One industry that has grown quite a bit in recent years is the secondary pet care business. According to data from Dogster, there are as many as 9000 kennels in the U.S. and Canada. There are also 35,000 pet sitters. That means that, even if you’re in a fairly remote area, chances are you’ve got quite a few choices when it comes to finding someone to care for Fido when you’re away or occupied. Boarding can be a great way to make sure that your pet is healthy, comfortable, and well taken care of. However, it’s important to choose the right kennel and take a few precautions to help ensure that all goes well. Read on as a local Slidell, LA vet offers some tips for boarding your dog.
Stay On Top Of Wellness Care
This is one of the few pieces of advice that applies to all of our patients. Keeping up with your canine pal’s veterinary care needs is critical even if you aren’t planning to board him. Kennels generally require that Fido be current on his core vaccines, which would include canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis and rabies. Reputable kennels will also require Bordetella and parvovirus.
Making sure that your pet stays current on these will not only protect him from dangerous diseases, but will also make things easier on you, especially if you were ever to need to board your dog at the last minute for an unexpected trip or emergency.
Research Boarding Facilities
Simply doing a bit of very basic research can go a long way towards choosing the right fit. It may be easy to just search for something like “dog boarding near me” or “canine boarding near me.” However, it may be well worth your while to go a bit further for a great kennel.
You’ll want to take a look at the possibilities. Read reviews and look the kennel’s website over. When you have it narrowed down, ask to tour the facility. You’ll want to check for a few things. The areas should be clean and climate controlled, with separate areas for dogs and cats.
Another thing to look at is how secure the facility is. Outdoor areas should be escape-proof, with sturdy walls or fences.
Cleanliness is also a big one. You probably shouldn’t expect a kennel to be spotless, but it should be clean and odor-free.
Emergency Instructions
Kennels all have slightly different policies and procedures, especially for emergencies. Some places may require you to clarify what they are authorized to do: others may simply follow their own best practices. Just make sure that you are clear on the policies. You may also want to find out if they have a veterinarian on staff or if they work with a specific animal clinic.
Consider A Boarding Trial
We always recommend doing a dry run. In this case, that would mean booking a short overnight stay. This is helpful for both you and your canine pal. Fido will be more comfortable when he comes back to the kennel if he’s already stayed there and knows that you picked him up again. This is particularly important for pups with separation anxiety. You can’t exactly explain to your dog that you just have to go away for a bit. If Fido has been rehomed before, he may get pretty depressed and nervous. Helping him start to see his kennel as his home away from home can make this much easier on him.
Ask All The Questions
It’s important for you to be clear on what the kennel will and won’t do, what your pet’s daily doggy schedule will look like, and what your options are as far as things you can decide on.
Here are a few things we would recommend checking about:
- How Far in Advance Should I Book?
- Can I Take a Tour Of The Kennel?
- Are The Kennel Owners and Staff Certified?
- How Often Are the Kennels Cleaned?
- When Will My Dog Be Fed?
- How Often Will Fido Be Walked?
- How Often Are Water Bowls Cleaned/Filled?
- Is There Climate Control?
- What Extras Do You Offer?
- Do You Vet The Dogs In Your Care?
- Verify Your Backup Contact
Kennels generally ask clients to provide a secondary contact, someone they can reach out to if something happens and they can’t get a hold of you. This is actually a pretty important choice for you to make. After all, this person may be authorized to make decisions about Fido’s care, including the type and amount of veterinary care he may receive if he were to be ill or injured.
This should be someone you trust, someone who you also know will follow your wishes and act in both your best interests and your pet’s. Have a conversation with this person and make sure they know when you are leaving. It’s also a good idea to have them add the kennel contact information to their phone. That way, if the kennel needs to reach out to them, they’ll know it isn’t a scam call or telemarketer.
Provide Necessary Information
Every dog is a bit different. If there’s anything the kennel needs to know about Fido, be sure to be clear about it. You don’t necessarily need to tell the kennel about the fact that your dog is obsessed with squirrels or is afraid of your cat, but they should know if he is fearful of storms or has issues with resource guarding. Of course, you’d also need to be very, very clear about any medical issues he has. This information really should be provided both verbally and in written form.
Pack Properly
You’ll need to prepare a ‘doggy bag’ for your canine pal in advance of boarding him. Ideally, you’d want to bring a few comfort items as well. Fido would probably appreciate having his favorite toy. It may be helpful to leave a tee shirt that smells like you for your pet to snuggle up with when you’re gone.
You’ll also want to find out about any requirements they have for bringing food. You may need to divide kibble into small plastic ziplock bags and label them with the date and your furry friend’s name. (Tip: pack a bit of extra food, just in case.)
Hold Off On Dietary Changes
Changes in your furry friend’s diet should always be done slowly, over the course of several days. If you’ve been thinking of switching Fido to a different diet, hold off. No matter how great your pet’s kennel is, he’ll be a bit uneasy being away from home, and will need to settle in. That alone is enough to cause some stomach upset. You don’t want to compound the matter by tossing a new diet into the mix. Wait until Fido is back at home.
Consider Boarding With Your Slidell, LA Vet
There are some very clear advantages to boarding at Fido’s veterinary clinic. The staff will already have your pup’s medical records, and will be familiar with any conditions or needs he has. This can also make for easy one-stop shopping.
Schedule Boarding At Our Slidell, LA Dog Kennel
Do you need to schedule boarding for your canine companion? Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time. We are dedicated to taking excellent care of our furry wards.
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