Bordatella is an upper respiratory infection also known as canine cough or kennel cough. Much like children spreading a cold or flu to each other in school, it is common for places where dogs have nose-to-nose contact to contract cases of kennel cough this time of year (Ex. doggie daycares, boarding, grooming, training facilities, dog parks, dogs who greet on walks, have play-dates with other pups, etc,).
Dogs most likely to come down with a cough are puppies, dogs who have not been exposed to the cough before and dogs with underlying health or immune system problems.
The Bordetella vaccination that your dog has already received protects them from most, but not all strains of canine cough, just like the flu shot prevents against many, but not all flu/cold viruses. This means that any cases we see here at Pet Stuff are from strains of canine cough that are not covered by the Bordetella vaccination. The good news is that these strains are usually less severe. A dog can shed the Bordatella virus up to 7 weeks after receiving a Bordatella vaccine. The vaccine helps protect our pets from known strains and minimize the severity of an exposure, but its presence is always possible in the facility for this reason.
Most strains of the canine cough virus can be carried and spread by dogs for up to 7-10 days before any coughing starts. This makes it impossible for our staff to know which dogs may be carrying the virus or have been exposed to the virus. If our staff notices that a dog is coughing, we will separate the dog from the play group immediately to minimize exposure to others.
If you notice your dog coughing, please be sure to keep them home from daycare until the cough is completely gone, even if your pet is on antibiotics. If your dog develops a cough that is deep, persistent or is accompanied by foamy mucous or other symptoms, they should be seen by a veterinarian to determine if treatment such as antibiotics and/or a cough suppressant are right for them.
Delaware Pet Stuff utilizes a stringent cleaning and disinfecting protocol. We exceed best practice recommendations for the industry standard.
If you decide to keep your dog home, please let us know.
If you have any questions, please give us a call.
Grooming clients will be contacted by the Grooming department regarding cancelation of appointments or rescheduling of appointments.
Boarding clients will be accommodated for drop off and pick up regardless of weather. You may be contacted to schedule a specific time for drop off or pick up if weather restricts travel.
Daycare will be cancelled during a Level 3 snow emergency. Other daycare delays or cancellations will be posted and updated below:
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