As we embark on the Thanksgiving holiday, we hope you and your furry family members are in good health and high spirits!
We want to take a moment to address the recent news reports of a “mystery” respiratory illness impacting dogs as part of our unwavering commitment to the health and safety of your pets.
This is not a new illness, as it has been seen nationwide over the past year, with an uptick in reported cases since August 2023. Veterinarians have stated that dogs with the illness show symptoms that include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, and lethargy, which, in some cases, lasts longer than the typical 7-10 days and can lead to pneumonia.
If your pet shows any of these symptoms, please see your veterinarian and keep them away from other pets.
Here at Canine Cabana, we take precautionary measures as part of our standard safety protocols. Some examples include:
- While we are not veterinarians, our team is professionally trained and certified in pet safety and constantly monitors each pet’s health. We conduct thorough wellness checks for each dog to ensure we do not accept dogs with any signs of illness, including a runny nose, sneezing, or cough. If we observe any of these symptoms upon check-in, we will not accept the dog. At the same time, we ask that you please keep your dogs home if any of these symptoms are present.
- We use the industry’s best practices for thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting accommodations, bedding, bowls, common areas, and play areas multiple times a day.
- As an extra measure of precaution, we are avoiding the use of shared water bowls in play areas.
- While thankfully rare, if a dog becomes ill while they are with us, we immediately separate them from other dogs and seek immediate medical attention while keeping pet parents informed every step of the way.
Here’s what you can do to keep your pets safe now and throughout the year.
- If you have an upcoming reservation with us, please avoid dog parks, another pet care facility, the vet’s office, pet stores, or anywhere your dog may encounter other dogs since we have no way of knowing if those dogs are properly vaccinated or if they may be ill.
- While we hope to provide all your pet care needs, we encourage you to select one pet care facility as your pet’s “home-away-from-home” and avoid switching back and forth between two or more facilities since this can put all dogs at risk. Even if your pet doesn’t become ill during this process, they may be exposed to an illness and carry it to another facility.
- Stay current on vaccinations and try to ensure your dog is vaccinated one to two weeks before playing with other dogs. This practice helps prevent the spread of anything dogs may have been exposed to at the veterinarian’s office and prevents any chance of viral shedding from the vaccinations received.
- Avoid taking your dog out of state, where they may be exposed to viruses not prevalent in your home area. If you must travel with your dog, keep them home for about two weeks before allowing them to interact with other dogs and putting them at risk.
- Keep your dog active based on their abilities since, like humans, activity, and engagement helps promote and maintain a lifetime of good health and happiness for your furry family members.
Please contact us with any questions. We look forward to seeing you and your furry loved one very soon and wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.