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Pet Daycare in Jacksonville, FL

Full and half-day supervised play at the Paw & Heart Hotel, with the same medical team on-site your dog already knows.

happy dog at Jacksonville veterinarian answering common questions

Trusted by Jacksonville pet families since 1988. Full and half-day options. Safe, supervised play environments.

A Good Day for Your Dog While You're at Work

Some dogs do fine home alone for a workday. Others get restless, anxious, or destructive without company and activity. Daycare fills that gap without requiring an overnight commitment.

At the Paw & Heart Hotel, daycare guests get supervised play, rest breaks, and enrichment throughout the day, not just a room to sit in. Because it's the same facility as our boarding and medical operations, the team supervising your dog's daycare day already knows the building, the routine, and, for established patients, your dog's history.

Full and half-day options mean you can match the schedule to what your dog actually needs, whether that's an occasional treat during a long workday or a regular part of the week. Many clients find a rhythm that works well for their household, some using daycare just a couple of times a month for specific busy days, others building it into a regular weekly routine that gives their dog consistent socialization and activity.

For puppies especially, regular daycare visits can play a meaningful role in socialization during a developmental window when exposure to other dogs and new environments matters most.

Feline preventative healthcare and wellness checkup in Jacksonville, FL

When Pet Imaging Matters Most

Imaging isn't for every visit, but when it's needed, it's often needed urgently. Situations where on-site imaging changes the outcome:

Suspected orthopedic issues. A limping dog, a cat that landed wrong, a senior pet showing early arthritis. Digital X-rays confirm what's going on with bones and joints in minutes, not days.

Suspected foreign body ingestion. Sock, string, corn cob, small toy. Dogs and cats swallow things they shouldn't. X-rays and ultrasound help identify what's in there and where, guiding whether it can pass, be induced, or needs surgery.

Chest and heart concerns. Coughing, exercise intolerance, or heart murmur workups often start with chest X-rays. Cardiac ultrasound gives a more detailed view of heart structure and function.

Abdominal pain or masses. A tender belly, a palpable lump, unexplained vomiting. Ultrasound provides real-time images of organs that X-rays can't see clearly.

Pre-surgical planning. For surgical cases, pre-op imaging confirms the diagnosis and helps plan the procedure. Handled during the same visit as the surgical consult.

Dental evaluations. A dog with bad breath or a cat that stopped eating may have dental disease invisible on visual exam. Dental X-rays show what's happening below the gum line where most disease actually lives.

Pregnancy and reproductive care. Ultrasound confirms pregnancy and counts fetuses. Pre-breeding evaluations often include imaging.

Trauma assessment. Hit by car, fall from height, dog fight injury. FAST scans and full-body X-rays give the vet a rapid picture of internal damage that guides the treatment plan.

What Daycare Includes

Digital X-Rays (Radiographs):

  • Full-day and half-day options
  • Enrichment-based care, sometimes referred to as "day snuggles" for guests who prefer calmer attention over active play
  • Safe, supervised play environments
  • Add-on services including feeding and medication administration if needed
  • Rest breaks built into the day so play doesn't become overwhelming

How a Daycare Day Works

  • 1. Morning drop-off

    The vet examines your pet and identifies which type of imaging fits (radiographs, dental X-rays, ultrasound, or a combination).

  • 2. Supervised play and rest

    The day includes both activity and downtime, matched to your dog's energy level.

  • 3. Add-ons as needed

    Feeding or medication administration handled on schedule if your dog needs it.

  • 4. Evening pickup

    Your dog goes home tired in the good way, having had real activity and attention during the day.

Why SJB's Daycare Is Different

SJB veterinarian examining dog with grooming assistant in Jacksonville
  • Same facility as boarding and medical care. If anything comes up during the day, the team and resources are already right there.
  • Enrichment, not just a room. Structured play and rest, not passive supervision.
  • Flexible scheduling. Full or half-day options fit different routines.
  • Familiar team for established patients. For pets who already see us for medical care, daycare staff aren't strangers.

Daycare and Your Wellness Plan

Daycare itself is billed separately from Complete Care Wellness Plans, but plan members already have an established relationship with our team, which often makes daycare drop-off smoother, especially for pets who see familiar faces during their regular wellness visits too.

Related Services

  • Medical Services

Wellness exams, same-day sick visits, chronic disease management, and the doctor time your pet actually needs to get diagnosed properly.

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  • Grooming

Full grooms, mini grooms, baths, de-shedding, and hand stripping. Including sedated grooming for anxious or medically fragile pets, an option no independent grooming shop can legally offer.

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  • Boarding

Standard and medical boarding at the Paw & Heart Hotel, with medically dependent boarding available for pets with chronic conditions or post-surgical recovery needs. Wellness plan members receive 10% off every stay.

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  • Complete Care Wellness Plans

Predictable monthly pricing that bundles annual exams, vaccines, and diagnostics into one flat rate starting at $59 a month. Four life-stage plans.

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Common Questions About Daycare

Answers to the questions Jacksonville pet owners ask most about daycare.

What's the difference between daycare and boarding?
Do you offer half-day options?
Is daycare just for dogs?
What does a typical daycare day look like?
Can you give my dog medication during daycare?
Do you require vaccines for daycare?
Is daycare a good fit for anxious dogs?
Is daycare available on weekends?
Can I book daycare and grooming on the same day?
How do I book a daycare day?
What should I bring for a daycare day?
Do you separate dogs by size or temperament during play?
Can I switch between full-day and half-day depending on my schedule?
Do you offer daycare packages or punch cards?
Do you offer trial daycare visits before committing to a regular schedule?

Give Your Dog a Great Day

Book daycare and let your dog enjoy supervised play and real activity while you're at work.

Full-service veterinarian in Jacksonville, FL since 1988. Vet care, grooming, and boarding under one licensed team on St. Johns Bluff Road. Same-day in-house lab. Unrushed thirty-minute appointments. Complete Care Wellness Plans starting at $59 a month.

  • CALL US
  • FAX US

(904) 646-9310

  • OFFICE HOURS

Mon–Fri: 8:00am–1:00pm, 2:00pm–6:00pm
Sat–Sun: Closed
Weekend by appointment, boarding only

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