When you board your beloved pet at a boarding facility—or as they’re often called, a “pet hotel”—you want complete peace of mind. You want to know: Will my dog or cat get fed at the right time? Will their medications be given exactly as needed? In this article we’ll explore exactly how pet hotels manage feeding and medication schedules, step-by-step.

We’ll walk through:

The importance of consistent routines for feeding and meds;
How boarding facilities prepare for pets with special diets or medical needs;
What typical feeding and medication protocols look like in practice;
What you as a pet owner should do before drop-off; and
What questions to ask and red flags to watch out for.

Let’s dive in.

1. Why Feeding and Medication Schedules Matter

Routine matters for pets. Staying away from home is stressful enough for a dog or cat. Maintaining familiar routines—especially around meals and medications—helps keep that stress down. According to boarding-preparation checklists, many facilities specifically ask owners to provide “feeding instructions that align with medication timing.”

Health considerations. For pets on special diets (e.g., gastrointestinal support, allergies) or on medications (such as for epilepsy, diabetes, heart disease), even a short disruption can be risky. The University of Wisconsin shelter medicine guideline notes that feeding twice a day is common in dog-boarding contexts. Meanwhile, medication-handling guidelines stress that “some medications, particularly insulin, anti-seizure, and heart failure medications, should be given as near to the scheduled time as possible to minimize the chances of disease symptoms worsening.”

Trust and transparency. When you hand over your pet, you’re entrusting the facility with not just their day-to-day care, but the critical tasks of feeding, monitoring intake (food and water), and administering medications. Good facilities log and document everything, which builds trust.

2. What Pet Hotels Do to Prepare

Before meeting your pet, most boarding facilities will have a checklist or intake form focussed on feeding and medication needs. Below is how the preparation typically works:

2.1 Intake questionnaire

You’ll likely be asked for:

The type of food your pet normally eats (brand, wet/dry, how many meals per day, portion size).
Any dietary restrictions, allergies, special meal preparation (grain-free, low fat, etc.).
A full list of medications, with: name, dosage, time(s) given, whether given with or without food, route (pill/oral, injection), and any monitoring notes.
Whether the medications require special storage (refrigeration), or special administration (injection, topical drops, mixing with food).
Contact details for the pet’s regular veterinarian, plus any emergency contact.

2.2 Review & acceptance check

The facility will review whether they can absolutely accommodate those needs:

Do they accept that type of food or will you need to bring it? Some facilities prefer you bring your pet’s regular food to avoid a sudden diet change.
Can they administer the meds at the required times and via the required route? Some facilities won’t accept pets requiring insulin injections or highly specialized monitoring unless they are veterinary-based.
Do they have well-trained staff, proper storage (e.g., refrigeration), and documentation systems? https://www.petboardinganddaycare.com/archive/back_issues/volume5edition1/article10.html

2.3 Staff training & protocols

Facilities that handle feeding and medications well have dedicated protocols such as:

Feeding and med logs, where each pet is tracked.
Clearly labelled medication bottles, with pet name, drug name/strength, dosage, and instructions.
Safe storage: some medications need refrigeration; some controlled drugs need locked storage.
Procedures for administering meds: e.g., ensuring the pet actually ingests the pill rather than leaves it behind in food.
Procedures for what to do if a pet refuses medication or has a reaction.

All of this means that when done well, a pet hotel treats feeding and med-giving with the same kind of structured care as you would at home.

3. Typical Feeding & Medication Schedules in Practice

Here’s how things often play out during the pet’s stay, from the facility’s perspective.

3.1 Feeding routine

Many facilities will have regular feeding times that align with their broader daily schedule. For example, in one boarding setting: breakfast at ~7:15 am, lunch/snacks/meds around noon, dinner at ~3:00 pm.
Some facilities feed standard diets provided by the kennel, unless the owner brings their brand.
If you bring your own food, many places ask you to: pre-bag each meal and label it. (Helps avoid mix-ups.)
If your pet has specific dietary needs (e.g., allergy, special formula), the facility will accommodate it if you provide the food and clear instructions.
They’ll keep track of how much your pet eats, whether your pet is refusing food, and note any changes in appetite or digestion (important for health).

