Food and Medication During Your Dog's Stay

How we handle your dog's food and medication during a stay — what to bring, how to label it, and what happens if something runs out. The short version: bring their own food with a little extra, label everything, and tell us the schedule. We do the rest.

Food

Bring your dog's own food

Switching food is the fastest way to give a dog an upset stomach, so every dog eats what they eat at home. Bring enough for the whole stay plus one extra day, and about 10% more per day than they'd normally eat — dogs here are outside and active most of the day and burn more than they do at home.

Label it

Your dog's name on the bag or container, and the amount and schedule on the registration form. If your dog eats at particular times, has more than two meals, or needs a special routine, tell us there or at drop-off — we follow your schedule, not ours.

Special diets

Grain-free, raw, prescription, allergies, home-cooked — all fine. Write out what we need to know: what the food is, how much, anything it must never be mixed with. Raw food goes in our fridge and freezer; bring it portioned if you can.

If we run out

We'll feed the food we keep in stock. It's a good food, but any sudden change can mean a softer stomach or a change in appetite for a day or two — which is why we ask for the extra day's worth. If it's a long stay and you'd rather we didn't switch, you can drop more food off partway through, or talk to us about ordering it in.

Eating and drinking

Every dog eats alone, in their own enclosure, so nobody is rushed or guards. Staff watch who's eating and who isn't; a dog that skips a meal or two on arrival is normal, and we'll tell you if it goes on longer than that. Fresh water is in every enclosure and every play area, checked and refilled through the day. Treats are welcome — bring them labelled and we'll use them.

Medication

What to bring

Medication in its original packaging, with the label showing what it is and the dose. On the registration form or a note in the bag: your dog's name, the amount, the schedule, and whether it goes with food. Tell us at drop-off when the last dose was given.

What we give

Pills, capsules, liquids, drops, ear and eye medication, topical creams, injections including insulin. Medications run on their own schedule, but for most dogs they line up with breakfast and dinner, and that's when we give them. Everything is logged, every staff member sees it, and the key points are written on your dog's enclosure door.

Book "special care required" if…

• your dog is on daily medication
• needs injections
• has to be made to take medication
• needs ear or eye medication
• has a wound that needs care
• is recovering from surgery

Special care is the same standard of care in a calmer environment, with the attention these routines take built into the price. Read about the four kinds of stay.

One-off medications

A single dose of something during a regular stay — a monthly flea and tick treatment, say — is fine under any service type. There's a small charge per medication given; you don't need to book special care for it.

If something's wrong

Everyone on the team has completed the Dogsafe Canine First Aid course, and we keep dog-specific first aid kits across the kennel and property. We keep hypoallergenic gastrointestinal food on hand in case a dog gets an upset stomach. Beyond first aid, we always call you or your emergency contact before doing anything — you stay in control of what happens to your dog. Your vet's details are on the registration form, and if it can't wait we'll take your dog to them or to the nearest emergency clinic.

Questions people ask

Kennel requirements · Registration form · Boarding prices and booking