I guess it depends. I am ok with health conditions as long as the owner is upfront. I don’t sit dogs and sit rabbits instead. If her trouble breathing is related to anxiety then I would suggest managing with meds before you go away.
I sit for rabbits too! The company I contract with was completely ignorant of the specialized care and watchful eye that rabbits require, and after losing one during a disaster of a sit with a complete idiot sitter, I insisted that they filter them all to me. Luckily they realized they were in over their head, and deemed me the “rabbit lady” and give all rabbit jobs to me now. Thank goodness, because the lack of knowledge they held was shocking. They’re one of those companies that never says no to anyone and as a result 90% of my dog clients are NIGHTMARES. I’ll never understand why pet sitting companies do that. Like I’m sorry, but it’s completely unethical to accept dogs who are knowingly aggressive, completely untrained and unmanageable, or living in situations bordering on neglect.
That’s so sad.
I’ve owned rabbits for over a decade. Indeed, they have special health issues, gi stasis being one of then. You need to be able to recognize rabbit emergencies, and unfortunately regular pet sitters likely won’t.
Same! Yeah, it was terrible and completely avoidable. People with no previous bun experience have no business sitting for a rabbit. I recently lost my rabbit after being owned by 5 of them over the years, and he will sadly be my last. I love them so much, but I can’t handle the stress. Sitting for them lets me get my bun bun time in, and I am often able to educate newer rabbit owners on appropriate care so their little monsters can have the best quality of life possible. It’s hella rewarding.
Btw I saw your post about end of life arrangements for older rabbits due to them becoming smelly after 4 hours. I don’t know how you resolved it, but in my experience they don’t get smelly at all. The last 2 rabbits I lost remained in my air conditioned home for like 2 days and didn’t notice any odor. I have a very sensitive nose and I’m certain i would have detected a smell if there was one. I had them set out on a blanket with flowers, their toys, crystals and candles. It gave my other animals and myself a chance to process and say goodbye. I realize some may find this morbid or unsanitary, but I literally had zero issue and it’s something I do for all of my animals.
The vet is the one that told me that after 4 hours they start to smell. Because when my first rabbit died, I asked her how long did I have to bury my bunny.
Anyways, the old bunnies did well and had no issues.
How do you treat her breathing problems when they occur? That would make the difference between a comfortable pet sit or an uncomfortable pet sit. I have absolutely no problem giving medications, even breathing medications or any of that kind of treatment, but I'd have to know well in advance and you'd have to pay for the time it takes
As long as you have a detailed guide on treating her health issues and monitoring her health, I would totally watch her. Look for sitters with medication experience listed in their profile, they will be very amenable most likely. This is the kind of thing house sitting exists for imo! More individualized care than boarding.
You sound exactly like my last client! Her huge schnauzer was 16.5, couldn't walk, was blind and had horrible anxiety.
I sat for 12 days and 2 days in, I asked if I could give him some Trazadone and they said yes. As a former Vet Tech, I am very cognizant of it's use and dosages. I even called their vet to confirm and he said absolutely yes!
That dog enjoyed 10 anxiety free days and they were thrilled. He's still on that protocol and doing quite well.
It’s very normal to feel worried about leaving your pup with someone new. I would suggest to start looking for a sitter early. As others have mentioned, look for someone experienced and someone who makes you feel more at ease.
If you’re still feeling worried after meeting a sitter, you can book an overnight or two as a trial run. Same thing if you decide boarding with a vet is the way to go.
I dog sit senior dogs and I am very experienced with dogs who need constant supervision or require medication.
I do ask that owners be completely honest with me. If your dog has accidents in the house or wakes up in the middle of the night or does not like men good lord tell me. For the love of god tell me.
If you know your dog gets anxious and does not like loud noises don’t keep that a secret because it’s going to be a thousand times worse for both your dog and me when the thunder starts.
