Choosing a Pet Hotel.

Summer is coming and you may need a "pet hotel." Most veterinary clinics offer boarding, and there is a list at the end of this column of other boarding facilities. They tend to fill up well in advance during the summer, especially on weekends. If you know when you will need to board your pets, make reservations now, if not sooner.

I recommend a tour of the facility first. Pay particular attention to cleanliness and ventilation. Expect a lot of noise - dogs get excited about visitors. You should also understand that even in the best facilities, at the time you walk through a dog may have pooped in his cage or turned over a food dish just before you arrived. Look for window fans or some other forced air ventilation system. There should be a securely fenced outdoor exercise area. A house trained dog needs access to an outside toilet area at least twice a day.

Make sure current vaccinations are required - parvovirus and perhaps bordetella ("kennel cough") are important in dogs. You should realize however that there are other viruses and bacteria that can cause kennel cough in dogs, and I think ventilation and cleanliness are at least as important as the bordetella vaccination. Vaccination for the upper respiratory viruses is important in cats, but this, like the kennel cough shots in dogs, does not guarantee your pet will not pick up something. These infections, though they may be a nuisance and require treatment, are usually not very serious.

Few of the facilities require a de-worming treatment or a fecal exam for worms in dogs. Even if they did, it would still be possible that a bowel movement in the exercise area could have microscopic worm eggs in it that your dog could get infected with. This is not usually serious as long as your dog is de-wormed or checked for worms regularly. Also, though most facilities check for fleas and treat if needed, or require monthly preventative treatment, it is impossible to guarantee your pet will not pick up fleas.

Dogs should be walked outside at least twice a day. Some kennels have large fenced areas where dogs are turned loose for exercise periods and some allow groups of dogs to play together, off leash, with supervision. Walking each dog by itself on a leash in a securely fenced area is safest, but off leash play, or supervised group play is a lot more fun for most dogs. If you choose this for your dog, make sure there are secure fences and good supervision and be aware that there may be increased risk of injury or escape.

Regional veterinary clinics offer dog and cat boarding, with twice a day walks in fenced outdoor areas for dogs. Charges vary - $10 to 13.50 for a 70 lb dog, $8 to $13.75 for a 15 lb dog, and $7 to $10.11 for a cat. Here are the other facilities I found in the phone book, with representative charges. Call them for details. (And for reservations!)

Northwest Center for Dog Training 746-0778 (Lapwai Area) (70 lb dog - $15, 15 lb dog - $12, cat - $6) (Has large fenced areas for supervised group play and offers 2 hr. hikes.)

Sunshine Stables & Kennels (Moscow-Pullman Hwy) 1-509-334-1664 (70 lb dog - $12, 15 lb dog - $12, No cats.) (Has fenced off-leash play areas.)

Tammany Creek Kennels 746-6223 (70 lb dog - $12, 15 lb dog - $12, No cats)

Windy Ridge Boarding Kennels (S. of Moscow) 1-208-882-2321 (70 lb dog - $13.50, 15 lb dog - $13.50, cat - $10)