Frequently Asked Questions

The minimum requirement is your dog being vaccinated with the C3 vaccination. Since C3 vaccination provides no protection against Canine coughs we highly recommend that your dog be given a C5 or higher vaccination. Cats should be given a F5 vaccination before boarding.

We will request to see a current vaccination certificate when checking in your pet. If you do not have a written certificate of your pet’s most recent vaccination, you can contact your vet to obtain a copy.

Although we are highly responsible in keeping the kennels and yards hygienically spic and span to the entire satisfaction of our customers it is almost impossible to eradicate totally from the environment of the menace of fleas, ticks and other parasites. Therefore we highly recommend that your pet be given the following treatments before boarding with us.

Flea and tick treatment

We highly recommend that you treat your pet with regular tick and flea treatment. Your pet should be treated with a product that protects your pet against both ticks and fleas, not more than two days prior to boarding.

We also provide flea and tick treatment for an extra charge if you prefer for us to administer. For longer stays the owner should be responsible to provide the pet’s preferred treatment or organise our own treatment with the staff upon check in.

Worming

All pets checking in at Dogz and Catz Retreat has to be regularly wormed with an all wormer (effective on Roundworm, Hookworm, Whipworm, Flea Tapeworm and Hydatid Tapeworm) and that they have been treated regularly for heartworm. This will provide your pet maximum protection against these parasites and any ailments they cause.

The minimum age requirement is to be 12 weeks of age and above and the last puppy vaccination should be given (due at 12-14 weeks) 10-14 days prior to boarding or day care so that they have sufficient time for development of complete immunisation.
They should also have been wormed, flea and tick treated before boarding.

We provide all bedding, toys, food bowls and water bowls for your pet during its stay at our kennel. You are welcome to bring any special pillows, blankets or toys for your pet. Though we try to take the best care possible of your items, we may not always be able to return them in their original state. So, we do not recommend that you bring expensive bedding or other items to the kennel.

If your pet is on regular medications, we request that you supply us with more than enough medication to last the duration of your pets stay and clear instructions as to how medications are to be administered. Also any instruments needed to administer medication like syringes, injection needles, bandages or any other special instruments will need to be provided by the owner.

We will not charge you for administering most pills and liquid medications but more complex medications, injections and dressing wounds will incur a fee.

Yes, Dogz and Catz Retreat have a pet taxi service and we do home pickups and drop offs, Airport pickups and drop offs. We usually do pickups and drop offs outside our normal opening hours, however in some circumstances the times can be altered. Owners can contact us to arrange a convenient time and quote.

We always encourage pet owners to do an inspection before they bring in their pet for boarding. Inspections can be done between 10am -11am or 3pm – 5pm Monday to Saturday without an appointment.

Canine Cough commonly known as Kennel cough is one of the most common infectious diseases of dogs – just like the common cold with humans. It is a contagious respiratory disease that is spread between dogs just as easily as colds are between humans.

Canine Cough can be caused by a number of different viruses and bacteria but the most common infectious agents are Bordatella bronchiseptica and the Canine Parainfluenza virus. Some dogs can carry the infection for weeks without showing any signs of disease. These dogs act as a source of infection for other dogs.

The signs of a canine cough can be a harsh, hacking cough that often finishes with gagging. Severely affected dogs may have a fever, be depressed, not eat and can develop pneumonia. Treatment may include antibiotics, and symptomatic therapy such as cough medicine as prescribed by the veterinarian.

A dog may be vaccinated with canine cough and still contract the cough; however their symptoms can sometimes just be very mild in comparison to their unvaccinated counterparts.
If your dog contract with canine cough during their stay at the kennel, the owner will be notified immediately and will be treated as required by a veterinarian.

Dog owners kindy understand that we take our best precautions to avoid dogs to get in contract with canine coughs, however since it is caused by airborne viral and bacterial agents a dog can contract kennel cough not only at a kennel but at any other place including your own backyard.

Boarding dogs get play outside in the yards soon after the morning feed which will be between 6.30am and 11am. They will be locked in their own kennel during midday for a break. Also during hot whether it is safer for the dogs to be indoors during midday. The next play time for the dogs will be between 3pm to 6pm. Day care dogs get around 6-7 hours during the day to play outside in the yards depending on what time they check in and check out. We always encourage day care dog owners to bring their dogs as early as they can and pick later in the afternoon to get the most out of their day at day care. Day care dogs will also get a break indoors during midday as they need a little break from play.

If your pet is showing symptoms of an illness we will immediately call the owner or the owner’s emergency contact person. If the pet needs to see a vet we use Westcoast vets in Forrestdale. In case of an emergency we will take the necessary proceedings which we think is best for your pet.
In some circumstances a travel fee will incur for regular vet visits that is requested by the owner.