Pet resort or plain ole Vet for the dog?

[Microcell]

I am torn about how much to spend on boarding for our 6 month old Jack Russell puppy when we go to WDW in a little over a month. She is active, but is (not terribly sucessfully) crate trained so she likes the cave atmosphere, and chooses it when she is scared.

We will be gone for 8 days, and I just don't know how much interaction she will have at the vet. They are nice and she seemed happy when we picked her up today from a four night stay. I just wonder if the Pet Resort places that add on cost for everything they do (like $2.00 for cuddle time) are better for her because she might have more interaction? She is not spayed, and I am not sure she will be at that point so I get the feeling she won't be able to socialize at either place, am I wrong?

What are your experiences?

 

[DisneyDeeva]

I am torn about how much to spend on boarding for our 6 month old Jack Russell puppy when we go to WDW in a little over a month. She is active, but is (not terribly sucessfully) crate trained so she likes the cave atmosphere, and chooses it when she is scared.

We will be gone for 8 days, and I just don't know how much interaction she will have at the vet. They are nice and she seemed happy when we picked her up today from a four night stay. I just wonder if the Pet Resort places that add on cost for everything they do (like $2.00 for cuddle time) are better for her because she might have more interaction? She is not spayed, and I am not sure she will be at that point so I get the feeling she won't be able to socialize at either place, am I wrong?

What are your experiences?

Any chance there is a pet sitting service in your area. I'm a professional pet sitter and find that many dogs benefit from staying in their home environment. A good pet sitter will be able to closely mirror your normal routine. Pet sitters are generally a bit more expensive than a kennel or vet setting, but less expensive than a pet resort or spa.

 

[Captain_Hook]

When we went to WDW last Sept/Oct and this past May, we boarded our dog. We call it "camp." It sounds like the same thing -- they charge for each additional exercise/activity... We thought it was and is well worth the cost. We didn't have the option of boarding with our vet (our vet actually boards at the camp), but there is a vet nearby who we used to use who boards. We left that vet for a reason and decided not to board there.

Anyway, we really liked camp. With a very active Golden Retriever (1 1/2 and 2) at the times he went, we really liked the idea that he wouldn't just be in a cage (only going out to eliminate) the entire time we were gone. They were great -- you could specifiy what kinds of activities your pet likes, what you dont want him do, they have a pond for swimmers, some they just cuddle... They really give individualized attention to the dogs. Our dog wasn't neutered until last week and that wasn't an issue. They (as a policy) do not socialize the dogs with other dogs (unless it is a mulitple dog household and you want your dogs to be socialized together). They spend one on one time with the dog.

They will basically do anything you want them to -- special food, medicine, treats...

We love camp for Casey and will always return there -- sort of makes us feel like he's on a vacation as well.

Hope that helps. By the way, we did keep camp costs in mind while planning for our trip so we could budget and not have a huge expense when we got home.

 

[Microcell]

Thanks so much for your replies. I would like to know a little more about Pet Sitting. I wonder how often they would come and how long they would stay? She would have to be crated the whole time because she is destructive when left to her own.

 

[IlliniMouse]

I've boarded my dogs at the kennel that we've trained at. The dogs are familiar with the place, and the workers know my dogs. I pay extra for them to have more "play time" outside, and get reports on how they did while there. The place we board at is a grooming/boarding/training facility. If we had a "resort" type place around here, I'd check that out. I have a friend who lives in the Twin Cities area. The place she takes her dog to has a pool, no one is kenneled unless they are misbehaving, workers interact with them, and there's a webcam! It's so much fun to look for her dog on the webcam and see what she's up to. Lots of options out there...if you board your dog, make sure it's up to date on all vaccinations, and that you have proof of those. Also, go check the place out beforehand, and see that's it's a clean place. Lots of things can be picked up at a kennel...so be safe!

 

[Microcell]

Here are my two options:

The Pet hotel atmosphere:

http://www.summitpetcare.onsmartpages.com/photogallery/

The regular vet boarding:

http://www.greensummitanimalclinic.com/tour.htm

Then there is also the pet sitting to learn more about.

 

[DisneyDeeva]

Thanks so much for your replies. I would like to know a little more about Pet Sitting. I wonder how often they would come and how long they would stay? She would have to be crated the whole time because she is destructive when left to her own.

For my clients, I spend quite a bit of time learning about their habits and routines. Then, I try as best I can to mirror those patterns. I recommend that the dogs be let out, walked, played with, fed, watered, etc a minimum of three time a day. Typically, I'm there for 45 minutes to an hour at a time. I have one client, a golden retriever, who is terrified of storms. So, when a storm is moving in, I will stay and watch TV or read for much of the evening.

I offer the options of daily phone updates or a journal of events and activities. In addition, I'll take out the garbage, bring in the mail, water the plants, open/close curtains, etc. I'll give medicine, trim nails, do minor grooming, do barf/accident cleanup, etc.

I charge based on the number of visits and duration...not the number of pets or the services provided. So, I'm kinda like an hourly employee. Some sitters charge by the service or by the pet. Best thing to do is find out who is available in your area and do extensive interview - just like you would interview a babysitter for your child(ren). Make sure to spend some time observing the interaction between animal and sitter.

Hope this helps!

 

[DisneyDeeva]

Thanks so much for your replies. I would like to know a little more about Pet Sitting. I wonder how often they would come and how long they would stay? She would have to be crated the whole time because she is destructive when left to her own.

IMHO, a good pet sitter is worth their weight in gold. Good luck with your search!

 

[alloyd1170]

We use a pet sitter and love her. Be sure that they are licensed, bonded, and are certified in pet cpr (yes really). Our dog was miserable in the kennel and pet resort setting. She would not eat and it didnt look comfy for her. We tried a pet sitter who was recommended by a friend and we were sold. Now we also have an older cat, cockatiel, and fish so they get looked after too. The pet sitter comes 2x a day. In the am she feeds the critters and lets the dog outside where she can lounge in our huge back yard during the day. At night, she comes back to let the dog in and feed the critters again. She also brings in the newspaper, mail, packages, waters the plants, and generally checks on the house. She charges $18 each visit (so $36 a day), double on holidays. When you figure it out, it would cost $10 a day to board our bird, our cat would be on his own at home, and the kennel costs. When we come home, our pets are so happy to see us and we get a report from the pet sitter.

Bottom line, pets are less stressed in their home enviroment. When I was younger my family lost 2 dogs in a kennel (a mutt and a Great Dane). It was a huge blow that should have been prevented (the Danes stomach twisted and he died. The other died later we think because he lost his buddy). More recently, our family cats were being taken car of by a pet sitter. They were both very old, and one was near the end. We were away on a cruise and got word that the pet sitter took the cat in to be put down. We wished we couldve been there, but at least she wasnt alone, or in a kennel. I will hopefully never have to board a pet again and can only praise a good pet sitter.

 

[two-foxes]

We take our dogs to Camp Bow Wow for boarding. We like the fact we can check up on them via internet cameras and can see them in action. They have "cabins" they sleep in, some are deluxe with TV's, etc. They also get nap time, which is so neccessary because they are playing all day long!

We have considered using a pet sitting service in the past...the same guy who walked our dogs did sitting as well. The downsides to it...the cost is very high and the dogs only get let out 2-3 times a day.

Good luck with your choices!

 

[petlvr1064]

we use a pet sitter for our dog and two cats when we go on vaction. He comes 3 times a day once in the mourning once around 3 0r 4 and again at about 9 or 10. He feeds the dog give him his medcation and may walk him if the weater is good. he also scoops kittyl litter and makes sure they have food. It works good for us. it cost us 18 dollars a day.