Pet Boarding FAQs

Pets of the same species who live in the same household are more than welcome to stay in the same suite. We also have adjacent connecting dog suites for those who feel that their pets need a little more room.

The average play time is 15-20 minutes four times per day.

We have raised cots and fleece blankets to keep the dogs comfortable, we also have water and food bowls available. Clients are more than welcome to bring beds, blankets, toys, etc. if they feel their pets will be more comfortable with their own belongings.

A complementary bath is included with each two-night stay before going home.

You can drop off your pets for boarding Monday-Friday from 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM. We are closed for drop-off on Sundays. Please keep in mind that if your pet requires any medical services or vaccines prior to boarding, we may need them here earlier in the day.

You can pick up your pets from boarding Monday-Friday from 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM and Sunday 4:00pm-5:00pm by appointment only. Sunday pick-ups require pre-payment due to the fact that our lobby is closed on Sundays. Pick-ups after noon during the week will incur an extended day fee per pet.

We feed Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach and Skin dry kibble formulas to all of our canine and feline guests and it is included in the price. However, we will feed the food you provide at no extra cost.

The play groups are 100% monitored by our highly-trained suite technicians at all times.

We separate play groups by size and temperament.

As long as your pet gets along with our staff, we can usually accommodate dogs who do not get along with others. Any dogs that are not friendly towards others are taken out for play as “play alone” or “family play”. They would have a full roam of the play yard alone or with family pets and would be monitored by our staff like other play groups.

No, admission to boarding, daycare, or grooming is not contingent upon a prior visit or use of the pet hospital.

The purpose of the daycare evaluation day is for us to get to know your dog and for your dog to be familiar with us prior to boarding. We assess how your dog is with other dogs, and staff, and whether he/she is comfortable in the environment here at Zoot. The evaluation day can greatly assist in reducing stress for your dog during a boarding stay.

You can! Tours are done by appointment only. Please call to schedule.

We are able to schedule your reservations as soon as you let us know the dates. Our facility is often booked to capacity, especially over holidays and throughout the summer; the earlier a request is made for a reservation, the better our chances of being able to fully accommodate your request.

We require an evaluation day for the first day of daycare. This allows us to determine if your pet is comfortable in our dog boarding environment. We are also able to determine the compatibility of your dog with both our staff and other dogs.

ALL dogs and cats are required to be spayed/neutered prior to turning 12 months of age to be accepted for boarding and/or daycare.

Absolutely.

We have a separate building and play meadow for our smaller canine friends.

Cats reside on the second story overlooking the lobby. Dogs are boarded in a separate building.

While we truly believe that your pet will receive plenty of attention while they are here, you may add nature walks around our play meadows and individual TLC sessions.

We carefully group dogs into groups based on size, age, and temperament. If we find dogs not getting along we will change a dog’s grouping or designate him/her as a play-alone.

See above.

We don’t charge extra for dogs that cause trouble, however, if your pet finds it difficult to get along with our staff or other animals we will have an honest discussion about staying here.

Yes, our staff is highly trained and we are capable of administering routine medications during your pet’s boarding stay at Zoot. This includes diabetic injections at no extra charge.

We do require any variation of the Bordetella vaccine (kennel cough vaccine) to be given within the last 12 months, and for that vaccine to be current throughout the boarding stay. Per the newest AAHA guidelines Bordetella vaccines are effective for 12 months:

• A single intranasal (IN) dose of vaccine is indicated for dogs at risk of exposure. Where the risk of exposure is sustained, administer a single dose 1 yr following the last dose administered, then annually thereafter. There is no known value in administering the IN vaccine bi-annually (every 6 mo). The onset of protective immunity has been shown to be as early as 48 to 72 hours following a single inoculation. The duration of immunity, based on challenge studies (B.bronchiseptica), is 12 to 14 mo following a single dose of IN vaccine.

Of course!! Your pet was either fed the food brought when he was dropped off or our high-quality dry food if none was brought with him. Occasionally, dogs and cats do not eat as much while they board, so it is “normal” for them to play catch up once they return to their homes.

At doggie daycare, (unless it is a puppy), pets are not fed lunch. Just like my 3-year old son when he gets home from school, they have usually built up a huge appetite playing all day!

Of course, it goes without saying that after a surgery or dental visit, pets are hungry because they were fasted the morning of the procedure.

All pets have access to water during their stay. That being said, when they are here just for the day, such as for daycare or grooming, they are given water when they are walked. This is to prevent them from splashing and turning over water bowls in the cages (and getting dirty). It is also normal for pets to feel more comfortable drinking water when they return home.

If we did our job, your pet had lots of play time and exercise while boarding or in doggie daycare and is worn out! There's so much activity in our hospital that your pet is likely over stimulated and excited. Because of this, his sleeping pattern can change in the time spent with us, and he just needs to catch up on his zzzzz’s!! I usually feel like sleeping a lot when I come home from vacation as well. Typically after a good night’s sleep, Fido feels like playing again within the next 24 hours.

First of all, if your pet was having diarrhea, the staff and doctors would have contacted you and started them on medication. That's the good thing about boarding your dog or cat at a veterinary hospital - if they develop problems, the issues are addressed immediately.

Secondly, pets often experience excitement when returning home and are often rewarded with treats. So this “excitement” leads to colitis, a common cause of loose or watery stool. Some pet owners expect it and we arrange to send them home with preventative medicine.

We take every precaution at Zoot Pet Hospital and Luxury Boarding to prevent viruses and parasites from being passed to your pet. Stalls, runs and cages are sterilized. We also require dogs to be checked every 6 months for parasites (unlike annually at most vet hospitals). This is the reason: some of the parasites we see are easily spread between dogs (Coccidia and Giardia) and are not prevented by monthly heartworm preventatives. We have staff that clean/scoop fecal material as soon as it hits the ground.

To recap, loose stool or diarrhea is not uncommon but please let us know if it continues for more than 24 hours once your pet returns home.