Lots of people have dog boarding, grooming, and services questions. Take a minute to look at some of the most frequently asked questions here.
Boarding faq
Southlake Classic Pet Retreat facilities are fully air-conditioned for summer comfort and heated in the winter. About two-thirds of our properties also have outdoor exercise runs and play yards for outdoor activity, weather permitting.
We encourage you to bring their food when boarding. Our trained associates will follow your instructions to make sure your pet follows his regular diet. By pre-bagging each meal in a separate bag labeled with your pet’s name, your pet will receive the exact amount of food that you feed him or her at home.
Your pets may have one or two toys to play with during their stay. If you bring toys from home, be sure to mark them with permanent ink with your last name. Your pets’ toys will stay with them and we do our best to return all toys.
We request that you not bring in any of your pet’s bedding for their boarding visit. We provide the very comfortable orthopedic beds by Kuranda for all our pet guests. Pets can be highly possessive of their personal bedding, and may become agitated when our staff removes the bedding for sanitizing, which, for the health of all our pet guests, we must do each day. Also, we don’t want blankets or other fabrics to get caught up or wrapped around the pet, which might cause them harm.
Pets will frequently become very thirsty from the excitement and stress of seeing their family and loved ones again when they’re picked up. It’s natural and you should expect your pet to be a bit dehydrated from all the excitement once you get them home.
While in our care, pets are monitored carefully for their consumption of fresh water, which is continuously checked and refreshed throughout the day. And, just like the excitement of coming home, when they first are checked-in and settled in their suite, they will tend to become very thirsty. We watch this carefully, and are sure to provide plenty of fresh water upon check-in to get the pet fully hydrated. After the first 30 minutes or so, they settle into the new routine, get comfortable, and establish regular eating and drinking habits.
We are happy to give oral and topical medicines to pets boarding with us, however we do not give injections. We ask that you bring the medications in their original containers so we understand exactly what we are giving and have information regarding dosage, prescribing veterinarian, etc.
We require your dog to be vaccinated against rabies, parvo/distemper and bordetella (kennel cough). We strongly recommend that your dog be vaccinated against bordetella at least 2 weeks prior to boarding so that the vaccination has time to take effect before entering the kennel. We require bordatella to be updated every 6 months. If your dog is approaching the expiration date for the bordetella vaccine, we recommend a booster prior to boarding. We also recommend that you talk to your vet about the vaccination against a recent canine influenza, H3N2, but the vaccine is not required for boarding or grooming.
You can fax your pet’s vaccination records to us at 817-916-8822.
Your pet will adjust quickly to our boarding facility, our staff and routines. Feeding, cleansing, exercise, and kennel staff monitoring are all scheduled events that bring order and structure to the boarding environment.
You can do a lot to help prepare your pet for this environment in the days before your pet is to be boarded. First, establish (or reinforce) a routine schedule of meal times and limit feedings to twice per day. We feed in the morning, and again in the late afternoon, as required.
Also, we routinely quiet the kennel down after closing hours (after 7 PM) to give the pets adequate rest and comfort. It’s best if your evening schedule, in the week before boarding, is stable and consistent, and getting the pet(s) into a comfortable “wind down” to their day by 8 PM to 9 PM will enable them to adjust quickly to the kennel, once boarded.
Canine Cough faq
Canine Cough (also known as kennel cough or infectious tracheobronchitis) is an upper-respiratory infection that can be spread at dog parks, training classes, playgroups, neighbourhoods, dog shows, kennels and, yes, daycare. It is typically seen around October and March in our area and is transmitted very easily from dog to dog via air droplets. Oftentimes, Canine Cough will affect all the kennels and shelters in the area at once. Symptoms include a dry or gagging-type cough that sounds a lot like your dog has something stuck in his throat. Besides the cough, most dogs will act completely normal. Symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Canine Cough can be caused by a virus, bacteria or both. In some cases, your dog’s immune system will take care of Canine Cough. However, there are some reasons why your dog should be seen by a veterinarian including – if your dog is young, old, has other medical issues, breathing problems or if you notice other symptoms besides the cough such as lethargy, lack of appetite, worsening or deepening of the cough, excessive coughing or anything else that is not normal for your dog. Your veterinarian can prescribe an antibiotic and a cough suppressant if needed.
