Thank you for considering us for your pet boarding needs. Below are the policies, procedures and daily routine that we observe, and which may be unique to us since we are primarily a veterinary hospital. We will do the best we can to offer a pleasant and comfortable stay while your pet is with us. PLEASE NOTE we are not accepting new clients for boarding at this time. Boarding is limited to existing, well-known clients/patients with a history of medical issues.
General care
- In general the staff have been directed to treat all animals as if they were our pets. This sets a basic routine for feeding, safety, exercise and cleanliness. During your pet’s stay we monitor your pet’s eating, drinking, urination, and defecation. If we notice your animal is not acting as expected and we suspect it is sick we do have a staff veterinarian who will examine and possibly treat the condition. Should this occur we may try to reach you if additional permissions are required for the health of your animal.
- As a general rule all animals are fed twice per day. This includes at least one water change (more if needed). We provide in-house diets that animals tend to eat well and that promote digestive and overall health while your animal is staying with us. If you bring specific food for us to feed we will do so, but reserve the right to change the diet if it is needed.
- At check-in any specialty items, foods, toys, and treats are discussed, labeled, and instructions written onto our boarding sheets. Animals tend to destroy their toys, beds, collars and harnesses during boarding and we will remove them if chewing is seen. If your animal destroys it we will give it back to you in pieces for you to discard if you request for us do so. We do this for two reasons: one, to show that it was destroyed, and two, to allow the owner the ability to keep, repair, or discard as they see fit.
- In order to board cats or dogs, we require all vaccinations be current and veterinary proof of this needs to be provided to us by the owner (we do not obtain these records for you). If they are not current your animal will be examined and vaccinated and you will be charged.
- Your pet will be checked for the presence of parasites, and will be treated if parasites are found or seen.
- Regarding medications, we will provide medications to your pet but only if the instructions are clear, and the medications are provided in the bottles with the veterinary prescription label on them. Do not bring us large containers with mixed medications in them and expect us to figure it out. We will not, and they won’t be given. Any questionable, off-label, homeopathic, “alternative” or dangerous “owner-prescribed” meds will likely not be given.
- It is forbidden for staff to walk animals outside of the fenced grounds as a matter of safety for both staff and animal. Owners who are “visiting” their boarding pets must also walk inside the fenced grounds. If they want to walk elsewhere the bill must be settled and the animal discharged to their care.
Dog care
- Dogs are walked approximately four times daily, with the last daily walk around 5:45pm. The length of the walk varies between dogs as some require more and others require less exercise. All dogs are walked on a leash, using our equipment during these walks. Only dogs we know and trust will be allowed to be off leash, and that will only be in the front pasture and it will be supervised. We do not let boarding dogs play together unless both owners understand and accept the possible consequences and sign for permission. If your dog likes to play, let us know and we will try to fit playtime in.
- If you do not bring or specify a certain diet for your pet we feed all dogs a combination of wet and dry food, typically a higher-end prepared wet and an intestinal support dry. We do not provide in-house treats for dogs as a matter of routine.
- Dogs often get diarrhea while boarding, and staff are trained and prepared for this eventuality. Generally what occurs is the dog is moved to a clean kennel or ward, is given a superficial cleaning (often bath to be scheduled later if it is needed), and the diet slightly reduced. If the diarrhea progresses to require veterinary attention, our staff veterinarian will examine and treat as required. Permission to do this is obtained at check-in and only conducted if our experienced staff become worried.
Cat care
- Cats can be particular during boarding. Often cats won’t eat or eliminate for the first day or so. If this progresses past 48 hours, it will trigger a veterinary exam and treatment. This could change your animal from boarding to hospitalization and generate additional charges.
- We use compostable litter for all cats and it is cleaned or changed twice per day at minimum.
- Cats seem to prefer having a bed with their scent on it or a place to hide while they are here. If we suspect that, we will try to provide them what they appear to want.