How do I know if a dog boarding facility is reputable? - Animal Hospital of Statesville
I think word of mouth is great. So if you have a friend referral or recommendation, that's what we love. We love it when clients recommend our clinic and refer us to their friends because word of mouth is the best. You can also look online. We're in an online world. So you can go on and look on the Google reviews, or any reviews or ratings that tell you what the clinic is like, or what the boarding facilities are like, and then even stop by and do a pre-interview before. I don't know that you would just go drop your children off somewhere with people you've never met or a facility you've never walked through. We offer you to come and walk through and look at our facility at a scheduled time. I think that would be great so that you get a feel for how things are set up and what's offered. I think the tour is a great idea. You get to meet the staff, see who's taking care of your pets, see where they're going to live, and maybe choose the right suite for them.
What is my dog’s day like when they are boarded? - Animal Hospital of Statesville
It is lots of fun. They have a blast, and sometimes they don't even want to go back home with you. No, they're always happy to see. They're always excited to see you. But at our daycare facility, they can be fed depending on if you fed them before they come. We have playtimes. We have an enclosed play yard where we have toys. Depending on the weather, we may have access to a little baby pool, puppy pool, and interaction with the staff so they can play with them as well. And they can be leashed, or they can be off-leash to get additional exercise.
What is the difference between doggie daycare and a dog boarding facility? - Animal Hospital of Statesville
They could be one and the same and just offer two different options. But of course, the daycare would be like if you have children and you drop them off in the morning, go to work, and then pick them up. The same thing is offered for daycare for pets when you're not able to be with them. So they stay during the day. Boarding would be overnight. We do offer both. We have boarding and doggy daycare, and we have little packages for the doggy daycare of, I think, five and ten days or something like that. So if you're going to be a frequent flyer here, you can get those packages and save a little bit.
What are cat vaccination and flea prevention policies at the Animal Hospital of Statesville? - Animal Hospital of Statesville
We have that listed on our website, but we also require the basic vaccines, the core vaccines for cats, which are rabies, and the kitty distemper, or FVRCP. We also require the Feline Bordetella vaccine that can be given when they arrive. Those are the vaccines they would need ahead of time; the kitty distemper and rabies. The other kind of qualification we have is that male cats must be neutered. Back to that smell, male cats produce quite a potent odor with their urine, so we do not board intact male cats, unneutered male cats. As far as flea prevention goes, any parasites that are seen are required to be treated, whether intestinal parasites or flea and tick external parasites.
What should I look for when touring a cat boarding facility? - Animal Hospital of Statesville
One of the most important things would be that they have a safe facility, that the cats are secure where they are boarded. Cats can sometimes be little Houdinis. They can open cages or open the areas that they're in. So make sure they're safe and ensure that the facility is clean. Ventilation is a big part, especially if you're talking about litter boxes and cat litter. If you have multiple cats in an area, is it safe? Is it clean, and how are they housed? Are they separated and unable to touch or contact another pet there?