Scout’s story : Herbal remedies for dog car sickness and acute separation anxiety

Dog car sickness caused by severe separation anxiety.

Scout’s owner came to me asking for a herbal remedy for car sickness, as Scout would continually vomit every time he was taken for a trip in the car, even to the dog park. The vet had checked him out and said he had no obvious physical issues and Jacqui was given some very expensive tablets to stop him getting car sick. Apart from the cost, these tablets would often not work.

I made up a herbal formula for car sickness that worked the first couple of times and then stopped working, so we were back to square one. When I was speaking to Jacqui a number of clues made me suspect that anxiety was behind Scout’s car sick behaviour.

Scout was rescued a few months before and had the car sickness from the beginning. I set up a time to visit Scout and Jacqui at home to observe what happened with Scout when Jacqui left for work and also his reaction to the car.

Separation anxiety in dogs

Scout had very strong separation anxiety issues and was extremely reluctant to go towards the garage and car. We set a program for Scout to deal with his separation anxiety issues and also help him over his car phobia.

Scout’s progress

Within a month Scout was no longer getting car sick and now can travel for 4 hours or longer without getting sick and without taking anything for car sickness. I tell this case study as often we forget that animals get stressed and anxious and this can lead to a lot of health issues. Sometimes once the emotional issues are under control the physical symptoms will disappear.

Jacqui, Scout’s owner now reports that he is so chilled in the car now that he goes to sleep after we’ve had a big walk. Jacqui can also leave him in the car if she needs to run into the shops, and he doesn’t chew anything – which was a big problem.

Pet Naturopath Australia. Cat and Dog Natural Remedies.

Healthy Pets Naturally was established by Patty Walcott in 2010.  Patty, a pet naturopath, specialises in treating cats and dogs with natural remedies and is a recognised practitioner in NSW of the Small Animal and Equine Natural Therapy Association.

Patty’s unique background in the pharmaceutical industry, coupled with her qualifications as a biochemist, Reconnective healer and small animal naturopath, means that pet owners can receive the care of their vet for acute conditions along with Patty’s guidance regarding alternative pet remedies to achieve a healthy, balanced natural diet, herbs and homeopathy for all conditions.

Natural pet treatments also cover physical therapies for rehabilitative care such as cat and dog massage (Equissage & CMT), underwater dog treadmill, Photonic Therapy (acupuncture), and animal reconnective healing.

Be sure to visit the case studies section of our website to read about our pet natural treatments and therapies used to successfully treat a broad range of dog and cat health issues.

In 2021, Patty closed her clinic on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and moved to the Sapphire Coast (South Coast, NSW).

Update:  At the end of 2022, Patty closed her books and is not offering consultations with new clients. This may change in the future and we apologise for any inconvenience. Patty is still working with existing clients.