Why is my dog suddenly anxious, shaking, and won't get in the car?

Keesha is adorable! Thanks for posting a picture. There was recently a study that revealed that a significant number of cases of what we thought was anxiety in the car may actually be nausea and the clinical signs resolved with anti-nausea medication given before car rides. So, it would be worth discussing anti-nausea options with your vet. There is a prescription medication called Cerenia that works very well, but there are also some other options. If that doesn't help, then I would discuss anti-anxiety medications with your veterinarian to help break the cycle of her anxiety. Finally, some dogs will pant and shake from excitement, so that would also be an option. It might take some trial and error, but hopefully you can get Keesha back to enjoying her car rides. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

These can be symptoms of many serious medical issues, anxiety, fear, pain, neurologic disease, infection, etc. I would recommend that you have him checked out by a vet to see what could be going on. After a thorough physical exam and discussion of his recent history, the vet may recommend diagnostics, such as blood work, x-rays, ultrasound, etc. to diagnose the cause.

Usually with time and training, your puppy will get used to car rides and won't be so worried in new and different situations. There are a few things you can try to help him. A Thundershirt is a specially designed harness that hugs them tight and calms them down. Adaptil is a calming pheromone for dogs and you can buy an Adaptil collar so they are constantly being exposed to it. Some dogs are afraid of riding in cars, while others can get motion sickness and so they feel anxious in the car because they are nauseous. If you are concerned that Leo might be getting motion sickness in the car, you should visit your family veterinarian for an exam and to discuss possible medication to treat motion sickness.

Ruling out an underlying health issue such as pain or illness is always a good first step when your pet experiences a sudden behavior change. As seven is the start of the senior years, it is possible there is some pain from laying in the bed, or arthritis causing problems. if Milou checks out health, trying to find if there is a pattern to the "attacks" may be helpful- does it happen the same time every night? Same spot? Same triggers? Is the neighbor arriving home in a noisy car at that time, etc? This may help you figure out what is triggering it so you can make some adjustments- IE moving the bed somewhere quieter, making sure your dog is fast asleep prior to that time, getting out excess energy before bed, feeding a treat to keep the stomach from becoming too empty and causing growling/discomfort, etc. If you can't seem to find any pattern at all, taking a video of the even to bring to your vet or a local trainer may be helpful in better identifying what is going on, and finding a solution.

Shaking is usually a sign of pain, It could be related to the disc herniation, it could be something totally different, it's very hard to know without checking him. I would recommend taking him to the vet ASAP, this is obviously not a normal behaviour and this needs to be investigated and treated quickly.

It sounds as though Skye may have anxiety when travelling. I would recommend using a product called NaturVet Quiet Moments Calm Chews with Melatonin, which can be found online quite easily. I would also consider using products such as Rescue Remedy for dogs and an Adaptil Pheremone collar, which also can be found online. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello, thank you for your question about Lulu. Based on the symptoms you are describing and the recent history of significant travel I would suspect that she is experiencing anxiety/stress secondary to this large change. If this behavior continues or Lulu develops any other symptoms I would recommend having her seen by a veterinarian to look for any other underlying problems. Hope this helps!