Many clients ask us about bringing their own food for their pet during its' stay with us. Our rates include a standard diet which we prepare daily. Our standard diet consists of a combination of Diamond Mealettes, water, and Evinger's Canned Chicken.

During any visit to the kennel, if you would like to bring your pet's own diet we are more than happy to feed his or her specific diet. There is no additional charge for preparing special diets provided you supply us with the food required. If we have to purchase and prepare a special diet there is an additional charge.

One of the possible side effects of making a sudden change to your pet's normal diet is the possibility of bowel changes. Because our foods are both high in fat and protein they may be different from your pet's normal diet. Changing the diet, coupled with the normal stress of boarding, can in some instances create mild colitis in boarding pets. Please read the section below for more information. Please realize that this is not intended to shock you but it is written to provide you with an insight for your consideration.

Approximately 60% of our clients use our feeding for their pets, and they do quite well with no adverse side effects. Please remember that we have chosen our "standard food" very carefully and after experimenting with many different combinations we find this mixture to be the best transition possible.

One cause of diarrhea is overfeeding. Many clients feel that because their pet is in the kennel that they need to feed more (we call it the "guilt feeding"). You should measure your food into a common 8 oz. standard kitchen cup measure to determine the amount of food required per feeding. We use a common 8 oz. standard kitchen cup measure to measure our feedings and therefore we can continue your pet's feeding without forcing a change.

Dietary Changes

While diarrhea is uncommon in kennels it does occur. Our facility is spray-cleaned and sterilized daily with a quaternary ammonia compound and a 3% Clorox solution.

In addition each pet's bowls and water buckets are cleaned daily. Throughout the day the run areas are mopped with a 3% Clorox solution (recommended by Al Smith, DVM of Charlottesville Veterinary Hospital) each mop is introduced to this solution before use in other pet's runs. If you consult the Merck Veterinary Manual all the suggested prevention for diarrhea are established, routine, daily procedures encompassed in our daily care.

While diarrhea is an uncommon, and dreaded problem in the kennel environment, we are aware that there could be problems in some pets while they are boarded and after they return home. Through our efforts to check and uncover the cause of pets having had similar bowel problems both during after their return home we have uncovered several issues which might help the prospective boarder to avoid this type of problem. We rely on feedback from our customers, and from local veterinarians, to make us aware of any problems which might occur such diarrhea. A type of diarrhea which we see more commonly in the kennel is that which manifests itself during the routine of boarding at the kennel pet's. This cause of diarrhea results from residents which have a sudden dietary change compounded by the unavoidable stress of boarding. This type of bowel change usually manifests itself within 3 to 4 days from the start of boarding.

If this is noticed during boarding you would receive a "pet health report form" at the time of checkout advising you of problems observed during your pet's stay. In addition your veterinarian would be contacted for his/her advice and suggested treatment. Normal treatment for diarrhea is to restrict the diet for 12-24 hours, administer anti-diarrheal medication, and provide the pets with a bland diet of rice and boiled ground beef.

There are several methods to avoid an occurrence or reoccurrence of this problem should you elect to select Wakefield Kennel for your kenneling needs. First and foremost, I would suggest that you bring your pet's normal diet along and have us feed it. We have found over our year's of service that a very high proportion of both stress induced bowel changes and dietary bowel changes are eliminated by simply not forcing the change of diet from a pet's routine diet to that of the kennel diet. Secondly, you should try to alter your pet's eating routine to encompass one larger morning feeding trying to avoid multiple numbers of feeding. Diarrhea is generally the result of a too rapid movement of bowel product through the large intestine and thereby creating an irritation to the large intestine.

We feed a diet which is very high in fat and protein, supplemented by canned products. We feed this type of diet so that pets who might not eat their normal volume of food, due to stress or other factors, will still receive high quantities of the elements necessary to avoid weight loss or other adverse situations. Unfortunately, pets who do not have a similar diet at home could be subjected to bowel changes.

How To Treat Diarrhea (Loose Stool)

Loose stools and or diarrhea are caused by many things (stress, change in diet or water, etc.) and should not be ignored or minimized. If you feel uncomfortable with the pet's demeanor or attitude by all means consult with your veterinarian. We do not consider a loose (non-watery) stool to be uncommon in the kennel. When we observe this we will provide you with a "pink pet report form" outlining our observations.

Here at the kennel there are several things which we do to minimize the effects of diarrhea and to try and shorten its duration. (This is a program advised by our consulting veterinarian and is not meant to conflict or contradict your veterinarian's advice.)

1-- Withhold all food for 12-24 hours (do not feed dairy products).

2-- After withholding food, feed a bland diet of boiled rice and boiled chicken or boiled ground beef for 2-3 feedings.

3-- After feeding rice, reintroduce your pet's regular diet mixed with the rice mixture over the next 3 feedings.

4-- Administer Pepto Bismol caplets (follow small child dosage) 2 times per day for 3 days from the onset of the loose stool.

5-- If bowel changes do not correct after 3 days, consult with the attending veterinarian.

Please understand that we highly recommend that if you are at all uncomfortable with your pet's health that you consult with your veterinarian of record to advise him of your intended treatment regimen or to gain his approval of your treatments.

This page last updated August 4, 2010