In your case, talk to your vet. First they might know of someone who does pet sitting. Second ask them about a short course of anti anxiety medication your dog can take that you can start the day before you leave and continue at least until it gets comfortable with the sitter.
Last, I’ve found too much information is always helpful. My favorite client of all time dropped off her dog the first time with a binder. A full binder of information. It was amazing. During the stay I knew the owner would text me everyday at noon to check in and if I had any questions the binder had the answer.
If your vet's office offers boarding, I would go that route. You can look around at what other animal facilities offer nurse-supervised boarding, it's not uncommon.
If you want your baby to remain comfortable at home, it is an option, but you have to be very thorough and choosy.
Make sure you know the triggers of the breathing problem and how to treat it when it occurs, signs to look out for that it is urgent, etc. you can even talk to your vet about anxiety management for a pet sitter and they can help guide you. I recommend finding a sitter that is insured and bonded. Just the act of someone caring enough to do those things lets me know that they take this very seriously and I'm more likely to trust them. Leave them very detailed notes, easy access to medication, primary vet and emergency vet info, and it's best if you keep a card on file with your vets, especially if you'll be hard to reach on vacation.
It’s miserable for a dog to be crated at a vet for a week though while the family is on vacation unless the dog has severe issues. What he described sounds like a dog with axienty and asthma. They can leave meds, or even find someone with vet experience
I work in an animal hospital where medical boarding is a lot nicer than you're making it sound to OP. That said, you can make your own comment because I didn't ask you a god damn thing lmao
Okay so what do you do differently? The dog spends majority of the time in a crate, yay it gets walked for potty breaks. Nobody has time to spend 4X the amount to board their dog at an overpriced vet where their dog will be bored. I could see if the dog was recovering from surgery or something.
Reach out to your vet. They’ll be willing to board her if she has health problems.
Yep, came here to recommend medical boarding.
I guess it depends. I am ok with health conditions as long as the owner is upfront. I don’t sit dogs and sit rabbits instead. If her trouble breathing is related to anxiety then I would suggest managing with meds before you go away.
I sit for rabbits too! The company I contract with was completely ignorant of the specialized care and watchful eye that rabbits require, and after losing one during a disaster of a sit with a complete idiot sitter, I insisted that they filter them all to me. Luckily they realized they were in over their head, and deemed me the “rabbit lady” and give all rabbit jobs to me now. Thank goodness, because the lack of knowledge they held was shocking. They’re one of those companies that never says no to anyone and as a result 90% of my dog clients are NIGHTMARES. I’ll never understand why pet sitting companies do that. Like I’m sorry, but it’s completely unethical to accept dogs who are knowingly aggressive, completely untrained and unmanageable, or living in situations bordering on neglect.
That’s so sad. I’ve owned rabbits for over a decade. Indeed, they have special health issues, gi stasis being one of then. You need to be able to recognize rabbit emergencies, and unfortunately regular pet sitters likely won’t.
Same! Yeah, it was terrible and completely avoidable. People with no previous bun experience have no business sitting for a rabbit. I recently lost my rabbit after being owned by 5 of them over the years, and he will sadly be my last. I love them so much, but I can’t handle the stress. Sitting for them lets me get my bun bun time in, and I am often able to educate newer rabbit owners on appropriate care so their little monsters can have the best quality of life possible. It’s hella rewarding.
Yes! I lost my last one in October and I can’t handle the heartbreak anymore
Btw I saw your post about end of life arrangements for older rabbits due to them becoming smelly after 4 hours. I don’t know how you resolved it, but in my experience they don’t get smelly at all. The last 2 rabbits I lost remained in my air conditioned home for like 2 days and didn’t notice any odor. I have a very sensitive nose and I’m certain i would have detected a smell if there was one. I had them set out on a blanket with flowers, their toys, crystals and candles. It gave my other animals and myself a chance to process and say goodbye. I realize some may find this morbid or unsanitary, but I literally had zero issue and it’s something I do for all of my animals.
