Need Help With Moving (car sickness)

[PickleMeDickles]

So, I have 3 conures and Pickles my GCC gets violently ill as soon as you just put her in a car. It is pretty bad, gooey stringy stomach contents that fly all over the place and get all over poor pickles. She even dry heaves once her belly is empty.

We are now planning a move from So. Cal to Virginia. The 4 dogs and 3 birds will be traveling with us. I am just so nervous that such a long drive will make Pickles really sick. It's going to take 3-4 days of travel to get there and I can't just starve her during the 12-14 hours of daily travel. I usually limit her food intake about 3 hours before small trips (to the vet, etc) but she obviously can't go for food for 12-14 hours a day. I can't travel at night as I would definitely fall asleep and we would all die in some horrible accident.

Can anyone help me out with this one? Thanks in advance!

-Jen

 

[clark_conure]

first read this thread
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/71644-regular-travel-green-cheek-conure.html

I pointed out a few things I noticed.

I know you are moving from your ceiling light thread.

I don't know if there is a Dramamine version for parrots, I would guess not.

I would start today doing some short road trips.....acclimation....

in the end you gotta do what you gotta do.....But honestly I'd be curious if they get along better in a covered cage or better off on a shoulder the whole trip. Also......this (and I almost don't want to say this) but it might be a good time to clip your birds.....the trip, new house, you throwing up cause your bird threw up on your face, then your husband throws up um...could be a...well I don't have to spell it out.

 

[Flboy]

As said pratice short trips. Our Bongo was a puker too. For us, the fix was to let him see out the window.

 

[Kiwibird]

I'd contact you avian vet TBH. I'm pretty sure they'll either be able to prescribe something to help or recommend something for a case of car sickness that serious.

Adding on to FLboy's post about the window, as a human who gets queasy merely watching boats from land, I remember the time my parents dragged me as a kid on one of those tourist-y "sea fishing adventures" while on vacation. My agony was amplified X10 after being banished to puking in the bathroom by the tour guides where I had no visual frame of reference than puking off the side of the boat where I could occasionally glance up and see land. I can only imagine a parrot prone to car sickness experiencing a similar exacerbation of misery being in a carrier vs a small cage they could see out the window from.

 

[SailBoat]

As the term "SailBoat" refers, rocking and rolling is a fairly standard part of my life. Having dealt with more than a hundred Humans over the years who had become seriously ill and faced with hours before the salvation of being on solid land was possible, sending them below was the last thing I would do to or for them. Moving them to the center of the boat on the windward deck is the healthiest place for anyone in that position. The combination of seeing the Horizon and minimizing their feeling the rocking motion of the Boat can only help!

For Parrots, their being motion sick should be unheard of! The design of their head and placement of the ear opening and inter-structure is created to handle motions beyond normal driving. That of course is all based on their being able to see what they are feeling. Whether Birds, Animals or even Humans - being able to connect what is being felt by seeing it in context always helps.

With most Humans motion sickness is founded in the ears and without going into great detail, in many cases, it can be limited by any number of simply methods: medications, pressure point control, or diet. Not so true for Parrots as the choices are limited.

As so well stated above, allowing them to see out the window will help! Also, scheduled trips that may start with nothing more than sitting in the vehicle for extended time (and being able to see out the window). Then on to very short trips also tied to stilling in the vehicle, then onto longer trips.

If I understand you correctly and your Parrot is becoming ill by nothing more than loading it to the vehicle. You need to try to have your Parrot out of the cage quickly and see if that helps - as part of the just sitting high in the vehicle.

Always remember that Parrots are tied to us emotionally, so if others show sides of being uncomfortable, they will also be uncomfortable.

 

[Kiwibird]

As the term "SailBoat" refers, rocking and rolling is a fairly standard part of my life. Having dealt with more than a hundred Humans over the years who had become seriously ill and faced with hours before the salvation of being on solid land was possible, sending them below was the last thing I would do to or for them. Moving them to the center of the boat on the windward deck is the healthiest place for anyone in that position. The combination of seeing the Horizon and minimizing their feeling the rocking motion of the Boat can only help!

For Parrots, their being motion sick should be unheard of! The design of their head and placement of the ear opening and inter-structure is created to handle motions beyond normal driving. That of course is all based on their being able to see what they are feeling. Whether Birds, Animals or even Humans - being able to connect what is being felt by seeing it in context always helps.

With most Humans motion sickness is founded in the ears and without going into great detail, in many cases, it can be limited by any number of simply methods: medications, pressure point control, or diet. Not so true for Parrots as the choices are limited.

As so well stated above, allowing them to see out the window will help! Also, scheduled trips that may start with nothing more than sitting in the vehicle for extended time (and being able to see out the window). Then on to very short trips also tied to stilling in the vehicle, then onto longer trips.

If I understand you correctly and your Parrot is becoming ill by nothing more than loading it to the vehicle. You need to try to have your Parrot out of the cage quickly and see if that helps - as part of the just sitting high in the vehicle.

Always remember that Parrots are tied to us emotionally, so if others show sides of being uncomfortable, they will also be uncomfortable.

Are you someone who takes tourists out on fishing trips? I do wonder why some people have such a horrendous reaction and others don't? I start to feel slightly sick sitting on a pool float lol. The guys who owned the boat and my dad and the other tourists were just catching so many fish they didn't want to pack it in early on account of a seasick kid. On the bright side, by a few hours in, I was only semi-conscious and didn't care I was lying on a disgusting fishing boat bathroom floor wishing death to come swiftly! I can still see that bathroom to this day (it was about the size of an airplane bathroom and likely hadn't been cleaned in some time) *shudders*. I think I was so traumatized by my first experience on any form of boat it's almost psychosomatic now! I've told my husband no cruises, ever lol.

I had no idea parrots shouldn't be getting carsick. It seems to be a fairly common issue with them. Perhaps because people tend to put them in carriers?

 

[LordTriggs]

I used to get seasick but then that ended

I agree in thinking it's to do with the birds being in dark carriers most of the trip. A true travel cage with maybe a towel covering part of the cage in case they get scared might be an idea.

Also crazy though but maybe having the window open a crack to let air into the car may help too (only if they're in the cage of course!) I know I find when I get car sick that feeling the air helps me out

 

[plumsmum2005]

You could try some Ginger. A few slices offered the night before travel and some ginger extract in the drinking water. Make a tea with boiling water and 2 thin slices, allow to cool. You can also add thin slices to fresh foods.