Who will look after your dog(s)/animal(s) while in hospital?

Bluehelix · February 2011

I probably should have been thinking about this weeks ago, but with all the last minute baby stuff I've been doing, I hadn't really thought of it until now!

We have 3 dogs, and I'm not sure what to do about their care while we are at the hospital. Ask family or friends to look after them? Or call our usual boarding kennel and see if they can accommodate us last minute?

Thanks in advance for any advice or input, ladies!

Swan21 · February 2011

The hospital I am delivering at is only about 20 minutes away. DH won't be with me every waking (or sleeping) moment so he will go home and take care of the dogs when he is showering and changing clothes.

bmp84 · February 2011

DH only stayed with me in the hospital the night I delivered, otherwise he was home to take care of the cats.

greyt00 · February 2011

We would have boarded ours but sadly we had to put him down 2 months ago.

The hospital is only 15 minutes from home so DH could have managed going back and forth, but my dog had never been left alone in the house overnight so I would worry about him. Also, I'd be afraid that we might forget about him. Ugh, I miss my dog.

dee1369 · February 2011

My parents (wonderful souls that they are) will be taking our three dogs. My father will also double check feed and water bottles for the chinchillas and feed the cats while he is at the house to pick up the dogs. If we're in the hospital longer than expected, we live close enough that DH will be able to go home to do cat and chinchilla chores in consequent days.

magdalina.h · February 2011

my mom will be going to my house when MH comes to the hospital after work.

EmilyStL · February 2011

I have two low-maintenance cats, and I asked a friend to stop by and feed them while we're at the hospital. My husband or my mom could probably do it too, but my friend was more than happy to help, and if that gives us one less thing to think about, it's for the best.

danaleigh33 · February 2011

I am having a friend look in on my little princess until I deliever. Depending upon time and day she will probably just come over let out and play for a bit then leave... might come back if its late night then early morning. After that my family should all be in town and I have asked them to take turns playing with my baby girl while we are still at the hospital.

When my sister had hers... we let her pups out before we headed to hospital and then when we took "breaks" some of us would get her pups and bring them for a play date at our house while we were doing whatever before heading to hospital and others would just let them out... (we all lived closer then)

I wouldnt say kennel because you dont want your pets to feel like they are getting pushed to the side besides last minute kennel arrangements can be hard and stressful! I think its best for four-legged family members to be at home if at all possible or atleast with other family

Pamela05 · February 2011

We dropped our 2 big ones off at our trainers kennel (if it had been middle of the night he said to put them in a kennel and leave a message - it's an outdoor facility). I gave a key to a coworker to come feed and walk our chihuahua. Poor guy didn't like his 2 days of loneliness, but he's really too little for the kennel place.

sarag0116 · February 2011

We boarded our dog at the kennel. I wanted DH with my at the hospital at all times and I wanted to keep our dog busy and happy... he loves going there. Since they know us, I basically told them that I didn't know how long he'd be there or who would pick him up and they completely understood. So glad we did that. We came home and he's still pretty worn out from it all!

Bluehelix · February 2011

sarag0116:
We boarded our dog at the kennel. I wanted DH with my at the hospital at all times and I wanted to keep our dog busy and happy... he loves going there. Since they know us, I basically told them that I didn't know how long he'd be there or who would pick him up and they completely understood. So glad we did that. We came home and he's still pretty worn out from it all!

Our dogs love the kennel too, so this is what I'm thinking might be best. They're used to being at home for hours at a time, but the hospital is 45 minutes away. Like you, I want DH with me at the hospital at all times, and not running back and forth, just in case he were to miss out on the birth! Our kennel is pretty good also, and I'll call them tomorrow to see if they're flexible with drop off and pick up. Also, we don't have a lot of friends who live really close to us, and who would be able/willing to come several times a day to let them out, exercise, and feed them.

Thanks to all for your advice and ideas - greatly appreciated

j_luvs_r · February 2011

A friend, who is actually our dog's previous owner, is going to have our girl stay at her house. We are less than 10 minutes from the hospital, but I didn't want DH to have to worry about getting home enough times to let her out. My dad will be stopping by on his way home from work (he works around the corner from my house) to feed out cat.

dee1369 · February 2011

If your dogs are used to being kenneled, it'd be no big deal at all, especially if you have a kennel that will work with you.

My three stay at grandma and grandpa's at least twice a year when we go to chinchilla shows and they love it, they get spoiled and get to play with my dad's big lab. So obviously that's the best choice for us - they'd be miserable in a kennel (and there aren't many that will take a pit bull, no matter how fantastic he is).

GeeWhiz · February 2011

With me on bed rest, we hired a dog walker for a once a day walk. When we deliver, she will handle all three daily walks for a couple of days so DH doesn't have to worry about it. For us, it was a better option than asking friends to do it for us.

emerlyn · February 2011

We have out pet sitter for our 3 cats. The hospital is 45 mins away, and DH will probably come home to see them. We just wanted to not worry about their care if Dh couldn't leave to get home.

TofuMama7 · February 2011

We have a bag packed and by the door for our dog and my mom is going to come pick her up and keep her at my parents house while we're in the hospital (and maybe for an extra day if we want). My dog is very shy and my parents are two of the few people she is comfortable with so it was an easy choice for us.

njmoh · February 2011

my mom and dad will come take care of her

Quiroloslove · February 2011

The hospital I'm delivering at is about 15 minutes away. However, the plan is that our dog will be let out right before we leave. Then my parents who live 2 1/2 hours away will get on the road to come for the arrival of the baby. They will drop off luggage at our house and let our dog out. If that some how doesn't work out..DH can always go home. We thought about it and she stays home 9 hours a day without going out, so she can last a bit on her own.

chiisai_kamesan · February 2011

Swan21:
The hospital I am delivering at is only about 20 minutes away. DH won't be with me every waking (or sleeping) moment so he will go home and take care of the dogs when he is showering and changing clothes.

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