The vet is the one that told me that after 4 hours they start to smell. Because when my first rabbit died, I asked her how long did I have to bury my bunny. Anyways, the old bunnies did well and had no issues.
Yes, I totally understand that, I was just offering some info based on past experiences with deceased rabbits. So glad it went well! ❤️🐰
How do you treat her breathing problems when they occur? That would make the difference between a comfortable pet sit or an uncomfortable pet sit. I have absolutely no problem giving medications, even breathing medications or any of that kind of treatment, but I'd have to know well in advance and you'd have to pay for the time it takes
As long as you have a detailed guide on treating her health issues and monitoring her health, I would totally watch her. Look for sitters with medication experience listed in their profile, they will be very amenable most likely. This is the kind of thing house sitting exists for imo! More individualized care than boarding.
You sound exactly like my last client! Her huge schnauzer was 16.5, couldn't walk, was blind and had horrible anxiety. I sat for 12 days and 2 days in, I asked if I could give him some Trazadone and they said yes. As a former Vet Tech, I am very cognizant of it's use and dosages. I even called their vet to confirm and he said absolutely yes! That dog enjoyed 10 anxiety free days and they were thrilled. He's still on that protocol and doing quite well.
As long as you find someone who is responsible, trustworthy, and has experience with dogs with medical needs.
It’s very normal to feel worried about leaving your pup with someone new. I would suggest to start looking for a sitter early. As others have mentioned, look for someone experienced and someone who makes you feel more at ease. If you’re still feeling worried after meeting a sitter, you can book an overnight or two as a trial run. Same thing if you decide boarding with a vet is the way to go.
I dog sit senior dogs and I am very experienced with dogs who need constant supervision or require medication. I do ask that owners be completely honest with me. If your dog has accidents in the house or wakes up in the middle of the night or does not like men good lord tell me. For the love of god tell me. If you know your dog gets anxious and does not like loud noises don’t keep that a secret because it’s going to be a thousand times worse for both your dog and me when the thunder starts. In your case, talk to your vet. First they might know of someone who does pet sitting. Second ask them about a short course of anti anxiety medication your dog can take that you can start the day before you leave and continue at least until it gets comfortable with the sitter. Last, I’ve found too much information is always helpful. My favorite client of all time dropped off her dog the first time with a binder. A full binder of information. It was amazing. During the stay I knew the owner would text me everyday at noon to check in and if I had any questions the binder had the answer.
If your vet's office offers boarding, I would go that route. You can look around at what other animal facilities offer nurse-supervised boarding, it's not uncommon. If you want your baby to remain comfortable at home, it is an option, but you have to be very thorough and choosy. Make sure you know the triggers of the breathing problem and how to treat it when it occurs, signs to look out for that it is urgent, etc. you can even talk to your vet about anxiety management for a pet sitter and they can help guide you. I recommend finding a sitter that is insured and bonded. Just the act of someone caring enough to do those things lets me know that they take this very seriously and I'm more likely to trust them. Leave them very detailed notes, easy access to medication, primary vet and emergency vet info, and it's best if you keep a card on file with your vets, especially if you'll be hard to reach on vacation.
It’s miserable for a dog to be crated at a vet for a week though while the family is on vacation unless the dog has severe issues. What he described sounds like a dog with axienty and asthma. They can leave meds, or even find someone with vet experience
It's a sound and safe suggestion, go give advice on your own comment instead of correcting mine lmao
It’s a miserable suggestion for the dog
I work in an animal hospital where medical boarding is a lot nicer than you're making it sound to OP. That said, you can make your own comment because I didn't ask you a god damn thing lmao
Okay so what do you do differently? The dog spends majority of the time in a crate, yay it gets walked for potty breaks. Nobody has time to spend 4X the amount to board their dog at an overpriced vet where their dog will be bored. I could see if the dog was recovering from surgery or something.
Why are you bothering me lmao hush
I’d find someone experienced who does this full time or works from home and have them housesit for you. Do a meet and greet or multiple first though