Once you have made a booking to have your small friend stay at a boarding kennel or cattery there are a few things you should do to prepare them for their stay.

1. Have your small friend’s current vaccination certificate handy.

All boarding kennels and catteries require their guests to be vaccinated and for these vaccinations to be up to date. Be prepared for this by presenting a copy of your small friend’s most recent vaccination certificate to your boarding facility. If you’re unable to locate this vaccination certificate simply call Small Friends Veterinary Hospital on 6262 2233 and we will happily reprint it for you.

2. Apply flea prevention at least 2 days prior to entering a boarding kennel or cattery.

Did you know that fleas carry and pass on tapeworm? Did you also know that an animal infested with fleas can drop flea eggs wherever it goes? In a boarding situation there are many cats and dogs from different environments gathered together. It would be reasonable to assume therefore that fleas are present despite the best efforts of the kennel’s staff. No one wants to see their small friend suffering from fleas let alone have fleas brought back to infest your home and surrounds with eggs. Flea eggs can remain in the environment for as long as 6 months and continue to re-infest your small friend if not eliminated. By applying a flea prevention product to your small friend at least 2 days prior to their stay in a boarding facility you can dramatically reduce this risk. Small Friends Veterinary Hospital stocks flea prevention in the form of a liquid spot-on which is easy to use and our nurses can advise you which spot-on flea treatment best suits your small friend.

For more information on Fleas please see our Flea and Tick Information Page.

3. Ensure your small friend is up to date with worming.

Intestinal worms such as roundworm, hookworm, tapeworm and whipworm (dogs only) are easily transmissible and your small friend could find themselves infested with these parasites should they ingest their eggs, larvae or even a flea (while nibbling at that annoying itch). In the case of the hookworm if their larvae didn’t manage to be swallowed they can simply burrow through the skin instead and migrate to where they need to be. Humans can also play host for roundworms and tapeworms which take up residence in our intestines, and the larvae of the hookworm can burrow through our skin just as easily as it can with cats and dogs.

Small Friends Veterinary Hospital stocks strong and reliable intestinal all-wormers for dogs and cats which can be purchased at any time. Our nurses will advise the right dose for your small friend. If you have trouble getting your small friend to take a tablet our staff can worm your small friend for you when you come in to purchase your intestinal all-wormer or Small Friends Veterinary Hospital also stock a liquid spot-on intestinal all wormer for cats which is a great alternative to tableting. If you would like our staff to worm your small friend please call Small Friends Veterinary Hospital on 6262 2233 before arriving.

For more information about worms please see our Worming Information Page.