Pet Vaccinations and Why They're Necessary

Dog vaccinations and cat vaccinations are a fact of life at reputable pet boarding facilities; here's why.

Sometimes pet owners are caught off-guard when by a boarding facility explains its policy for dog and cat vaccinations.

After all, they may have had their dog or cat for several years and not had all these vaccinations; why now?

The answer is simple. With all of the hundreds of animals that come in and out of a facility like ours, there is no way we could guarantee that pets carrying serious diseases are not among them, without requiring cat or dog vaccinations prior to their stay with us.

For dogs, we require rabies, distemper and bordatella (kennel cough) vaccinations, as well as a negative stool sample check within the last nine months. For cats we require the rabies and distemper vaccinations.

Rabies, passed through saliva, is a 100 percent fatal disease that affects the central nervous system. Distemper affects the respiratory, nervous and gastrointestinal systems, and is spread via bodily fluids, including saliva. Bordatella is a respiratory condition that can spread quickly among animals, usually through airborne droplets from saliva or other fluids.

Even if you think your pet is absolutely healthy, all it takes is contact with, or proximity to, one infected animal to cause serious health problems. It’s a chance we cannot, and will not, take. Pet vaccinations are essential.

We take extreme precautions to maintain a clean and healthy environment at Hubbard Pet Resort & Spa, including proper ventilation, nightly washing of food and water bowls, regular laundering of linens, and spraying the artificial turf in the potty and play yards. Even with that, however, some diseases could be spread through something as simple as a pet sneezing or coughing inside the boarding area.

These vaccinations don’t just ensure the health and safety of your pet. They provide a safer environment for the other animals, their owners, and our staff.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask us in person or by calling us at 330-534-1200.

To Shave or Not to Shave? Your Dog, That Is...

Should owners have their dogs shaved for the summer? According to an article in the Salt Lake Tribune, that's a polarizing topic among groomers and veterinarians.

(Salt Lake Tribune)

The article lists these arguments against:

• Shaving exposes a dog to sunburn, bug bites and skin disease.
• A dog’s fur serves as insulation against heat.
• The fur will grow back fuzzy and may take two years to return to its natural state—if it ever does.

And for:

• Shaving helps a dog keep cool during the summer.
• Shaving reduces the amount of dog hair in the home.
• Shaving reduces the need for other grooming services.

Whatever your choice, we can help keep your four-legged loved one clean, trimmed, and happy this summer! Call us at (330) 534-1200 to make a reservation. If you'd like, you can read the entire Tribune article here.

Winter Storm Reminder: Take Care of Your Pet's Needs, Too!

With the first major snowstorm of the season blanketing Northeast Ohio, it's good to review things to watch for to make sure our pets are healthy and safe during the winter months.

If you’re like most people and have a dog or cat that lives indoor with you, it’s important to limit their outdoor time in extremely cold conditions.

If you occasionally allow your cat to go outside, it’s not advisable to do so in freezing temperatures. Their tendency to explore, even close to home, may be overcome by their need to seek warmth. This can lead them to dryer vents on homes, or worse, to climb into a nearby vehicle’s engine compartment—and such locations can lead to tragedy. Keep your cat indoors until the weather warms up again.

If you own an indoor dog, you’ll naturally let it go outside for potty times and some exercise. However, whether it’s on a leash or able to roam free in a fenced or invisible-fenced area, your dog can be overcome by freezing temperatures more rapidly than you may think. If their coat becomes damp from snow or ice, hypothermia can set in.

In particular, keep an eye on the pads of their feet. Snow and ice can become packed between their pads, and cause severe discomfort even after they’ve come back inside.

If you have a dog or cat that typically stays outside, or perhaps in a garage, take precautions to make them more comfortable in the winter. Make sure their houses are lined with cardboard or a piece of carpet to add extra warmth, and turn the opening away from the wind. In a garage,  try to seal up any air leaks that may cause an unnecessary draft, and make sure there is something—cardboard, an old blanket, or carpet scraps—that they can snuggle up on other than the concrete floor.

Again, take precautions to keep them away from your car’s engine. Clean up any antifreeze spills, which are hazardous, and from time to time check your pet’s coat for ice-melting salt or chemicals, which they’ll try to lick from their fur.

Winter can be a wonderful and invigorating time of year, but it can be perilous, too. Take precautions to make sure you and your pet remain happy and healthy until the first signs of spring!

Here's a Grooming Tip If You Put a Sweater On Your Dog This Winter

We are at that time of year for warm clothes and boots for ourselves -- and our four-legged friends!

But here's a tip: If you put a sweater or coat on your dog, it is important that you only do so when they are going outside. If your dog needs to wear a sweater in the house, please remember to remove it periodically to brush their fur and loosen any mats or static that has formed.  

We have already seen dogs come for grooms who have been wearing their Santa sweaters for a week, and they are so matted (it's like a very thick felt pad!) that we have had to shave them down completely. It's just impossible to comb that out when the mats are so thick and cover such a large part of their bodies. 

If your dog needs a good bath and brush out in-between haircuts, call us at 330-534-1200 and we will help you keep them maintained and mat free.

During Rainy Weather, Don't Forget to Exercise Your Pet!

With all the rain we've been having in the region due to the recent storms, it's understandable that we would focus on things like maintaining electrical service, guarding against high winds, and other things essential to our safety.

But don't forget about the well-being of your pet -- and that includes keeping them active to help them deal with stress. Animals experience stress during severe weather conditions, too, and exercise is an important part of keeping your pet active, happy and healthy.

Sometimes that suffers during inclement weather, especially if you're a dog owner and you're in the habit of taking your pet on a daily walk. But there are lots of things you can do indoors. Here's a helpful article from Cesar Millan's website (he's the "Dog Whisperer" from TV) that offers a few suggestions:

 

Dog Exercise: How to Exercise Your Dog Indoors

And, in the interest of equal time, here's an article about exercise for your cat:

Exercising with Your Cat: A How-to Guide

These tips will come in handy when winter weather strikes in a few weeks, too.

At Hubbard Pet Resort & Spa, we make sure your four-legged loved ones get plenty of love and exercise every day. Dogs get potty trips and play time throughout the day, and cats get to enjoy our "catio," an indoor wonder of things to do and explore. 

Be sure to keep your pet active this autumn and winter. When you bring them to HPR, we'll do the same!

Artificial Turf Installed at Hubbard Pet Resort & Spa!

We're excited to share the news that artificial turf is being installed in our dog yards at Hubbard Pet Resort & Spa!

The artificial surface is more durable and enjoyable for the animals. It drains for proper sanitation, meaning that we can spray it clean on a daily basis. Artificial turf also eliminates problems with mud or having pools of water develop in wet conditions -- and, during winter snowstorms, we can just shovel it clear!

The first yard with turf was completed over the weekend, and the other two are scheduled to be finished this week. We hope you share in our excitement over this new improvement to our facility.

Hubbard Pet Resort & Spa offers pet boarding, day care, and grooming. Our ultraclean facility is climate controlled for your pet's comfort, and there is someone on site 24/7. If you'd like to take a tour, just give us a call to set something up during our normal business hours. For more information, or to make a reservation, give us a call at 330-534-1200.