Boarding Kennels – Discover the Best One For Your Pet

By Kristen Nelson, D.V.M.

With summer around the corner, it is time to find a comfortable place for your pet while you are on vacation. You want to know your pet is safe and well cared for in your absence. But how do you find a good boarding kennel? How do you make sure your pet is happy so you may enjoy a guilt-free vacation? The answer is simple, do homework in advance.

Kennel Design

Before booking a reservation, take a tour of the boarding kennel. Pay close attention to the number of barriers between the animal holding area and the outdoors. I like to see at least one set of self-closing doors between the animal areas and the front door. If a dog slips its leash, they usually run to where they entered the building. Ask about the security system. Does the facility have smoke detectors? If smoke is detected, will it automatically activate sprinklers? Unfortunately, kennel fires do occur so every precaution must be taken to protect the animals inside.

Look at the layout for species-specific rooms. I prefer separate cat, dog and exotic areas. Each may be customized to reduce stress and provide behavioral enrichment. Cats especially benefit from not sharing their space with a pack of yapping dogs. Make sure there are solid partitions between animal cages or runs to prevent fights and disease transmission. A chain-link fence is not an adequate barrier between runs. I have treated many dogs for injuries suffered through fence fights! The runs and cages should not face each other. From a dog’s perspective, direct, across the aisle eye contact is an aggressive gesture. Timid animals may feel threatened and aggressive ones might be stimulated. The face-to-face set up also permits disease transmission. If you see this manner of design, I suggest you find a different place for your pet.

Inspect the cages and runs for problems. Look for sharp edges, rusty bolts or other signs of disrepair. Does the cage give the animal enough room to stand, turn around and stretch out? If the answer is no, the space is inadequate for that animal. Spend the extra money to book a larger space. Most kennels clean the runs by hosing them towards a gutter or drain. Make sure the drain or gutter is covered and that the cover is fastened in place. I have treated dogs for paw injuries from stepping into an uncovered drain. I have also heard tragic stories about small pets falling into drains.

Outdoor Spaces

A sturdy wall should surround outdoor spaces used for exercising the animals. Points of entry should have double gates or doors to prevent accidental escapes. If animals are left outside unattended, the enclosure needs a roof as well. The roof will provide protection from the elements as well as protection from unwanted intruders. I treated a large cat who liked to sit on a balcony. A Great-horned owl swooped down and grabbed her. Thank goodness, the owl could not fly with the cat. He dropped the overweight feline in the pool and the cat survived.

Sanitation

As the saying goes, cleanliness is next to Godliness. The entire kennel, including outdoor enclosures, should be clean and free of strong odors. A powerful ammonia or disinfectant smell is a red flag. All cleaning products should be removed after use with thorough rinsing. Ask if the animals are removed from their run or cage for cleaning. If the answer is no, find a new kennel. In my view, reputable kennels remove the animal to prevent exposure to cleaning agents. When animals are left inside, they may suffer skin irritations, corneal ulcers and chemical burns on their paws. This actually happened to one of my own dogs.

Ask how many times per day the dogs are taken out for exercise. Most kennels exercise them twice a day, once in the morning and once around dinner time. In my opinion, this is not enough, especially for geriatric dogs. Check to see if the kennel will give your dog additional outs. I gladly pay extra to make sure my dog gets out at least three times per day. This is better for your pet and helps you attain a guilt-free vacation.

Vaccinations

To protect all the animals that stay at a facility, most kennels require up-to-date vaccinations. For dogs, they usually require rabies, some form of DA2PP and Bordetella. In addition, the kennel might require vaccinations for Leptospirosis, Giardia or Lyme disease if it is a problem in the area. I also recommend heartworm, flea and tick prevention prior to a kennel stay. For cats, most kennels require rabies, FVRCP and FELV vaccinations as well as FELV/FIV status. Animals without proper vaccinations should not be boarded. Note vaccines require two weeks to achieve efficacy! People who choose not to vaccinate should use an in-home pet-sitting service. Warn the pet-sitter that your animal is not protected so they take precautions to avoid transmitting a disease into your home.

