Hey ya,ll! Murphy time again! Can you believe
it is June already? School is ending for many kids and families are
heading out for vacation. In order to help all of you on your travels,
we have a few tips. This week, we are going to talk about the pets that stay at home.If your cats and dogs are going to be staying at a boarding facility, be sure that your pet's vaccines are current and have been given more than a week before any boarding. Be sure to find out if the facility needs anything special. Some boarding facilities require pets to have had a fecal exam within a certain period of time before boarding. If you are unsure as to your pet's vaccine status, just give our office a call and our friendly receptionists will let you know when the next vaccines are due. If you have registered on Vetstreet, you can even check your pet's vaccine status online.
Before leaving town, having all important numbers written down for the boarding facility or the person caring for your pet so they can contact you if needed. It is very helpful if one of the emergency numbers is a land-line. That way there is no worry if your cell does not get service. It is also helpful if they know who your veterinarian is. If your pet needs any care while you are gone, it is very helpful if they are taken to their normal doctor.
If your pet takes any type of medication or receives insulin, be sure to call the boarding kennel ahead of time to let them now. Most places also charge extra for administering medications, so you may want to check that as well. Be sure to send enough medicine that if you are delayed by a few days, your pet will not run short.
If your pets will stay at home, be sure that the caregiver knows the rules for the pets. Can it go outside unsupervised? What time is feeding? Any medications? If your dog is not extremely familiar with the caregiver, the Doc usually does not recommend that a dog be walked outside of a controlled environment like the backyard. He also does not usually recommend that the dogs be taken to dog parks by people that the dog is not extremely familiar with.
If your pet has any medical condition which may become an emergency at some point, such as Diabetes, Addison's, Cancers, etc, you may call the late night Emergency Hospital that you would have your caregiver take your pet to, and see if you can have your recent records sent to the Emergency Hospital. That way, if there is any emergency, the attending doctor will have enough information to treat your pet well. We can fax or email pertinent records, if needed. This can be helpful if your pet stays with a caregiver or if going to a boarding facility.
Have wonderful, relaxing and fun travels, ya'll! It's summer, so go outside and play!