From many years of experience, we ask that you don’t jump to conclusions that your dog is sick! Have you ever had an upset tummy because of fear, anxiety, or excitement? A similar phenomenon can affect our pets too, and if your dog has diarrhea when she is in kennels or when she first returns home, this could be to do with the flood of emotions she will be feeling. It is very unlikely that she has picked up a stomach virus or anything while under our care due to the extensive daily cleaning procedures. Give your dog Pedialyte, lots of water and change their diet to boiled rice and chicken stock OR boiled rice, boiled chicken and pumpkin puree. Allow a few days for your dog’s stomach to settle ensure they dont get dehydrated. If they vomit or diarrhea for more than 2 days, please give us a call— we have medicines that our vets and vet techs provide that can help ease the transition home for your pup. If after this, your pup continues with any symptoms it would be smart to visit your vet to rule out the underlying illness (pancreatitis, gastritis, or viral infection) as well as avoid dehydration.

One of the most common things that we hear from owners once their dog first returns home after boarding are irregularities in eating and drinking patterns.  He or she may be eating much more than normal, or much less than normal. Do not fret, this is a natural reaction of transition. If Fido seems ravenous for the first few days after coming home it doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong nor that he didn’t eat under our care. Instead, this increased hunger is usually attributed to different things.

Dogs tend to work up a significant appetite when they are in day camp becaus of the stimulation and because they spend a lot of time exercising and playing. They need extra calories to refuel their bodies. However, since dogs naturally seem to eat less when boarding, often just due to being less comfortable eating in unfamiliar surroundings, it is very common for canines to play catch-up when they arrive home. On the contrary, if your dog’s appetite is not how it normally is, he may just be acclimating from all the hustle and bustle during their vacation. You should notice them back to normal in the following days.

**Please note: for finnicky or particularly picky dogs our staff takes the extra time and gives them extra attention at times feeding them by hand, alone and possibly even adding wet food or pumpkin puree to entice them to eat!**

If we did a good job of taking care of your dog, you will definitely get back a tired pup!!  This means your pup got loads of play time, attention from our staff and got a lot of energy out! Part of our role is to manage any anxiety and be sure your pet is kept busy so that he/she remains healthy and not focused on being apart from you. Depending on your dog’s personality they have been very physically active and cognitively stimulated — so do expect that he or she may need to sleep more when he/she gets home! If after a few days and a lot of hydration he/she still seems unusually lethargic, please contact us and we will help.

Similar to added hunger, many owners report that their dogs also drink more during the first few days back home. Again, this is almost certainly due to the fact that she simply feels more comfortable drinking at home than at day camp. At times during boarding or day camp, due to stimulation or nerves, dogs self-regulate; so, they drink less water. To compensate when they get home, they lap up some extra bowls. Don’t let this deceive you– your pups ALWAYS have access to water. They eat with water, have water outside during playtime AND even sleep in their designated areas with their very own full bowl.