When preparing for your pet’s staycation at The Wagging Club in Tampa, FL, making a reservation is only part of the journey. Ensuring your pet’s health and emotional readiness is just as important for a safe, happy experience. That’s why we strongly encourage all pet parents to prioritize a wellness exam before boarding.
At The Wagging Club, your pet’s physical and emotional well-being is at the heart of everything we do. Here’s why proactive health care is essential before your pet joins our family for daycare, boarding, or a spa day.
Understanding the Importance of Pre-Boarding Wellness Exams
A wellness exam is far more than just a formality — it’s a comprehensive health check that ensures your pet is ready to enjoy their stay safely and comfortably. Boarding environments, even joyful ones like ours, introduce new sights, sounds, smells, and social interactions that can place added stress on your pet’s body and immune system.
Before your pet’s reservation, we require:
- A completed temperament evaluation for group or private care
- Up-to-date vaccination records
A wellness exam helps ensure there aren’t any hidden issues that could affect your pet’s boarding experience — or their health.
What the Exam Covers
During a pre-boarding wellness exam, your veterinarian will check:
- Vital signs (temperature, pulse, respiration)
- Ears, eyes, nose, throat, skin, and coat condition
- Hydration and nutritional status
- Mobility and musculoskeletal health
This allows you to catch silent conditions before they turn serious:
- Arthritis pain can flare under new physical activities or surfaces, making your pet reluctant to play or even irritable toward other pets.
- Slow-building infections like ear infections or dental disease may not show obvious symptoms at first — but can reach a painful tipping point if not caught early.
- Immune system concerns can remain hidden unless blood panels are done. A pet may seem fine at home, but minor illnesses circulating in a group environment could pose a bigger threat if they have an undetected immune disorder.
By scheduling a wellness exam, you help prevent stressful emergencies and protect your pet’s comfort during their stay.
How Wellness Exams Support a Safer Boarding Experience
Early Detection of Health Concerns
Wellness exams often uncover early signs of illness, such as heart murmurs, diabetes, dental infections, or skin conditions, allowing you to address them proactively.
DIY at-home checkups can also help catch minor issues between vet visits.
Learn more about the diseases wellness care can help prevent – AAHA
Contagious Illness Prevention
Boarding facilities naturally bring pets together, and while we uphold the highest cleaning and disinfection protocols, exposure is still possible. Vaccines significantly reduce disease risk but do not eliminate it completely.
Blood panels before boarding can ensure:
- Your pet isn’t silently carrying a contagious illness
- Their immune system is strong enough to handle normal environmental exposure
Learn more about Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (Kennel Cough).
At The Wagging Club, we enforce strict health standards and use Aerapy UV disinfection and Cleanwise vacuum systems to maintain a pristine environment.
Easing Emotional Stress
When your pet feels physically well, they are better emotionally equipped to handle the excitement and changes of boarding. Pets struggling with hidden pain or illness are more prone to anxiety or reactivity.
We also recommend familiar items like a favorite blanket (no bulky beds) and enrichment add-ons like a private cuddle session or frozen peanut butter Kong to help your pet settle in smoothly.
Read more about separation anxiety in pets – AAHA
Preparing for Your Dog’s Stay
Before boarding, please make sure:
- Your pet has completed a wellness exam
- Vaccinations are up-to-date
- A temperament evaluation has been completed
- Boarding checklist items are packed (meals, medications, labeled belongings)
Check out 6 Tips to Prepare Your Pet for Summertime Boarding – AAHA
What Happens If You Skip a Wellness Exam?
Without a pre-boarding checkup, hidden illnesses could:
- Flare up under the stress of boarding
- Lead to emergency medical situations while you’re away
- Risk spreading contagious conditions
- Cause unnecessary discomfort, anxiety, or even aggression during the stay
Wellness exams are a critical layer of protection — for your pet and for every furry guest at The Wagging Club.
Your Partner in Happy, Healthy Boarding
At The Wagging Club, we treat your pets like family, with personalized care plans, health monitoring, daily cleanings, and a team trained to spot early signs of distress or illness.
We promise:
- Customized care for every personality and health need
- Strict vaccination and health screening standards
- Daily cleaning, UV disinfection, and proactive health checks
- Loving, trained staff dedicated to your pet’s happiness
Ready to book your pet’s staycation?
Request a Service Here
Have questions about getting your pet ready?
Contact The Wagging Club Team
At The Wagging Club, your pet isn’t just boarded — they are cared for, celebrated, and loved like family.
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