Why dogs get sick while boarding:


When you have a larger number of dogs in an area, the chances of something going around are higher than with a lesser number of dogs.  It is very similar to people.  You are more likely to catch a cold on an airplane, at a crowded event and your kids are more likely to get sick at summer camp or at daycare.  The same applies to Pet Camp.  "Kennel cough" is a general term used to describe any cough/cold that dogs get, similar to a "cold" with humans.  We go to extreme measures to make sure our camp is clean and all dog entering are healthy but things are still going to go around.  



Here's what we know:
*  Coughs and colds are generally spread through the air.  Cleaning doesn't help.  Separating dogs doesn't help.  Not playing dogs doesn't help.  We have tried all these measures in the past and dogs either caught the cough or cold or didn't.  Some are naturally immune.
*  Dogs still get coughs and colds even though they are vaccinated for Bordetella.  The Bordetella vaccination covers a variety of strains of cough/cold but just like the flu vaccination for humans, there are other strains not in the vaccination.  Several veterinarians have told us that the vaccination includes the worst strains which makes it still worthwhile to get but it can't possibly cover everything.
*  Some dogs get sick directly from the vaccination, just like some people get the flu from the flu vaccination.
*  Dogs with shorter snouts seem to be more prone to getting it worse.
*  Some dogs get very mild cases and other are more severe, just like humans.  Some get a cold and are over it in a few days, others end up with a sinus infection or bronchitis and need medical care.

Here's what we will do:
*  We will contact you if we think that your dog needs to be seen by a veterinarian.  If a dog is still eating and seems to feel ok,  we will let it run it's course.
*  We will cancel daycare when there is something going around.  This will help lessen the spread from week to week.



The risk of dogs getting sick in the summer is definitely increased.  If you are not comfortable with this risk, then boarding may not be for you and your dog.