Home Away From Home: A Valuable Pet Boarding Experience | Schertz Animal Hospital

Whether you are leaving home for work or pleasure, knowing what to do with your pet while you’re away can be a valid concern. Sure, your pet may prefer to stay at home in your absence, but he or she can get lonely, even if you have someone coming by for mealtimes and exercise a couple times a day. We truly appreciate pet sitters and dog walkers, but without constant supervision and interaction, you could be leaving your pet’s health and wellbeing in the balance while you are separated.

What to do, what to do? Schertz Animal Hospital has the answers to all your pet boarding questions here.

A Word About Us

Our boarding facility is equipped to deal with – and anticipate – all of your pet’s needs. Pet owners rightfully worry about a pet’s ability to cope during a boarding experience, but we can assure you that each Schertz staff member is capable, sensitive, and understanding of a pet’s feelings while away from home, and away from his or her owner.

Dogs are walked three times every day, enclosures are cleaned twice daily, and we encourage cats to climb in our stimulating condos. We can happily board large animals, and facilitate interactions with other boarders used to the company of other pets.

Your pet will receive attention and affection throughout the day, any medications will be dosed accurately and on schedule, and examinations or treatment by our medical staff, if needed. Knowing that any health issues will be dealt with immediately by one of our professionals hopefully eases the prime concern many owners have about pet boarding.

Finally, you can treat your pet to extra services while boarding, such as:

• General shampooing
• Nail trimming
• Anal gland expression

Planning Ahead

If possible, we recommend that you bring your pet in for a general wellness check about a month in advance. We can go over:

• Pet boarding tips
• Vaccine schedule
• Parasite Prevention
• General wellness overview

Additionally, many pet owners wonder about the risk of parvo and kennel cough. Both illnesses certainly warrant serious concern, and exposure is possible among dogs sleeping and playing in close quarters. However, per our pet boarding policy, all dogs must be vaccinated to protect against both Canine Parvovirus and Canine Adenovirus-2, which can lead to kennel cough, in addition to Rabies and Distemper.

Sniffing Around

While you are here for the general exam, we suggest that you bring your pet over to our pet boarding area for a tour. Allow him or her to take it all in, one sniff at a time, and offer reassurance the entire time. Creating a positive connection to the pet boarding experience may be a tremendous boon on your drop-off date.

Pet Boarding Checklist

To make your departure as seamless as possible, remember to do the following in advance:

• Clearly label your pet’s medication with his or her name and dosage instructions.
• We do offer a specially formulated food that supports stressed pets, but if you’d like to supply your pet with his or her own food, you should also label it it clearly with portion instructions.
• Before you drop your pet off, offer him or her a small meal and play or exercise together.

Your own feelings will likely be picked and reflected by your pet, and if you feel jittery or scared, he or she may react in kind. Remain as relaxed as possible when you arrive, say goodbye, and leave quickly. A long, sad farewell will not start your pet’s boarding experience on the right foot.

Going Home!

When you pick up your pet, we’ll brief you on how he or she did while apart from you, and we can assist you with any concerns. After you get home, give him or her the affection you’ve both missed out on and allow for a few days to settle back into the routine.

Pet boarding answers the call to provide excellent, compassionate care to your pet while you’re away, and we hope you’ll call us with any questions.