Cani Life grew out of Canidae Pet Services, where we look after other people's dogs and cats every day. One of the most common worries we hear from pet parents is a tummy upset during or after a stay away from home. It's understandable, it's usually mild, and with a little planning most of it can be avoided. Here's what we've learned works.
This is general guidance. If your pet seems unwell at any point, contact your vet.
Why boarding can upset the tummy
- Stress. A new place, new people, new smells and other animals all release stress hormones, and those affect the gut directly. Even a happy, excited pet can get soft stools.
- A change of food. Switching to different food for a few days is one of the biggest causes.
- Eating differently. Some pets gulp their food around other animals. Others barely eat on the first day, then eat a lot.
- New water and routine. Different timings for meals, walks and sleep.
- Coming home. Excitement, gulping water, and the welcome-home treats everyone wants to give.
One to two weeks before
- Check vaccinations and deworming. Most boarding centres need proof of vaccination. Deworm a week or two before the stay, not the day before, in case it causes a short tummy upset.
- Don't change food now. Keep your pet on exactly what they usually eat.
- Consider a probiotic. Starting about a week before the stay, and continuing through it, helps support the gut while everything around it changes.
- Try a short visit if your pet has never boarded. A day stay or a few hours helps them learn that you come back.
Packing and handover
- Send your pet's own food, measured into one pack per meal and labelled. It's the single most useful thing you can do.
- Send their probiotic or supplements, with written amounts.
- Write down the routine: meal times and amounts, treats allowed, toilet habits, and anything they mustn't eat.
- List allergies, medicines and your vet's number.
- Pack something that smells of home: a worn T-shirt or their own blanket.
- Keep the goodbye short and calm. Long, emotional farewells make many pets more anxious.
Questions to ask the boarding centre
- Will they feed your pet's own food, at your times?
- Is your pet fed separately from other animals?
- Do they track appetite and stools, and will they tell you if anything changes?
- What do they do if a pet gets loose motion, and which vet do they use?
- For cats: is there a separate, quiet area away from dogs?
A good centre will be glad you asked.
During the stay
Slightly soft stools on the first day or two are common and usually settle as your pet relaxes. What matters is that your pet keeps eating and drinking, stays bright, and the stools improve rather than worsen. A good centre will contact you, and their vet, if they see any of the warning signs below.
Coming home
- Offer water in small amounts at first. Excited pets often gulp a whole bowl and bring it back up.
- Give a normal-sized meal of their usual food. Skip the welcome-home feast and the extra treats on day one.
- Let them rest. Many pets sleep a lot for a day or two after boarding. That's normal: they've been busy.
- Keep up the probiotic for another week, while things settle.
- Watch stools and appetite for two or three days.
When to call a vet
- Loose motion that lasts more than 48 hours, or gets worse.
- Blood in the stool, black stool, or vomiting.
- Not eating, very tired, or dehydrated (dry gums, sunken eyes).
- A cat that hasn't eaten for more than a day.
- A honking cough after boarding. This can be kennel cough, which is usually mild but should be checked.
For more on handling loose motion at home, see our guide to loose motion in dogs.
A note on cats
Cats find change harder than most dogs. Get them used to their carrier in the weeks before by leaving it open at home with a blanket inside. Ask whether the cat area is quiet and away from dogs. Make sure the centre knows that a cat who hasn't eaten for more than a day needs a vet. For more, see our guide to probiotics for cats.
Boarding checklist
- Vaccinations up to date, with proof
- Dewormed one to two weeks before
- Same food as always, packed per meal
- Probiotic started a week before, and packed for the stay
- Written routine, allergies, medicines and vet number
- Something that smells of home
- Small amounts of water and a normal meal on the first day home
A note from us
Cani-Gut is a pre- and probiotic powder for dogs and cats. Many pet parents start it a week before a boarding stay or a trip and keep it going for a week after. It mixes into food and is dosed by weight, so it's easy to pack in pre-measured portions. It supports the gut through stressful times. It isn't a treatment for infections or any of the warning signs above.
