animal care by animal people

<h3>Should I be worried if my dog or cat has lost or gained weight during their boarding stay?</h3><p>No and yes, depending.</p> <p>A little bit of weight gain or loss is very common. It doesn't happen to all pets during every stay in a boarding facility, but it does happen. Pet owners, understandably, often immediately feel that this must mean their pet has not been taken care of properly, but in fact it is more important to look at the entire context and the extent of the loss or gain.</p> <p>Commonly, pets staying in a boarding facility are not eating exactly as they do at home. They may or may not be eating exactly the same food (depending on the arrangements you've made with the kennel or cattery), and even if they are, they may not be eating exactly the same amounts because, despite every effort to get it just right, human beings differ and the precise amounts they provide may be a little different than you do when your pet is at home. So, all this small change can lead to weight gain or loss, in and of itself.</p> <p>More important and relevant than this, however, is that pets are generally much more active in a boarding facility than they are at home. Now <em>wait</em>! We're <em>not</em> saying that you aren't taking good care of your pet by not giving him or her lots of activity. No, not at all. It's just that in a boarding facility, especially one that has a good number of staff and lots of other animals around, the whole environment is very stimulating and there is a lot of exercise for dogs and lots of other general interest for both dogs and cats. And this keeps them more active and generally more stimulated, even if they're in their enclosures. And this, in turn, often leads to a bit of weight loss.</p> <p>And one more thing: In many cases, a little bit of weight loss for dogs and cats is a good thing and although we have many customers who do worry about this, we also have a great many who are pleased to see that their pet has lost a little weght in our care because, in fact, they came in to us a little overweight.</p> <p>But of course, everyone has a different perception of this, and if the weight of your pet is not medically bad, one way or the other, then we do try to maintain the weight your pet comes in with.</p> <p>This all said, too much weight gain or loss IS a problem and if you feel there has been too much either way, we truly hope you'll talk to us about this. We monitor this aspect of your pet's health very closely, with a weight check when they first arrive for boarding and then regular checking every two weeks, or more often if we perceive a potential problem. And if there is a problem, we always let you know about it while you're away and take action when required by adjusting feeding or even consulting your vet.</p>

<h3>How often will my dog exercise each day and for how long?</h3> <div class="faq_ans_img"><img src="https://www.dkc.ae/images/faqs/faq_40.jpg"></div> <div class="faq_ans_text"><p>From about end of September to April, all your dogs get into our exercise yards at least 3-4 times a day for a good 15-30 minute romp each time, and if we have your permission they'll be playing with other dogs too. For those dogs with especially high energy levels or any good need for more of this time, or if you ask us to, because the weather is nice we just let 'em stay in the yards for much of the day.</p> <p>During the hotter summer months, just as when your dog is home with you, we need to be careful about being outside in the heat for too long. So they all still get out 2-3 times a day but the runs in the yard are for shorter periods of time, as we are very watchful to make sure the heat is not having an impact. And of course we don't leave the dogs out in the yards all day at this time of year for the very same reason.</p> <p>This all said, all our enclosures are indoor/outdoor with a/c, and designed so that all the dogs can see each other and feel part of the community. So even when they're in their enclosures, they're still very active and generally having a very social time. Read more about this: <a href="/what-we-do/boarding-daycare/love-and-other-stuff-too" target="_blank">Love... and other stuff too</a> ~ take a look at the section called <a href="/what-we-do/boarding-daycare/love-and-other-stuff-too#Socializing-Dogs" target="_blank">Socializing</a> and <a href="/what-we-do/boarding-daycare/love-and-other-stuff-too#Socializing-Dogs2" target="_blank">Socializing ~ Part 2</a>.</p></div>