Yes, the bordetella vaccination (just like the human flu shot) protects against some, but not all strains of canine cough, so it is still possible for your dog to develop a cough even though he’s up-to-date on his bordetella vaccination.
Although we make every effort possible to minimize the risk of illness, (including extensive sanitation processes and supervision to watch for dogs who may be sick) it is important to know that dogs can spread Canine Cough for 7-10 days before and several weeks after the cough is present, making it impossible for our staff to isolate dogs that may be carrying germs. We do, however, immediately isolate any dog that is coughing. To assist you in making the best choices for your pet, we will notify all of our clients via PSA on our Facebook page if we receive reports of cases of Canine Cough. (Staff Tip: We have noticed that dogs who attend daycare regularly, or who have had Canine Cough before seem to be far less susceptible to contracting Canine Cough.)
If your dog becomes ill while you are gone, we will separate your dog from the group and contact you. We will provide care and contact our veterinarian in the unlikely event that that becomes necessary.
Gastrointestinal Viruses
Gastrointestinal viruses are those that affect the stomach and intestines. They are typically very contagious and are spread through dog to dog contact. These types of viruses can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue and lack of appetite. The viruses cause similar symptoms to the human “stomach flu bug.”
Oftentimes, the symptoms last about 24 hours in healthy, middle aged dogs. Dogs that are young, old, or have other health problems or suppressed immune systems may experience the symptoms longer and the symptoms may be more severe.
Since gastrointestinal virus symptoms can be very similar to other serious problems such as pancreatitis, intestinal blockages, inflammation of the digestive tract, poisoning etc. we strongly encourage you to consult your veterinarian if your dog exhibits vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and/or lack of appetite. Your veterinarian will check your dog to be sure the symptoms are not being caused by a serious medical condition. If your dog seems to have a virus, your veterinarian can provide you with anti-vomiting medication and supportive care, such as fluids, if needed. Depending on the dog and the particular virus, your dog may or may not need veterinary care.
Gastrointestinal viruses are typically spread at dog parks, training centers, boarding facilities and daycares during the winter months.
Our staff constantly monitors dogs for symptoms and will separate any dog that appears to be sick. Unfortunately, Gastrointestinal viruses are highly contagious. If we become aware that a virus is “going around” at Southlake Classic Pet Retreat, we will notify everyone via a PSA message on Facebook.
If your dog becomes ill while you are gone, we will separate your dog from the group and contact you. We will provide care for your dog and call our veterinarian in the unlikely event that that becomes necessary.
Grooming
Bathing rates vary depending on the breed of your pet and the type of services you choose. Calling us at Southlake Classic Pet Retreat to discuss your pet’s needs with a member of our professional staff is the best way to obtain a quote.
For questions and quotes about grooming call us 817-481-4426
Southlake Classic Pet Retreat’s stylists will not tranquilize a pet in order to groom it. Our stylists and groom techs are well trained to handle nervous pets, and treat every pet with tender loving care. If a pet is too agitated to be safely bathed or groomed, our staff will not attempt to force the service on the pet.
Puppy Warts
Puppy warts are caused by the Canine Papilloma virus and is typically seen in dogs under 2 years of age. The warts are generally located in the mouth or on the lips of affected dogs.
Puppy warts generally fall off in 4-16 weeks. No veterinary treatment is typically necessary.
Our staff will immediately separate any dog from the group that is found to have puppy warts. Unfortunately, puppy warts are contagious for up to 3 months before the warts form, so there is no way for us to completely prevent the spread of the warts.
