Our Services
We understand the special role your pet plays in your family and are dedicated to becoming your partner in your pet’s health care.
Services
Overnight Boarding
Going out of town? We have you covered! We offer safe, clean facilities under regular daytime staff supervision and plenty of exercise and socialization for dogs. Our feline friends enjoy suites in a separate quieter boarding area where they have room to move and stretch and receive lots of attention. The best part is that you’ll have peace of mind knowing that a veterinarian is just steps away if your pet ever needs medical care.
Boarding Amenities
- Indoor and outdoor runs
- Ability to elect playgroups or individual play
- 24/7 professional veterinary access
- Food, water, and bedding for the duration of their stay
Our spaces fill quickly, especially during summer, spring break, and holidays. We recommend you make your reservations as soon as your plans are confirmed and a minimum of two weeks in advance. To make a reservation at Creature Comforts, call us at (207) 439-4158.
Learn more about boarding here.
Day Play
WHAT SETS US APART
Kittery Animal Hospital is a fully staffed veterinary hospital so if the unforeseen happens,
WE’RE HERE!
Our animal care team has years of daycare, animal handling, and animal matchmaking experience.
We save lives by working with southern shelters to bring adoptable pets to our
area.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Dental Care
Imagine if you never brushed your teeth or had them cleaned. Pretty frightening, right? As you can imagine, things would eventually start to go very, very bad inside your mouth: teeth would rot and decay, gums would become inflamed and infected. Bacteria from those rotting teeth would eventually travel into your bloodstream and could cause other serious health problems. And we haven’t even mentioned the daily, debilitating pain.
It’s the same scenario for your dog or cat. While some people might laugh at the idea of brushing their pet’s teeth or taking them for a dental cleaning, the fact is that by age three, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some evidence of periodontal disease.
Kittery Animal Hospital offers complete pet oral health services, including:
- Annual Dental Cleanings
- Extractions
- Preventative Dental Care
- X-Rays
Periodic dental exams help maintain proper oral hygiene and prevent future problems, especially if you have a pet who won’t tolerate brushing. Interested in learning how to brush your pet’s teeth? Just ask, and our veterinarians will be happy to help you get started.
Grooming
We believe bathing & grooming are essential to a healthy pet. We offer state-of-the-art dog grooming facilities with professional grooming stylists. From shampoos, hair cuts, and flea treatments – to exotic styling, pedicures, skincare, and moisturizing treatments, your pet will go home looking great as well as feeling great! All of our dog grooming services are available by daily appointment or can be scheduled with boarding arrangements for the day your pet is to go home.
Vaccination Requirements:
Canine: Required vaccines include Rabies, Distemper, Bordetella, and a negative fecal.
Felines: Required vaccines include Rabies and Distemper
Pick-up time for boarding animals that are to be groomed on the way home is 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
Preventive Care
Just like you, we want your pet to live the longest, healthiest life possible. That starts with the basics: quality food, enough exercise, good grooming, and regular check-ups.
Annual exams are your pet’s first line of defense. Kittery Animal Hospital’s comprehensive annual exams include checking overall health by taking temperature, examining skin and coat, lung and cardiac function, internal health, oral hygiene, eyes, ears, and demeanor.
Vaccinations: Keeping your animal companion up to date on immunizations and booster shots is a highly effective way to prevent many common diseases and infections like distemper and rabies. Beyond those core vaccines, your pet’s age, lifestyle, and likely exposure to certain diseases will be evaluated before recommending additional inoculations.
Dental Care: Imagine what your teeth would be like if you never cleaned them! Well, the same thing is happening to your dog or cat’s teeth without good oral care. We recommend annual dental cleanings and can show you tips for brushing your pet’s teeth, which can reduce the need for expensive extractions and more serious dental work down the line.
Parasite Control: Fleas, ticks, worms – preventing them in the first place is much easier and ultimately less expensive than getting rid of them after they’ve infested your pet. We recommend monitoring your pet and having them screened for internal parasites regularly, and we offer a variety of alternatives for flea, tick, and heartworm prevention.
Proper Nutrition: There’s so much information out there about what’s best to feed your pet that sometimes it’s hard to know what’s right without consulting your vet. Grain-free kibble? Home-cooked meals? Raw food diet? Proper nutrition is so important to your pet’s good health, and we can help you figure out what is best for your pet and your lifestyle.
