zylkene for car stress

I am taking Densil to the vets for a consultation on whether we can get some zylkene for his car stress. He really gets very stressed in the car - he cries, pants and squeals if the window wipers come on. We tried sensitising him gradually to the car and this did not work and in fact we no longer have a car. We also tried adaptil spray and thundershirts and they don't work either, and he has also had a blanket over a cage which didn't stop the noise. He has to go by car when he goes to his foster holiday home and I was told that last time he actually chewed through the seatbelt. Just wondering if anybody else has tried this. Also thinking about getting some pet rescue remedy drops which I understand you can put on his paws and ears.

Sorry I have not heard of this I'm sure someone here will have though. Rocky can be a bit stressy in the car. If we go on a long drive we use the Adaptil spray which seems to work to him.

Sorry I've not heard of it either, we use adaptil too for long journey's which seems to help calm darcy, I'm sure someone will be along shortly who can help

These are meant to be really good for stress in different situations including the car

http://www.manorpharmacy.co.uk/veterinary-medicines-c173/dogs-c176/stress-and-anxious-dogs-c198/dorwest-herbs-scullcap-and-valerian-p7624

We used Zylkene in the kennels that I worked in previously, to be honest I saw no effect from it whatsoever.. but these dogs were all stressed to their eyeballs and it may be different for a dog in a settled home environment. However, as far as I know they have to be taken for quite a while to have any effect at all so he'd probably have to take them all of them time and they're pretty expensive. They are no way strong enough for any kind of panic or real stress IMO.. like fireworks night for example. They're supposed to contain a derivative of the millk protein that a mother would provide to pups.. hense supposedly bringing a calming effect.

What did you do in regards to sensitizing him to the car?

Rachel33 wrote:We used Zylkene in the kennels that I worked in previously, to be honest I saw no effect from it whatsoever.. but these dogs were all stressed to their eyeballs and it may be different for a dog in a settled home environment. However, as far as I know they have to be taken for quite a while to have any effect at all so he'd probably have to take them all of them time and they're pretty expensive. They are no way strong enough for any kind of panic or real stress IMO.. like fireworks night for example. They're supposed to contain a derivative of the millk protein that a mother would provide to pups.. hense supposedly bringing a calming effect.

What did you do in regards to sensitizing him to the car?

When we had a car we tried taking him for short journeys and letting him have a nice walk at the end of it - my husband used to sit in the back seat with him. Didn't seem to help much though and as we no longer have a car we can no longer do that. As I said we have tried thundershirt, adaptil spray and wood green even put him in a crate with a blanket over it (when we was out on foster with us) but they said he was still noisy. He is due to go on his barking mad holiday and the lady who collects him says she has to pay somebody else to come with her to try and keep him calm as on one occasion he chewed through her rear seatbelt. I was thinking of trying the rescue remedy drops and will see what vet says about other methods of calming. I don't want him to be on tablets all the time just for when we want to go away on holiday once or twice a year.

Zylkene is very expensive, especially from the Vet.

Have you thought of Bach Rescue Remedy? I used this for Harry and it worked
a treat. Whatever you use once they get used to travelling in the car and
realise its not that bad you wont need to use anything.

Ledger got to the point where he would refuse to get into the car I have moved him forward to the back seat with a seatbelt and he will now get in atleast. He is vocal but I think it's excitement more than fear as adaptil rescue remedy etc have no effect

Well took him to the vets today and he has given him a 2 week trial of zylkene and I have to start giving it to him a week before he goes on his car journey and see how it goes. He did say it might not work and so we might have to think about something else if not. I am also going to try rescue remedy as well. Unfortunately cannot get him acclimitise to car journeys now as we do not have a car any more, so the only time he travels in one is when he goes on his hols to his foster home.

Well, we put Densil on the zylkene a week before he went on hols - 1 capsule a day in his food. On the day of travel I gave him 4 drops of rescue remedy and sprayed his quilt with DAP. I was told that he was a little quieter on the journey. During his stay he continued on the zylkene and was given the rescue remedy before coming home. This time he was quiet for most of the journey - about 40 minutes, and only started making a noise when he got to our town and recognised where he was. So will definately use it next time he goes away and may start giving him it a little bit earlier.

That's good to hear thank you for the up date, it's very useful to know about things that really do work.

That's great

Problem is I'm not sure if it was the zylkene or the rescue remedy which worked, and it wasn't 100% effective but at least it helped quite a bit, so will definitely use this combination again. Problem is he only goes in the car once or twice a year now to go on his hols, so he won't get the chance to get used to it.

Just to update on the zylkene, which the vet gave Densil. He weighs 21kg and was given 225mg daily dose - to start a week before he travels. When I researched it there are 3 sizes 75mg, 225mg and 450mg. The 225mg is for dogs between 10/20kg and the 450mg for dogs over 20kg. It also recommends 5mg per kg of body weight. I mentioned to the vet that it looks like Densil should be on 300mg a day and asked if it was ok to give him a 225mg and 75mg to round the dose up, and this is what he has given me this time. Next time Densil goes for his hols in the car, i will give an update as to how he was to see if the increased dose makes any difference. Will still use Bachs rescue remedy as well.

I have used Zylkene and my boy is a little over the 20kg, and the Vet
prescribed 450mg.  I was told that I could double up on a day when I
thought extra help might be needed and there would be no side effects.

You can buy it safely on line a lot cheaper than at the Vets.

 I have also had 'stressess' or scullcap and valerian recommended to me but haven't
tried them (much cheaper).  I swear by rescue remedy and used it during the recent
thunder storms.

Densil has been off on his "barking mad" holiday again. I gave him 300mg of zylkene for a week before and then 450g on the day of travel. I also gave him 4 drops of rescue remedy in the morning and another 4 drops an hour before he was due to go in the car. They tell me he was a lot better - he huffed and puffed a bit and even layed down, which is a lot better than before as he would really cry and get stressed out. They are bringing him back tomorrow so hopefully it will go just as well.