Pets and Vacations

When going away on vacation, often the question comes up of what to do with the family pet.  This can be a stressful situation for many.  There are a couple of options and the best option depends on your animals specific needs.  Some pets just can’t be alone while others do just fine.  One option is pet boarding.  This is where you take your pet to a boarding facility and staff takes care of them while your gone.  There are many to choose from but do your homework on this!  Do they have good references? Go and take a tour of the establishment.  Are they clean?  Do the pets have fresh water available to them?  Something soft to lay on?  How often do they get walked?  Do they require all pets to be fully vaccinated?  Is there staff on board at all times?  One very good question to ask is “IF your pet gets sick while staying at the boarding facility, who will pay for the veterinary costs associated with the stay?”  This is a common issue with boarding facilities and its in your best interest to know the facts on this.  It happens more than you may think.  Vaccinations like the Bordetella Vaccine are very important because it helps keep your pet protected while being boarded.

Another option is a pet-sitter.  Some pet-sitters will come in and “house-sit” as well as pet sit.  Which means they stay at your house while you are gone.  Not only do they care for your pet, but they also care take care of other house hold chores for you.  This is a great way to go but again, check all references.  You have to be able to trust this person in your home as well as care for your pet.  So do your homework on this!

Having a pet-sitter come in once or twice a day to take care of your pet is another option.  This is great for those pets that do well being on their own.  The sitter comes in and feeds, checks water and checks on the pet.  This is nice because your pet is at home and moves about as usual.  Check references!

Some sitters can bring your pet to their home for pet boarding   This is a nice option as you don’t have to worry about someone coming in and out of your home.  We highly recommend checking references on this.  But if you have someone you can trust, this is a great way to go.

You can check for boarding facilities and pet-sitters at your veterinary clinics, animal shelters and grooming salons.  Neighbors can be a great source as they may have used a pet-sitter or boarding facility in the area.

The most important part to all of this is that you can trust the person or place of your choice and its reliable and safe.  You want to enjoy your vacation and know that your pet is doing just fine.

 

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