As a vet I completely understand why someone might have to rely on a kennel to manage their dogged lives. Not every dog nor every home is amenable to a pet-sitter’s ministrations. Friends and family can be flaky or non-existent. I understand.
Where I live there are NO high-end kennels. I`ve even considered opening one, given my vet degree and avocational drive. What I lack is funds. ( I’m open to investors should you have cash to throw my way.) The majority of my area’s kennels are dirty, out-dated, kennel-cough breeding, tick-ridden facilities. (I’m so going to get into trouble for saying this.)
How about vet hospitals? After working at several hospitals that boarded pets I swore I’d never again work in one that did. Even in the nicest, supposedly spa-themed vet environments, the pets are inevitably exposed to the sickies, stuck in loud runs, walked by harried staff needing to get back to the hospitalized cases, etc. I’m sure it’s not like this everywhere but boarders at vet hospitals almost never get the attention they deserve. (Not to mention a separate air-handling unit from that which flows through the sick wards—an essential, IMHO.)
Why am I so critical? Because I, too, suffer from the where-do-I-leave-my-dog-when-I-go-out-of-town syndrome. Where do I leave her? Home is not home for her without me—she comes with me everywhere. My parents have a pool—French bulldogs don’t swim. It depresses me to leave her at work—who will love her in the evening? Leave her at a kennel? In Miami? No way! What’s a devout pet lover to do?
Akin to leaving children behind, the process of traveling becomes far more guilt-ridden when we leave our pets. Are you one of those people who shows off your pet pics to your airplane row partner? Me, too. How embarrassing!
What would it take to find a place ideally suited to my pet? Here’s my list:
1-Separate dog and cat facilities (no barking dogs in earshot of cats).
2-Noise dampening indoor spaces so dogs don’t lose their hearing while they’re boarded (this does happen, you know).
3-Non-communicating indoor spaces (no confined nose-to-nose interactions possible).
4-No indoor rooms with more than ten roommates per space (limit transmission of pathogens).
5-Outdoor dog play several times a day with roommates only (no dogs from other rooms).
6-One full-time, dedicated staff member per 20 boarders.
7-Strict flea and tick policy upon entry (mandatory pre-stay inspection; parasitacides only if absolutely necessary).
8-No unnecessary vaccine requirements (DHPP and rabies annually? Come on, it’s 2006—we know better).
9-At least two dedicated isolation wards for puppies or boarders flagged for potential infection.
10-On call veterinarian and one certified technician on duty for daily physicals (part-time is OK).
11-Comfy sleepy spaces with clean bedding.
12-Separate air-handling units for every 20 boarders.
13-Cool outdoor environment or indoor play area.
14-Online visual access to pets for concerned parents.
15-Staff on-site 24-hours.
OK so this is my dream kennel. What would that cost per night, you ask? I don’t know but I’m willing to pay at least $75 a night for something that comes anywhere close to this. At that price it makes me think twice about going out of town. But at least it offsets my reluctance to travel otherwise.
Mini four-posters and home-cooked meals? Bone-shaped pools and Animal Planet 24-7? Victorian exteriors and manicured grounds? Bed-time stories? No thank you. I tend to think these comforts are superfluous gimmicks geared towards parents, not pets. If I want perks I’ll hope for hurricane-proof windows and an outdoor misting system.
Ultimately, what I want for my dog is personal attention, health and safety. But then I’m a vet so perhaps my priorities are a bit skewed.
What would it take to make YOU comfortable leaving your beloved at a kennel?
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The last kennel I put my dog into was sold as a "doggie hotel." They had basically backyard sheds (the same size I keep my lawnmower and a work bench and other yard stuff in) with a 10 x 10 run with 8 foot fence Per Dog. In each of the sheds (big enough to where I can walk into upright and even an Irish wolfhound can spread out without touching walls) they had a radio set to whatever music gets listened to around the home and a 2 x 5 foot bed 6 inchess off the ground. I was allowed to bring my own bedding or dog bed to put on this. I was encouraged to bring her toys. There was a charge for if I wanted to give her our food from home, and another charge for medication (she takes glucosamine). I can't remember the other extras. They had 8 of these "hotel rooms" and only charged me $25/night.They live on the property in a house with a fenced yard around all of these, and promised to Mind, this is the middle of no where upstate NY. When we picked her up a week later, I learned that she had made friends with the family dogs (3 or so) when she was allowed romp in the yard time, and they took her into the house and let her sleep on their bed and basically live with them. She didn't have any trauma like she normally does when we try to kennel her. It was an hour drive to get there from here, and well worth the trip.
My last friend who "looked in on her to let her out in the middle of the day" when we were gone only 12 hours apparently set off her nervousness- there was poo every where when we got home. There'd have been less if no one had looked in on her during that time, but we don't do that.
Georg October 24th, 2006 06:30:00 AM
I've been fortunate enough to have a friend who does some pet-sitting. She either comes here to stay or takes my dogs to her apartment. She prefers the latter; however, now that my dogs are older, I'm not comfortable with them doing a full flight of exterior stairs in our rainy winters. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next time I leave home.
Your recommendations overall sound very good to me, esp. the bit about not requiring flea/parasite stuff unless they're needed and being reasonable on the vaccinations, too.
