Driving to Thanksgiving with a pet: restraint, records and the feast at the other end
Thanksgiving week sends millions of drivers onto the road, and plenty of pets ride along. The drive itself, the bags in the back seat and the dinner at the far end each carry their own risks. AVMA and ASPCA holiday guidance is worth reading before you load the car.
Buckle up the back seat
The AVMA's rule for any trip is restraint: a secure, fitted harness or an appropriately sized carrier, placed clear of airbags. Restraint protects the pet in a crash, prevents a dangerous driver distraction, and keeps a small animal out of tight spaces. A dog riding in a pickup bed needs a secured, ventilated kennel - never loose. The ASPCA adds: a crate or harness every ride, and no head out the window.
Bags are a poisoning risk on wheels
The ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center logs repeated cases of pets ingesting things inside vehicles: gum with xylitol, a sweetener that can cause life-threatening low blood sugar and liver damage; medications left in purses and bags, even fresh pharmacy pickups; cigarettes and chewing tobacco; and windshield wiper fluid. In one case, a dog chewed into a horse's arthritis medication left in a car and spent days hospitalized. The fix is mundane: bags zipped, medications stowed, nothing chewable on a seat.
Crossing state lines can mean paperwork
The AVMA notes that a pet may need a health certificate from a veterinarian when you cross state or international borders, by land as well as by air. Check the rules for every state on your route, and book the appointment early enough that the certificate lands inside the required window. Boarding instead? Ask your veterinarian about vaccines and contagious-disease protection.
The feast is not for the dog
The AVMA's Thanksgiving guidance is blunt. Fatty foods are hard for animals to digest, and even a little gravy, dressing or poultry skin and fat can cause pancreatitis. Poultry bones can choke or block the digestive tract. Onions, raisins and grapes are poisonous. Plain, boneless, skinless turkey in a small portion is generally safe; dessert is not - pumpkin pie can contain toxic ingredients, chocolate is harmful, xylitol can be deadly, and uncooked yeast dough can cause painful gas and bloating. To share, make or buy a treat made for pets.
Trash, doors and the guest shuffle
Turkey carcasses, bones and related trash belong in a tightly secured bag in a closed container outdoors or behind a securely closed door, the AVMA says. Watch the exits while guests come and go, give a nervous pet a separate room or a crate with a favorite toy, and keep tags and microchip registration current. If a pet may have eaten something it should not, call a veterinarian or emergency clinic right away; ASPCA Poison Control (888-426-4435) and the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) take calls, and a fee may apply.
After the visit
Note the date, the route, what your pet managed to eat and how they seemed on the ride home. Dated notes in PawLine make next year's trip easier to plan.
Questions about this guide
Is a little turkey from the table okay?
Plain, boneless, skinless turkey in a small portion is generally safe, per the AVMA. Skip the skin, gravy, dressing and bones entirely, and keep desserts - chocolate, pumpkin pie, anything sugar-free - off the menu. A treat made for pets is the safer way to include them.
Do I need paperwork to drive my dog into another state?
Possibly. The AVMA says a health certificate from a veterinarian may be required when crossing state lines, whether you travel by land or air. Check the requirements of each state on your route and schedule the certificate within the timeframe the destination requires.
What if my pet eats something at the gathering?
Call your veterinarian or a veterinary emergency clinic right away. You can also call ASPCA Poison Control at 888-426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 - a fee may apply. Watch for sudden behavior changes, depression, discomfort or pain, vomiting or diarrhea.