Diet

Most kennels offer one standard canine and feline diet. If an animal develops diarrhea, they often switch to a bland diet as part of their standard operating procedure. If your pet requires a special diet, bring it with in a sturdy container. Clearly mark the container with the pet’s name, name of food, the number of feedings per day and the amount fed per meal. Exotic pet owners usually bring their own food. Instruct the staff about any special feeding or handling requirements. Similar rules apply for medications. For example, if you have a giant breed dog, ask the kennel to elevate the food and water bowls off the ground.

Behavioral Enrichment

Better kennels look out for a pet’s emotional and physical well-being. Some install video monitors in the kennels tuned to ‘Animal Planet’. Other’s play soothing music and provide toys, beds or snacks to make the time away from home pass more quickly. Cat wards often have an aquarium filled with brightly colored fish. I board my dog at a kennel with a swimming pool. Study the animals in the kennel. Their behavior will tell you volumes about the environment.

Staff

In my experience, a high rate of staff turnover is a bad sign when it comes to kennels. Ask your tour guide how long the staff has been employed at that location. The Pet Care Services Association, formerly known as the American Association of Boarding Kennels provides an accreditation program for facilities and personnel. Ask if both the staff and the kennel are certified. Some kennels display their certificates and awards behind the reception counter. You know your pet likes the kennel when they are happy to see the staff even though they would rather be at home.

Emergency Care

All kennels should work with a veterinarian to provide emergency care for their animal guests. Ask who the kennel works with and then check out the clinic’s reputation. If you are not satisfied request they consult your regular veterinarian in case of emergency.

Copyright 2009© Veterinary Creative, L.L.C. Permission is hereby granted for reproduction in whole or in part if credit is given to the author: Kristen L. Nelson, D.V.M.

Know More about Dog Kennels

Some people feel that dogs are meant to roam freely, and should not have to be subjected to staying in a dog kennel for any reason. However, one thing that dog behaviorists have learned is that dogs need a place they can think of as home. A dog is much happier and more secure when he has a place he can go to when he wants to rest, or when he’s in need of having some quiet time along. In fact, if you don’t provide such a place for your dog it is highly likely that he will ‘adopt’ a place of his own in any case, and it may not be somewhere you agree with.

A dog kennel is a good investment when you want the best for your pet and keeps them away from dangers or prevent others from harm, if your dog is aggressive. The best advantage is that your pet dog is free to run around and exercise with enough room to satiate its energies and look around. Make sure the kennel offers plenty of shelter and shade, and that it’s comfortable for your dog. Leave a blanket or mat in the kennel for the dog to rest on and make sure there’s always fresh water available for your dog.

You should never directly punish your dog by sending him to the kennel when he does something wrong. If you do this, he will associate the kennel with punishment. If your dog does something wrong, correct him for it firmly, show your displeasure and then end the discipline at that. A better course of action would be to firmly correct your dog, show him you’re not pleased with him, and perhaps send him to another spot for ‘time out’. That way you are still giving him the idea that he did something wrong, but still preserving the kennel as a good place to go. So, the first step in dog kennel training is to help your dog enjoy and like being in their kennel. After that you will find that it is easy to teach your dog other things, such as not to chew on the furniture, or to house-train your pet.

The basic essentials is to know how big your dog is, and how big your dog is going to get if he is a puppy. Depending on the purpose, a dog crate can be either very big or very small. If you are going to be using your dog crate mainly for potty training purposes, then make sure to get one that is just big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down in. Dogs will usually not “go” where they have to sleep; especially if there will be no other space left for lying down.

Think about the cleaning supplies you will need to invest in when purchasing your crate and kennel. Keeping these items clean is an absolute must.

Dog owners understand the importance of needing a place to house their dogs, as well as a place to put them when potty training and other essentials are a necessary. These items will make you a happier owner, and when you are happy, your dog is a reflection of that.

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