I want a place that will feed them their regular food (I'll package it in individual servings, no problem), get them outside for fresh air at least a couple of times a day, and let my two share a run (that means it has to be a pretty big run). I want staff that appear to like and understand dogs. Given my dogs' ages (12 and nearly 11), I'd just as soon they spend time in a space with mostly older dogs who aren't jumping around or barking frantically much/all of the time. I also am unwilling to further vaccinate them.
kabbage October 25th, 2006 12:01:00 AM
I board my girls in a "luxury suite" at a kennel/training facility that sits on a few acres. They had a twin bed to sleep on, a seperate room with a couch and TV that had a door leading to the lobby. The door had a window in it, so they could even look out into the lobby- and through the windows outside. It was actually their renovated office- so in addition to a daily walk they got attention anytime someone wanted a drink. They would have had yardtime as well- but both would have jumped the fence. Ended up costing around $40.00 a dog, and well worth it IMO. Hopefully we'll be accepted again...seeing as one of my little darlings got the door open one night and they had a feast of the dog treats for sale in the lobby! LOL
Amanda October 25th, 2006 10:14:00 AM
I`m also big on having pets receive their regular diets. I see so many cases of gastroenteritis and pancreatitis after boarding that I always recommend owners bring the pets food and demand the kennel feed only that.
Dr. Patty Khuly October 25th, 2006 10:59:00 AM
Both my dogs each have a "god parent" that is responsible for keeping them if I have to go out of town. It's great to have friends with dogs. However on one occasion, one of my dogs did have to be boarded overnight. Living in Baton Rouge , LA I did not think I could find a nice kennel but I found a great "pet hotel" run by a vet.
The vet is on call 24/7. The dogs have a enclosed room with their own bed and TV. The rooms were smaller than I would like but much bigger than a regular kennel. They fed Budda her regular good and administered her glucosamine. You could even pay extra and get a doggy massage. Also all dogs were given a kennel cough vaccination when they came in. Here is their website.
http://www.petzplaza.com/
Maybe it can help you get some ideas.
Emily October 25th, 2006 07:41:00 PM
Thanks, Emily!
Sounds like a great place!
The only thingI'd add is that I believe in the importance of allowing a two-week window between vaccination and boarding. That's how long the manufacturer's literature states that the Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine requires to be fully active (create a high enough antibody level for protection). I do believe the vaccine is a great addition to any boarded pet's vaccine protocol, though I don't administer it to all pets. Remember, though, that this vax needs to be administered every six months to confer ideal immunity (much shorter than most). The intranasal version, however, is much safer, as it provides local immunity (in the airways) and doesn't require the entire body to mount an immune response--always a plus in my book as it means far fewer life-threatening reactions.
Dr. Patty Khuly October 25th, 2006 09:40:00 PM
WOW! I just found your site. I love it! I've read medical blogs for a good while now - never occured to me to look for vet blogs...how could I not think of that!?!
Keep up the good stuff.
Jan
(otherwise known as Surgeon in my Dreams)
Jan October 26th, 2006 10:02:00 AM
I found it!
What you describe is exactly the place where we board our Weimaraner and Shepherd/Foxhound mix.
Bed and Bones in Highland, Maryland (http://www.bedandbones.com) charges between $27 and $33 a night, based on the dogs weight. She does board cats, but they are in a separate facility and not physically accessible to the dogs. She lives on-site and only accepts a maximum of 10 dogs at a time. Rabies and Bordatella are required, but that's it on the vaccinations. Every dog has to come interview for a temperament test, and she reserves the right to not board any dog that fails the temperament test.
The dogs are not kenneled except when they eat. They are kept together and go out as a group for 2 hours at a time, then 2 hours inside. A vet that is less than 5 minutes up the road is always on call. And dogs are recommended to be on a flea/tick preventative.
The only thing she doesn't have (yet) is a webcam. Because she lives in the country, high speed Internet is difficult to get in her location.
Rob October 26th, 2006 04:15:00 PM
After a horrendous experience leaving our 3 cats to be cared for by friends (we came home after a week to find that they were all fatally dehydrated) we knew that there was no way that we'd ever leave our animals to be cared for in our home again - no matter how trustworthy everyone appeared. We're really really lucky to have a safe and loving place to board the dogs; a place where they are treated like family, but where medical needs/illnesses are respected and treated responsibly. I wish everybody and their family members could have the same experience...
Erika October 27th, 2006 12:10:00 PM
So far, I've been lucky that we have local friends who are willing to take care of Fudge when we're out of town. They have two dogs of their own, and the three dogs get along really well, so I don't have to worry about how things go while I'm gone.
I did look into some kennels in my area because I wasn't sure if our friends would be around during Christmas this year (turns out they will be, so no need to find a kennel anymore). I live in the SF Bay Area, so there are actually a lot of "dog hotel" type kennels--there's a big demand for those types of places in this area. They all seem pretty expensive though, even though it would be worth it for the playtime. Some of the places will even accept unvaccinated or minimally vaccinated dogs with veterinary recommendation. And all dogs have to go through a temperment test, which I fully support.
Janine October 28th, 2006 02:46:00 AM
The title of your articile...Why My Dog Will Never Be Kenneled, sans the (just anywhere) is all about me. My husband and I are taking separate vacations. (We each visit our respective families without the other. This has caused strife, especially with his grandkids.)
Here are a few of my issues...(You'd need a book to cover them all...). My male dog has, on rare occasions, been aggressive with other male dogs (at the dog park) and vice versa. My sister's incredibly feisty, sometimes aggressive and protective Havanese female also caused some difficulty. Then there's Gracie. I'm concerned that my female, playful, anxious, sweet and gentle dog might be hurt by another dog.
So, while I think that the above is credible, I also think that we bring to our animals (and children) our life experiences. I'm sure that I'm co-dependent, have abandomnent issues,etc., etc., and so on.
And, I also think it's harder to find friends to care for 2 bigger dogs.
I'm at a loss. FYI, I'm highly functioning, professional ( dog-nut), and non-nut who lives in Miami.
Janet (Cody and Gracie's mom) October 28th, 2006 01:48:00 PM
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