Loving My Animals

If you have a dog and are planning to go on a trip sometime soon, you may be considering dog boarding for your dog. However, if you have never taken your dog to boarding before, you might also be unsure of what you can or should do to get yourself and your dog ready for a lengthy separation. Get to know some of the steps that you should take to prepare to take your dog to a boarding facility. Then, you can be sure you are doing what is best for your dog.  

Make Sure All Vaccines Are Up-to-Date

One of the most important steps that you can take when you are getting your dog ready for boarding is to ensure that all of their vaccines are up-to-date and current. While most states have required vaccines for dogs, there are also several optional vaccines, like the kennel cough vaccine. 

When you are taking your dog to get boarded, it is in their best interest to not only be up-to-date on the required vaccines but also on the optional or suggested vaccines. Kennel cough, for example, is a highly contagious respiratory illness in dogs. It is so named because it spreads like wildfire in kennel or boarding environments where several dogs are housed in close quarters. 

If you want your dog to remain as healthy as possible when they are in boarding, get them all the required and recommended vaccinations before they go. 

Be Sure They Are Treated for Fleas, Ticks, and Heartworms

When you are taking your dog into a new environment, you will want to keep them as protected as possible from parasites and pests. You never know if another dog at the facility has problems with fleas for example. Fleas are easily transmitted from dog to dog as they jump from host to host and can get into fabrics like dog beds and toys. As such, protecting your dog from fleas before they go to boarding is essential if you do not want to bring them home with an itchy problem. 

Additionally, if your dog is going to boarding, you will want to protect them from other pests and parasites including ticks and heartworms. Ticks can often be treated right along with fleas using a topical medication or a chewable pill. Heartworms, on the other hand, have their own preventive medication that comes in a chewable pill form as well. These precautionary steps will help to keep your dog as healthy and pest-free as possible while you are away. 

Now that you know a few of the steps to take when you are planning to take your dog to a dog boarding facility, you can be sure that you are doing what is best for your dog and their stay in boarding.