In case you were wondering, yes, dogs can get colds too! While a dog can’t catch an illness from you (except potentially certain types of influenza, new experts are saying), they can have their own version of a cold, and they can have a variety of other viruses that leave them symptomatic and wanting to lay around all day just like their human counterparts.
If you’re used to boarding your dog or dropping your dog off for dog daycare every day while you’re at work, you might be wondering if you can still bring your dog when he is sick. Just like you would think twice before bringing your sick child to daycare for fear of infecting the other children, you’ll need to think twice about bringing your dog to daycare. Dogs can spread diseases between one another, such as mange, ringworm, kennel cough, and canine influenza. (Spreading illness is another reason why vaccinations are crucial and required before a dog is accepted into boarding facilities.) If your dog is exhibiting signs of these illnesses, it’s best to keep them at home. Rely on a dog sitter if you can, consider staying home with them, or at least checking in on them a few times during the day.
When it comes to medical needs boarding, you’ll need to check with your boarding facility to see if they will board your dog. It may depend on the type of health condition. Medical needs illnesses consist of chronic health conditions like diabetes, epilepsy, kidney disease, joint issues, and specific dietary concerns. Dogs with these conditions often require extra attention (like monitoring, medication administering, and therapy). More often than not, vets will board dogs with chronic health conditions because they have all the resources to care for them. However, only 24-hour emergency vet clinics can provide round-the-clock care.
At Fetchers, we will accept dogs with non-contagious illnesses, we will administer medications, and we will follow all care instructions when an owner brings in a dog with medical needs. It’s important you notify us ahead of time of the specialty care your dog will need. We will not accept any dog with any contagious or questionable illnesses until a veterinarian has determined the dog is no longer contagious. Even if you have a reservation and a major trip planned, we will be unable to keep your reservation. We can also take dogs if they need to be quarantined for non-contagious reasons. We can provide privacy-package type care with the follow circumstances: a female in heat, a behavioral dog, or a dog that needs special one-on-one care without other dog interaction.
Do you still have questions? Give Fetchers a call!