Behavioral Evaluation: Changes in your pet’s mood or behavior can often be a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Swiftly addressing these shifts can help to identify and treat the root cause.
Skin, Coat, and Nail Care: Grooming, washing, and nail trims are fundamental aspects of proper pet hygiene. Proper skin, hair, and nail trimming can prevent things like mange, matting, bacterial infections, and more.
Exercise: Regular workouts support musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health in dogs of all ages and improve their overall mental well-being.
Senior Animals: At Kittery Animal Hospital, we love elder pets! We also know that preventive care is even more significant for them. Dogs, cats, and most other pets age much more rapidly than humans, so diseases and illness progress faster. We recommend twice-yearly exams and screenings for seniors to help prolong and improve the quality of their life.
Emergency & Urgent Care
Your pet eats something he shouldn’t, is suddenly sick or traumatically injured. Health problems, injuries, and illness can happen quickly, and many need immediate attention. Don’t wait! When your pet urgently needs to see a veterinarian, Kittery Animal Hospital offers quality emergency and urgent care.
Kittery Animal Hospital has a veterinarian and staff on duty six days a week who are trained and equipped to handle any emergency your pet has. Urgent care—when the condition is not life-threatening but still can’t wait for an appointment—is available as well, and our staff will work with you to get your pet seen as soon as possible. If you ever feel your pet needs emergency or urgent care, don’t hesitate to call or come in immediately. Our number is (207) 439-4158.
While we understand you may not always be able to call in advance, if you are able to do so, it will help our staff be prepared for your pet’s arrival, so the animal gets needed medical care that much quicker.
If your pet has an emergency after hours, we recommend the following 24-hour veterinary hospital(s):
Port City Veterinary Referral Hospital – 603-433-0056
The Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Referral Center of New Hampshire – 603-431-3600
Signs your pet may need emergency care:
- Pale gums
- Rapid breathing
- Weak or rapid pulse
- Change in body temperature
- Difficulty standing
- Apparent paralysis
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizures
- Excessive bleeding
Safety tips:
Pets who are severely ill or injured may try to bite, claw, or act aggressively toward those trying to help them. Approach any injured or sick pet slowly and calmly; say their name and see how the animal reacts. Call for help if the pet reacts aggressively.
For dogs, fashion a makeshift stretcher if the animal is unable to move. Make sure the neck is supported.
For cats, slowly place a blanket or towel over the head to prevent biting. Slowly lift the animal into an open-topped carrier or box.
Elevate and apply pressure to any bleeding wound.
If you think your pet has eaten something poisonous:
Call us, or if after hours, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435. Trained toxicologists will consider the age and health of your pet, what was ingested, and then make a recommendation about what action should be taken.
Surgery
Surgery is often the most effective way to treat many serious injuries and disorders, and Kittery Animal Hospital is proud to offer state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. Our hospital provides a full range of surgical services ranging from standard spaying and neutering to advanced procedures.
Patient safety and comfort are our main priority. Kittery Animal Hospital’s experienced veterinary anesthesiologists provide skilled pain management during and after all surgical procedures, ensuring your pet recovers quickly and with minimum discomfort.
Our veterinary team will walk you through the entire process, giving you the tools to make informed decisions regarding your pet’s treatment options. We understand surgery is a stressful time for any owner, and we’re available every step of the way to answer questions and put your mind at ease.
If you are considering veterinary surgery for your pet, please contact your Kittery Animal Hospital veterinarian to schedule an introductory consultation.
Boarding Details
Rates – Canine (per night):
We charge by the night with an additional half-day charge if your pet is picked up after 3:00 pm on the day of departure. (The half-day charge does not apply if your pet is being groomed on the day of departure.)
Dogs up to 100 lbs. (includes “Group Play”) – $35.00
Roommate in same kennel per night – $31.00
X-Large Dogs (100 lbs & up requiring double kennel) – $45.00
Difficult Boarder * (dogs of any size with previous bite/aggression history) – $55.00
*not allowed in group activities
Intact canines are not allowed in group activities.
Reservations and Health Requirements
All boarding and grooming clients must have reservations prior to coming to board or be groomed to ensure that we have the space and the time for your pet. This is especially important during holidays and school vacation weeks. We do require a $50.00 non-refundable deposit to hold your holiday reservations for Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations.
We ask that you please plan to drop your pet off no later than 30 minutes before closing time!
For the safety of all our boarders and grooming clients, we require proof that all pets have current vaccinations and be on internal and external parasite prevention.
