Dog Boarding - What You Need to Know Before Boarding Your Dog

What should I consider when boarding my dog?

The most important thing to consider is whether your dog will be comfortable at the boarding facility. It should be clean, have good noise canceling to prevent barking from other dogs echoing throughout the facility. It should not smell badly. The first thing you need to do is visit the facility to ensure it's clean.

Dr. Meghan Denney
4 Paws at Fulshear Veterinary Clinic

Do we offer boarding options here at Four Paws at Fulshear?

No, we don't offer boarding here but we do work directly with several boarding facilities such as Waggin’ Tails, Canine Country Club, and Rover Oaks. We also have some clientele here who do in-home or house pet sitting.

Will my dog get active and social time while boarding?

It depends on where you board them. These are really good questions for you to ask the boarding facility. They should be able to tell you how often your dogs are going out for walks and potty breaks, etc.

What do I need to know about boarding at a veterinarian's office?

It's important to ensure that the staff are trained to recognize when something is wrong with your pet and that they have a direct line to the practice manager or the practice owner. You should ask about the qualifications and training of the kennel technicians.

What do I need to know about boarding in a pet hotel or resort?

Tour the facility, get to know their staff, watch them interact with the dogs they currently have there, and make sure the facility is clean. Ensure that all pets have access to food and water, and that they are prepared if a pet isn’t feeling well.

What do dog boarding facilities need to know about my dog?

It's important for pet owners to be aware of their pets' vaccination status, especially when planning a trip. This preparation should ideally begin a month or two in advance. Selecting a boarding facility often involves understanding the specific vaccines they require. Many boarding and grooming facilities have different requirements, including core vaccines like rabies and distemper-parvo.

Additionally, some facilities may require other vaccines such as Bordetella (kennel cough), Canine Influenza, Lyme, or Leptospirosis vaccines. It is the responsibility of the pet owner to inform us about the specific requirements of their chosen facility. Our role is to advise on the risks your pet faces and to ensure they receive their core vaccinations. While we provide recommendations based on current risks, we rely on owners to communicate any additional requirements from boarding or grooming facilities. Remember, these facilities may not always align with our recommendations.

What do veterinarians generally recommend for safe dog boarding?

Dogs should be let out and checked on at least three times a day, have free access to water all the time, and there should be health checks on every pet twice a day. Any deviations from normal behavior should be reported immediately.

What should I bring and how should I prepare when boarding my dog?

Bring their own food and if allowed, their own bedding. Also bring any necessary medications with instructions. Let them know what veterinary clinic your dog usually goes to.

If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (281) 801-1444, or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media Facebook, Instagram

Dog Boarding - FAQ

Dr. Meghan Denney
4 Paws at Fulshear Veterinary Clinic

What are some reasons why I wouldn't be able to board my dog?

Any patient that is currently battling an illness, like if your dog has just been hospitalized for a few days for bloody diarrhea or vomiting or has just had major abdominal surgery, these are times that I would not recommend boarding. If we've had a major life or health scare, I would recommend finding someone to stay with your dog 24-7, like an in-house pet sitter or a family member.

When considering boarding for a pet, especially one recovering from a life-threatening disease, major surgery, or a significant health scare, it's important to weigh the risks. While boarding facilities do their utmost to provide care and supervision, they often have multiple animals to look after, sometimes as many as twenty, forty, or even fifty dogs at a time. This high volume of pets can limit the amount of individual attention and immediate care each animal receives.

In such scenarios, if something were to go wrong with your pet's health, the staff might not be able to address it immediately due to their responsibility for other animals. Therefore, I generally advise against boarding pets in these sensitive health conditions. The risk of inadequate immediate care in the event of a health complication is a significant factor to consider. It's always best to ensure that pets recovering from serious health issues receive the focused and specialized care they need, which might be challenging in a standard boarding facility.

Will my dog be sad when I board them?

A certain amount of anxiety or sadness is to be expected. It really depends on the dog's personality. If they are going to be stressed or scared, then it's something to talk to your veterinarian about. We can discuss medications or other options like house-sitting or pet-sitting.

What do I do about dog boarding if my dog has anxiety?

There are a lot of anti-anxiety medications and holistic options that we can go through. These include an Adaptil collar that you can get on Amazon, calming canine pheromones or thunder shirts.

What will the boarding facility do in case of an emergency?

If it's during business hours, they should contact your regular veterinarian. If it's outside business hours, then it is their responsibility to get them to a veterinary emergency clinic.

When considering a boarding facility for your pets, an important question to ask is about their after-hours care and monitoring. It's crucial to know who will be checking on the animals outside of regular business hours. I'm particularly fond of boarding facilities that have incorporated the use of cameras, allowing pet owners to check in on their animals remotely. This feature provides an added layer of reassurance, as you can visually confirm your pet's well-being anytime.

As someone who is deeply attached to my pets, I understand the desire to be constantly aware of their status. If I were to board my animals, I would likely be frequently monitoring them through such cameras. This kind of vigilance is akin to being a 'helicopter mama' for pets. Since I don't have children, my animals are like my surrogate kids, making their safety and comfort my top priority. The ability to have eyes on them at all times, even when I'm not physically present, is an idea I strongly advocate for and appreciate in pet boarding services.

What questions should I be asking a boarding facility?

You should ask about their vaccine requirements, how much activity the dogs get, how often they are checked on, and what their contingency plans are. For instance, what if something floods? What if there's an emergency? What if they can't reach you? Make sure they have authorization to seek treatment for your pet up to a certain dollar amount that you're comfortable with while they're trying to get ahold of you.