Q. What should I bring when my dog comes to board?
You will need to bring him on a lead. You should also bring his vaccination card. We provide a bed and vetbed fleecy quick dry bedding so your own isn't required. You are welcome to bring something old with familiar smells from home that is not important if it is chewed. Please don't bring food & water bowls.

Q. My dog isn't vaccinated. Can he still board?
No. We do not accept unvaccinated dogs or dogs whose boosters are overdue. You will need to make sure that his vaccination programme is up date several weeks before you plan to board. Consult your vet for further advice.

Q. Does my dog have to be vaccinated against Kennel Cough?
Yes, it is a condition of boarding that all dogs are vaccinated against Kennel Cough. We will not accept into our care any dogs which we believe to be infected with Kennel Cough.

Q. What is Kennel Cough?
Kennel Cough is a term used to describe a range of respiratory
infections in dogs. It is passed through the air and is very contagious, much like colds & flu in people. It is very rarely life threatening but is distressing for owners and dogs alike and requires veterinary treatment to manage the symptoms, the most noticeable of which is a dry, throaty cough. It cannot be passed to humans. Your dog is at increased risk of catching Kennel Cough anywhere groups of dogs congregate. You can vaccinate your dog against Kennel Cough. The vaccine is only administered by vets and takes the form of a nasal spray. It provides protection for about 6 months and costs around £20 - a new version which gives protection for 1 year is now available.

Q. What should I do now?
Firstly, if you have any concerns, you should consult your vet. We will only accept non Kennel Cough vaccinated dogs accompanied by a letter of explanation from your vet. You will need to have your dog vaccinated at least a week before boarding. This is to give your dog time to build immunity. You should bring your dog’s vaccination record with you when you bring him to stay.

Q. Can I see where my dog will be staying on arrival?
Yes, of course. You are most welcome to see him settled into his kennel. If you prefer not to, that is fine too - some people get upset at having to leave their dog.

Q. Will my dog have to change pens during his stay?
Possibly. We do occasionally move dogs around if necessary for cleaning or other such reasons.

Q. Will you fasten my dog away at night?
Yes. Dogs are fastened into their inside kennel at about 5pm so that their outdoor run can be washed down. We also fasten them away if we experience prolonged spells of rain.

Q. Last time my dog stayed in kennels he lost a lot of weight. Is this common?
Certain breeds of dog - notably Border Collies, Boxers, Dalmations, Great Danes and other similar breeds - are prone to weight loss in kennels. It depends on the dog but 'highly strung' types can expend a lot of energy through excitement at being around other dogs. They quite frequently do not stop running around all day and so they burn more calories than they take in. We feed these dogs extra but we must be very careful not to cause tummy upsets in a dog who needs to keep weight on. It is quite common for other dogs (especially overweight ones) to lose a little weight in kennels if they stay for a while too.

Q. My dog has never boarded in kennels before. Will he be ok?
All dogs are different but almost all dogs settle in the kennels routine very quickly. It is often a good idea to bring a first timer to stay for a couple of days when you are not on holiday to introduce him gradually. You are very welcome to call us to check how your dog is doing if you have any concerns whilst he is boarding.

Q. I made a booking but my dates have changed. Can I shorten / extend his stay?
You can usually extend a booking with no problem. During very busy periods this can be problematic however, and you should let us know as soon as you can. You can always shorten a stay. Stays that are significantly shortened without notice at peak times will be charged for the full booking.

Q. I made a booking but I have to cancel it.
No problem. We appreciate you letting us know as soon as you can, but there are no cancellation fees.

Q. I have 2 dogs. Can they go together?
Yes, of course. We have kennels large enough for up to 3 dogs to stay together. They must be from the same home though. We never mix strange dogs.

Q. My dog is a fussy eater.
We have a variety of different foods to tempt. Alternatively you are welcome to bring along the food he has at home and we will feed him as per your instructions.

Q. My dog is already insured. Do I have to pay your insurance fees?
No, but you will have to sign a disclaimer saying that you agree to pay any normally claimable costs that we might incur, upon collection of your dog. It will then be up to you to submit your claim to your insurers. Since our boarding insurance only costs £1.50 per week opting out is not popular.

Q. Do you board puppies?
Provided they are fully vaccinated, yes.

Q. My dog is old. Can he still board?
Yes, of course - provided he is fully vaccinated. Please be sure to let us know of any special needs he may have.

Q. My dog is on medication. Will you give it to him whilst boarding?
Yes. Bring along his prescription with the dosage instructions clearly marked and we will give him his medicines according to the directions. We generally do this free of charge but if the prescription regime is complicated (multiple daily tablets or injections for example) then we may make an additional charge. This will be explained on booking. You should also be aware that - like most insurance policies - existing medical conditions are not covered by the kennels insurance scheme.

Q. Do you board cats as well?
Yes we do. You can find more information about our cattery at
www.cattery.santosha.co.uk

Q. Do you accept out of hours collections?
No, we don't. We have some of the longest opening hours in the area and a flexible next day collections policy which means you pay no extra if you collect before 9:30am the next day. This includes Sunday when we are open until noon.

Q. Are you open over the Christmas period?
We are open to pets over the Christmas holidays. We operate our regular opening hours every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's day. On those 3 days we are closed to people.

Q. Do you charge more over Christmas?
No, our charges are currently set every April and remain the same all year although there is an effective 3 day minimum charge because we are closed Christmas day & Boxing day.

Q. Who are your vets?
Our vets are the Hillside Veterinary Practice, 146 Crewe Road, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 6NB. Telephone 01270 625310.

Q. Why is Santosha now insisting on the Kennel Cough vaccination in order to board?
For a number of years we have been recommending owners to vaccinate their dog before boarding. As you can imagine, an airborne infection such as this can cause a very serious problem if it gets into a boarding kennels. We screen animals entering our kennels but dogs are infectious for several days before they start showing symptoms. This means that an apparently healthy dog can enter and by the time it has started coughing a few days later it is too late for us to prevent the infection spreading—hence the name, Kennel Cough. We have been fortunate to have had no cases of Kennel Cough at Santosha for over 10 years but last year saw an alarming number of Kennel Cough cases in the Crewe & Nantwich area. Last year we therefore decided, for the protection of the dogs that stay with us and to safeguard our business, that all dogs boarded here must be Kennel Cough vaccinated in addition to their standard vaccinations. We realise this move will inconvenience some and for that we apologise.