3.2 Medication administration

The med routine tends to look like this:

Upon arrival, staff review each medication: name, dose, time(s), route, with-food or not, special notes.
They set up a medication log/chart listing each drug and the time(s) it must be administered. Some facilities even keep this visible in the pet’s records.
Medications are labelled clearly: pet name, drug name/strength, owner name, vet name, etc. This helps prevent mix-ups.
If a med must be given with food, they coordinate it at the meal time. If it must be given separately (before/after food), they make sure that is followed.
Some facilities will administer injections, or medications requiring special skill—but only if they have qualified staff and equipment. Many will not accept pets needing insulin injections unless they are a veterinary facility. Eg: “We are not able to administer insulin injections and therefore are unable to board diabetic pets.”
After dispensing the medication, staff will often record: time given, dose given, who administered it (initials), and any observations (e.g., pet refused food, vomited, etc). This creates an audit trail.
If a pet refuses the medication or if there’s a suspected adverse reaction, the facility must have a plan: contact the vet, note the issue, and inform the owner if required.

4. What You Should Do as a Pet Owner

To ensure your pet’s feeding and medications go smoothly at the facility, here’s a checklist for you:

4.1 Before you drop off

Prepare a detailed feeding schedule: Write down when your pet normally eats, how much, what food brand, any special handling (e.g., “mix wet with dry,” “feed separate from other pets”).
Prepare a detailed medication list: For each drug, include: drug name, dose, how often, when it’s given, with/without food, whether it’s a pill/liquid/injection/topical, any storage instructions.
Bring medications in original packaging—many facilities require this to ensure clarity and legal compliance.
Bring your pet’s usual food (especially if it’s a specific brand or diet). Ask the facility if they can accommodate your brand or if they prefer to provide generic. If bringing yours, many ask you to pre-bag meals/labelling.
Communicate special needs: allergies, behavioral quirks around meal/med time, how your pet prefers to take pills (in food, chew treat, manually).
Tour the facility (if possible) or ask about their protocols: Do they store meds properly? Do they have staff who know how to administer injections? What happens if a medication dose is missed or refused?
Ask about additional cost: Some facilities charge extra for medication administration or special diets. For example: “Additional fees may apply if a pet is on several medications or needs special attention.”

4.2 On drop-off day

Walk through the feeding and medication instructions with the staff person accepting your pet. Make sure they understand.
Show them any behavioral quirks your pet has (e.g., “always hides when it’s pill time,” “needs to be given in half a treat,” etc.).
Confirm when the first meal and first medication will be given.
Ensure you leave emergency/contact info (your vet, your mobile number).

4.3 During the stay & pickup

Ask if the facility will update you if anything unusual happens (e.g., missed dose, significant vomiting, refusal to eat).
On pickup, review with staff: “Did any medications get missed? Any feeding issues? How much did the pet eat?”
When you take your pet home, resume their normal routine, and monitor for any changes in appetite, behavior, or health. This is important especially after a stay during which feedings or meds may have varied.

5. Questions to Ask & Red Flags to Watch For

When vetting a pet hotel, here are good questions—and things to watch out for:

5.1 Questions to ask

“What are your standard feeding times? Can you accommodate my pet’s feeding schedule?”
“Do you allow owner-provided food? If so, do I need to pre-bag/label each meal?”
“How do you handle medication administration? Who gives the meds? What is the protocol if a pet refuses a medication?”
“How do you track and document each dose? Is there a medication log that I can review?”
“What kinds of medications or medical needs do you not accept?”
“Do you have refrigeration for medications if required? What about injections or pets with special needs?”
“What happens if a pet vomits shortly after a med or refuses the meal that goes with the med?”
“How soon will you contact me if there’s an issue (e.g., missed dose, feeding refusal)?”

5.2 Red flags

The facility doesn’t ask for a detailed medication list or feeding instructions.
They cannot or will not accommodate your pet’s specific diet or medication timetable.
No one seems responsible for tracking medication administration or documenting doses.
They say “we only board healthy pets who don’t need meds.” (If your pet does need meds, that means you need a different facility.)
Vague answers to your questions like “we’ll just try our best” rather than “yes, we have protocol X for meds and logs.”
They cannot show you how meals/meds are given or where meds are stored (refrigerator, locked cabinet, etc.).

6. Summary: Bringing It All Together

When done correctly, a high-quality pet hotel will provide:

A consistent feeding routine that either matches or safely adapts your pet’s normal schedule.
Clear, documented medication administration: what, when, how, who, and with what food/meal context.
Effective communication between you (the owner) and the facility, both at drop-off and pick-up.
A safe environment for your pet’s special diet or medical needs—if you provide full information ahead of time.
Peace of mind for you, and stability for your pet, during their time away from home.

For you, the crucial steps are: prepare detailed instructions, bring what you need, ask the right questions, and choose a facility that shows it has the protocols in place. Your pet’s feeding and medication schedules aren’t just “nice to have”—they are part of ensuring your pet stays healthy, comfortable and stress-free while you’re away.

How Do Pet Hotels Handle Feeding and Medication Schedules?