Senior Pets and First Time Boarders

Boarding Senior Dogs

At The Pet Station Country Club, we love a little gray in the muzzle!  We understand the special treatment our senior dogs deserve and want to make their stay as comfortable as possible.  Many older pets who haven’t boarded much and are set in their ways can be in for quite a change of pace compared to napping on the sofa.  New noises, smells, people, and routines can impact the stress level of our senior pets, causing a negative reaction.  Here is a list of some of the things we see more frequently in our older dogs and how we manage those issues.

• Hunger strikes
  • A lot of times when a dog is in a new environment, they can become disinterested in their normal food and forego the food that they normally eat.  If this happens, there is no cause for alarm.  There are lots of toppings and tricks we can try to get your dog eat while they’re with us, and if they go over 24 hours without eating anything at all, we will contact you to discuss.

• Diarrhea due to change in diet or stress
  • Lots of parents bring treats for their dogs that they have never had before.  While treats are typically a good thing, this can negatively affect their tummy and cause bowel issues.  For this reason, we ask that you not deviate from their normal day-to-day diet.  A new environment can cause your senior to become a little anxious, which puts stress on their digestive tract and causes bowel issues.
  • The Pet Station always monitors the situation for 24 hours before calling you to discuss treatment.  Our options include fasting, a bland diet of rice and pumpkin, probiotics, Endosorb, or a call to the vet for a prescription. 

• Communicable diseases
  • Just like humans, our dogs have their version of the common cold and flu that can be passed from one dog to another via the air, close proximity, touching, etc.  Older dogs often already have a weaker immune system, making it difficult to fend off common bacteria and viruses that other dogs may be carrying without showing symptoms.  Additionally, dogs that aren’t as social and don’t frequent areas with other dogs often don’t have a strong immunity to these common illnesses, making them more susceptible to catching them causing a cough, sneezing, fever, discharge, lethargy, etc.  
  • If your dog begins to show signs of an infection, we isolate and begin contagious protocols, along with notifying you to determine if we should make a trip to the vet.

• Frequent urination in their room caused by the new environment or incontinence 
  • Even well potty-trained dogs at home can get confused in a new place and ‘go’ in their rooms.  We can take your dog on more frequent potty breaks to help combat this issue by using our Special Handling Package**.
  • We use specialized turf in our potty yards.  About 10% of dogs are not used to going potty on this surface and will continue to hold it.  If we think your dog is holding it, we will call and ask if you would like to add a service like a Private Sniff Walk.  The Private Sniff Walks help by allowing them access to real grass, where they may feel more comfortable doing their business.

• Mobility issues
  • Some older dogs with arthritis and slick paws can have trouble with the floors in the facility.  Our Special Handling Package** will provide all the extra help to walk, or provide special mats placed in their rooms and hallway.

• Photos
  • We will email photos of your pup to you each day but can’t guarantee a specific time of day that the photos will be sent.  If you haven’t received a photo to either your inbox or junk folder in over 24 hours, please let us know so we can double check your email address in our system. 
  • Please know that we try our best to take shots of your pup in action, but dogs are moving targets and sometimes don’t allow us to get that perfect Olan Mills shot.  We aren’t always able to guarantee that the photos will be professional quality but do try our best to get a great photo to make you feel more comfortable.  It’s also our protocol NOT to take photos while on Sniff Walk services for the safety of your pet.

** The Special Handling Package (SHP) is a customized approach to care that is tailored to the individual needs of your dog.  Common examples of the Special Handling Package include hand-feeding meals 3 times per day, drastically increasing the amount of normal potty breaks on real grass instead of turf, individual walks, giving more than 6 medications per day, assigning special caregivers with extra knowledge and skill, mobility assistance, time-sensitive medications and injections, and any other special requests.  The SHP is $15 per day, per dog requiring the care to keep them as comfortable and healthy as possible.

First Time Boarders

We are excited that you chose us to take care of your tail-wagger.  Since this is your first time with us, we want to give you some useful information about the boarding experience, what we see with many first-time boarders, and our protocols for ensuring a comfortable stay for your loved one.

• Hunger strikes
  • Some dogs that are nervous being away from home may not eat like normal.  We have several different things we can try to entice your pup to eat.  If 24 hours passes and your dog has not eaten any food at all, we will give you a call and discuss options.

• Diarrhea/bowel changes
  • Some dogs get a little anxious when staying at a new place.  Different sights, smells, and routine can leave them feeling a little uneasy.  One of the most obvious ways stress can manifest is through changes in potty habits; typically presenting as diarrhea.  Most of the time, this will resolve on its own once the dog becomes acclimated to the new surroundings.  If the diarrhea persists over 24 hours, we will reach out to you and discuss treatment options.  These options include bland foods, fasting, probiotics, OTC medicine, or a trip to the vet.  A firm stool is a great thing at The Country Club! 
  • A change in diet is another leading cause of diarrhea.  Lots of parents bring treats for their dogs that they have never had before.  While treats are typically a good thing, this can negatively affect their tummy and cause bowel issues.  We ask that you not deviate from their normal day-to-day diet to combat this issue; especially for dogs that have a history of a sensitive stomach.
  • We use specialized turf in our potty yards.  About 10% of dogs are not used to going potty on this surface and will continue to hold it.  If we think your dog is holding it, we will call and ask if you would like to add a service like a Private Sniff Walk.  The Private Sniff Walks help by allowing them access to real grass, where they may feel more comfortable doing their business.

• Communicable diseases
  • Just like humans, our dogs have their version of the common cold and flu that can be passed from one dog to another via the air, close proximity, touching, etc.  Dogs that are not as social and don’t frequent areas with other dogs often, don’t have a strong immunity to these common illnesses, making them more susceptible to catching one causing a cough, sneezing, fever, discharge, lethargy, etc.  Older dogs and puppies typically have a weaker immune system making it difficult to fend off common bacteria and viruses that other dogs may be carrying without showing symptoms.  If your dog begins to show signs of an infection, we isolate and begin contagious protocols along with notifying you and often a trip to the vet.  99.9% of the time dogs make a full recovery within a week.

• Photos
  • We will email photos of your pup to you each day but can’t guarantee a specific time of day that the photos will be sent.  If you haven’t received a photo to either your inbox or junk folder in 24 hours, please let us know so we can double check your email address in our system. 
  • Please know that we try our best to take shots of your pup in action, but dogs are moving targets and sometimes don’t allow us to get that perfect Olan Mills shot.  We aren’t always able to guarantee that the photos will be professional quality but do try our best to get a great photo to make you feel more comfortable.  It’s also our protocol NOT to take photos while on Sniff Walk services for the safety of your pet.

• Behavior changes
  • Some dogs are uncomfortable when they are away when away from their home and family, and their behavior can present itself as more agitated or aggressive.  This doesn’t mean they are bad dogs; they’re just a little nervous!  We have specialized staff and specific protocols for working with these dogs until they become comfortable with their surroundings.  If your dog presents a risk of injury to our staff or themselves, we reserve the right to add the Special Handling Package** to their stay at $15 per day.

** The Special Handling Package (SHP) is a customized approach to care that is tailored to the individual needs of your dog.  Common examples of the Special Handling Package include hand-feeding meals 3 times per day, drastically increasing the amount of normal potty breaks on real grass instead of turf, individual walks, giving more than 6 medications per day, assigning special caregivers with extra knowledge and skill, mobility assistance, time-sensitive medications and injections, and any other special requests.  The SHP is $15 per day, per dog requiring the care to keep them as comfortable and healthy as possible.