Kennel Cough: The Little Beach Dog Protocol
It is always a top priority to keep all dogs safe while at daycare. Here is our kennel cough protocol. As our clients know we take vaccination and boosters very seriously. All dogs must have the bordetella vaccine. The Bordetella vaccine is your dog's first line of defense. If it does not prevent your dog from getting sick, studies show it can lessen the severity of symptoms and the duration of the illness. All dogs are also required to have the 12-month booster. If the booster is the injectable shot your dog may return to daycare immediately. If your dog receives the nasal spray booster then they can not return to daycare for 10 days. The Little Beach Dog is a proud user of High Performance 256 disinfectants. This product is veterinarian recommended. High Performance 256 disinfectant not only defends against bordetella, but it also protects against staph, salmonella, E. coli, bronchiseptica, adenovirus, canine distemper, feline picornavirus, HIV-1, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, rabies, herpes, pseudorabies, respiratory syncytia, streptococcus, and canine parvovirus. Our staff is also hyper-vigilant in knowing your dog's personal behaviors, and should any dog seem ‘off’ they are immediately separated from the other dogs and monitored. Should any dog show signs of a definitive illness they are immediately quarantined and the owners are contacted for pickup. Once a daycare dog receives a diagnosis then it will not be allowed back to daycare until we have verification from a veterinarian.
Remember, kennel cough may be hard to prevent, but for most dogs, it’s no more irritating than the common cold for children. While any sickness can be scary we like our message to be similar to that of a child attending school. Vaccines are important but not a guarantee. The risks are greater for socialized dogs but so are the rewards of social interaction. Talk to your veterinarian, get vaccinated, stay current on boosters, know what’s best for your dog, and trust that The Little Beach Dog has a protocol in place to ensure the safety of all the dogs that attend daycare.