Motion sickness results in nausea, excessive salivation, vomiting, and occasionally other signs. Animals may yawn, whine, show signs of uneasiness or apprehension, or have diarrhea. Motion sickness is usually seen during travel by land, sea, or air, and signs usually disappear when the motion of the vehicle ceases.
The principal cause of motion sickness is a problem in the inner ear, which has connections to the brainstem. Fear of the vehicle may be a contributing factor in cats, and signs may occur even in a vehicle that is not moving.
In some cases, motion sickness can be overcome by conditioning the animal to travel. See also heading on page Introduction to Travel with Pets In others, drug treatment can help prevent motion sickness, provide sedation, and decrease drooling. Some of the medications that treat motion sickness in dogs and people are not effective in cats. Your veterinarian can prescribe an appropriate medication.
Also see Travel With Pets.
