pets along, Cerenia is going to be a great thing.
In injection form, the drug can treat and even prevent serious vomiting from things like chemotherapy, parvovirus, kidney disease, pancreatitis, and other causes. Severe vomiting can lead to dehydration and even death — Cerenia can help protect dogs from severe dehydration and give doctors a chance to treat the cause.
My friends have a wonderful dog named Casey (you may remember her from Bark In The Park or her adventures with Moose and Lally) who tends to get carsick even on the shortest ride. You can bet I’ll be forwarding this news on to them. Though I do point out with pride that Casey has yet to barf when she’s in my car. (We bring the towels just in case.)
If your pup has a hard time with car travel, you should talk to your veterinarian about Cerenia for your next trip — whether you’re going around the block or around the country.
At the moment, there isn’t an equivalent for carsick cats and other pets. But I wouldn’t be surprised if we see one in the future.