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Boarding

April 13th, 2010. By Erin Bechtol.

While you’re away on vacation or business, your pet can enjoy its own vacation by staying at a boarding facility.  Prepare yourself for what to expect prior to dropping off your pet in order to avoid any last minute problems.

If pet owners are interested, Club Pet offers daily tours of their facility, which can be a comforting and reassuring experience for first-time boarders.  They also offer extra amenities such as additional walks, supervised outdoor play time in a large run, daily brushing, and more.  In addition, because Club Pet is just next door, our hospital works closely with them to offer medical attention to animals with ailments.

Boarding facilities throughout San Diego County have similar boarding requirements.  Below is a list of required vaccines and medical tests:

-Dogs

  • Current rabies vaccine or recent titer
  • Current DA2PP vaccine or recent titer
  • Bordetella vaccine within 6 months
  • Some facilities also require a fecal negative for Giardia

-Cats

  • Current FVRCP vaccine
  • Indoor only cats are required to have one negative FELV test anytime prior to boarding
  • Outdoor cats require a current FELV vaccine

Animals that are rabies or DA2PP exempt due to health issues can be admitted to boarding facilities with an exemption letter signed by your current veterinarian.  Young dogs must be vaccinated 1-2 weeks before boarding.  Older dogs can be vaccinated within days of boarding.

Some facilities require health certificates for older pets and all exotics to ensure that the pet is healthy.  All facilities throughout San Diego will not accept a puppy under the age of 4 months.  In cases where boarding will not work for your pet – either because of age, vaccine, or health issues, feel free to contact our hospital for other options.

If in doubt, contact your chosen boarding facility ahead of time for their requirements.  Certain holidays book quickly, so call early to plan your vacations.  For some holidays, you may need to book an appointment up to six months in advance.  For more information, or to book a staff member for pet sitting, contact our hospital at (858) 759-8797.