Required Vaccinations and Preventives:
Canine:
- Rabies
- Bordetella (kennel cough)
- Negative fecal test for worms/parasites within past year
- Distemper
Felines:
- Rabies
- Distemper
All pets found to have fleas or worms on arrival will be treated on the way in at the owner’s expense.
All chronic medical problems need a history as well. If your pet is not a patient at Kittery Animal Hospital, we will need written proof of current vaccination status.
Veterinary Care
For your convenience, Kittery Animal Hospital offers our established clients the option to have annual vaccinations and routine exams done while your pet is boarding or being groomed at our hospital. Simply request this with your reservation and confirm it when you check in.
While it rarely happens, emergencies may prevent us from getting to your pet’s routine care, and the service may need to be rescheduled as a regular appointment. We strongly recommend that all annual wellness exams be scheduled with a veterinarian to ensure that we discuss everything going on with your pet’s health.
Medication and Medically Supervised Boarding
We’re happy to administer oral medications to your pet as prescribed or needed during his or her stay with us for an additional charge. You will need to bring the medication with you in its original container, along with detailed instructions as to how and when it to be given. If you are not a client of Kittery Animal Hospital, we will need to briefly confirm with you the reason for the medication, so we can be alert to any problems while your pet is here.
Special needs animals such as diabetics, seizure watch animals, and multiple chronic issues with medication administrations will require boarding under hospital medical supervision and a previous medical history about their condition. These cases must be scheduled and seen by one of our veterinary technician staff members. Boarding will be charged at a different rate; boarding under medical supervision is charged at $45.00 per night. All current medical history and medications must be present at intake. Ideally, we should see these pets prior to their arrival for boarding, but if that is not possible, you should allow an additional 15 to 20 minutes at drop-off for a signed estimate and permission to treat. Medically supervised boarding guests are not allowed in group activities.
Special Diets
Kittery Animal Hospital has experienced pet food nutritionists on staff to ensure your pet gets the proper diet for his or her needs. We currently feed our boarding dogs Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and our boarding cats Science Diet Adult Maintenance. Animals with special needs diets are no problem for our trained staff. We ask that you weigh your pet on the way in so we can be sure that their dietary needs match the level of activity they experience while here for any future stays.
If you prefer we feed your pet the same food you give at home, you are welcome to bring it with you at drop-off. Please make sure there are individually bagged portions for the number of days your pet will be with us, and that the food is clearly labeled.
Rates – Feline (per night):
Cats except intact (unneutered) males – $23.00
Roommate boarded in same suite – $20.00
Intact male (boarded in separate area) – $27.00
Additional charges will apply for all nail trims, grooming, baths to go home, medication, or medical treatments while your pet is here. (See additional information below)
Boarding under hospital medical supervision (for pets with chronic or serious conditions-see additional information below) – $45
Please call for rates for boarding rabbits, ferrets, and other small mammals.
Rates may be subject to change without notice.
Pick-up and Drop-Off
Please be advised we can admit and discharge during business hours only! There will be a $15.00 additional fee for any transactions that occur during non-business hours.
What to Bring at Drop-Off:*
- Medication(s) (in their original packaging, labeled correctly)
- Food if we are feeding the same diet as at home. Must be portioned individually for each feeding and clearly labeled with specific feeding instructions.
- Treats
- One toy
- An article of clothing, small blanket, or towel from home—this helps your pet feel safe while they stay with us and adjust more easily.
Please label ALL your pet’s belongings; we will do our best to return them in good condition.
*Kittery Animal Hospital and Creature Comforts are not responsible for any damaged, lost, or stolen belongings.
What NOT to Bring:
Water or food bowls
Sticks, limbs, or other wooden toys
Brushes or grooming equipment
Choke or Prong Collars
Pet beds—we will supply bedding that can be laundered easily!
Drop off and pick up times
Monday – Friday, drop off 8 am-10 am, pick up between 3:30-5:30 pm
Saturday drop off 8-10 am, pick up between 1-3 pm
Grooming
Why not bring your pet home looking and smelling awesome? We have full professional grooming facilities at Kittery Animal Hospital and can arrange to have your pet bathed, clipped, styled, and trimmed to your specifications on the day of pick up.
Additional charges apply based on the grooming service requested. Please see our Grooming Services (text link to Grooming page) page for more information.
Pick-up time for boarding animals that are to be groomed is 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.