Weekend scare!

Awww. . .poor Simba!  I've been thru that with Willow though, too.  She stayed with her groomers family (whom she knows very, very well) while we went away.  She was a mess the whole time and wouldn't eat.  When I picked her up she was panting and so excited she vomited when we got home. 

Maybe next trip you could look into someone coming to your house to stay with him like a family member or a pet sitter even.  That way he'd be in his own environment, it would robably be less stressful for him. 

Was this his first time at a boarding kennel?  It was probably just nerves.  Check into someone coming to the house is a great idea, I prefer that for Nigel actually, but if you can't do that.  How about acclimating him to the kennel by short visits, more frequently and building him up.  He will learn that you really are coming back for him.

Poor baby. Stressed out fur kid and stressed out mom.
 
May I make a suggestion. If you decide to go off for a weekend and cannot take Simba, you might hire a pet nanny(sitter)
You can go to [linkhttp://www.psi.com]www.psi.com[/link] and type in your area code to look for a sitter in your area.
Some pets just do not take to being out of their environment well and it does stress them out very much.

Willow,
I NOW have a chow as a client. Her name is Milo and she is just a complete DOLL. She is 12 yrs old. But a sweet heart. And she looks like YOU!

Was this his first time at a boarding kennel?

 
Yeah it was his 1st time, and his last I was way worried!!!! I will ask my friend in future then at least he is in a home environment. 

Sarah--Just make sure whatever friend you pick is extremely reliable. 

Forpaws---We want pictures of Milo!  Willow oxoxo[]

I will get ya pictures of Milo next go around. I usually never take pictures of new clients without owners permission. But do take one of each pet while I am sitting for them just in case something bad happens on my watch and I am able to identify them this way. Stuff happens as you very well know beyond ones control sometimes. LOL
But yeah, I'll get a pic for you. She is so sweet and love that muzzle when she smiles too. Wrinkles up too cute.

Sarahlou,  My first experience with a kennel was not a very good one, but out of necessity I had to use a kennel again.  My second experience was WONDERFUL!!!!!  If I could have taken that lady and her set up with me wherever I went, I would.  Before getting too upset and completely rule out kennels, because you may have to use one someday, find out if you can do some conditioning for him.  It may not work for your guy, but it did help mine and now I am sure that they will do just fine if I have to put them in one.  My first choice is always a housesitter, but not always an option with Nigel.

I always send Sofia's food with her when she goes to the kennel. The place she stays at does serve good dog food, but it's so hard on them to switch food like that, and there's no reason not to feed them what they are used to.

I'm lucky, Sofia's very easy going. She'll refuse to eat for the first couple of days, but then she eats okay.

That sounds pretty scary that Simba strained so hard that he had bloody diarrhea! Let us know that he's okay later, will you?

Maybe there was something there that upset him? What did the kennel people say about how he acted?

The kennel owner loves Sofia, and I know he plays with her, I also know he watches her because he was so amused about how she was playing with a shi zhu in the kennel next to her. He also takes her out for walks. If your kennel person can't tell you at least something about how Simba behaved, I would say that kennel didn't pay enough attention to him, and that could be the main problem.

awww im sorry Simba had such a hard time. But happy to hear he is feeling better now. And that it was nothing very bad. Even tho im sure it scared you to death!! Give him a extra hug from me!!!

I'm sorry to hear that Simba has such a hard time at the kennel. It would scare the dickens out of me if Blue was doing the same.
 
I hope I never have to put Blue in a kennel I hope to take him on vacation with me and pray to god he never goes through something like poor Simba. I know my stepsister puts her dog in a kennel and he has such a hard time he wont eat, drink, or sleep. By the time they come back he eats like there is no tomorrow and then he is passed out asleep for the next 2 days.

I would say that kennel didn't pay enough attention to him, and that could be the main problem.

 
Thats what I thought Jean, he is used to so much attention that I think going from having the run of a house/yard to being cooped up in a cage just really upset him.
 
But he is almost fully recovered now his stools are still really soft but no blood thank god!!!