Vets warn of holiday pet hates

As more and more pet owners prepare to leave town for Spring Festival, vets and animal experts have sounded a note of caution about leaving pets in unlicensed boarding centers, as well as giving advice for owners who are worried about the effect the annual firework bombardment might have on their animals.

Liu Lang, general secretary of Beijing Small Animal Veterinary Association, warned that as the pet service industry has expanded, there are likely to be many unlicensed premises which are often unhygienic and in poor condition. This means animals may be exposed to cross-infection, Liu said.

A vet surnamed Li from Beijing Wawa Animal Hospital agrees that if animals are crowded together, it increases the difficulties with regard to disease prevention and control, as well as separation anxiety from their owners.

"The biggest problem when pets are left is their mental condition, especially dogs, so it would be better to put them in a house instead of a hospital," said Li.

Liu also believes that it would be better if pet owners could find an alternative to boarding during the holiday.

"It's best to take the animals to a friend who is experienced and responsible. In that case, the animals will have more space and homey feelings to help them get over depression more quickly," said Liu.

A local resident, surnamed Mao, will leave his two poodles at his local animal hospital in Wangjing. He is confident they will take care of his pets well, as they have the dogs' medical records, and Mao has a long-term relationship with them. However, he said he had to pay a 50 percent premium for boarding over the holiday.

Other pet centers have raised their fees. The manager of Beijing Doggyhome Pets Hotel said she has received about 100 bookings for pet boarding and their 160 kennels for cats and dogs are almost full, despite their rise in fees.

According to their website, the service for dogs is levied at 60 yuan ($9.5) per day, a 30 percent increase over the usual rate.

Mary Peng, co-founder of the International Center for Veterinary Services, said many owners of their patients would board their pets at the hospital.

"We're even busier than last year as more people get away to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, and lots of pets could be very nervous about the fireworks, or in need of medication," said Peng.

If pet owners are worried about their pets' reaction to noisy fireworks, Li advised that they could ask their local vet for calming medication, based on Chinese Traditional Medicine.