WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – The headlines and stories shared on social media sound the alarm about a mysterious respiratory illness that has spread among hundreds of dogs in 16 states. Kansas isn’t one of those states but concerns about the virus spreading further spark questions about whether it’s safe to board pets this holiday season.
That mysterious illness that has been spreading to dogs across the U.S. negatively affected some doggy daycare facilities in the Kansas City area. In the Wichita area, boarding kennels aim to provide dog owners some peace of mind as the illness hasn’t shown up.
If you plan to board your dog this holiday season, Toby Meadows with Wag’en Tail Ranch, near Valley Center, said you don’t have anything to worry about.
“We kinda go above and beyond on our cleanliness,” Meadows said. “Of course, everything gets hosed down, sprayed, laundered to prevent any kind of illness, the dog flu that goes around.”
While boarding kennels already take precautions to make sure animals are safe in their care, there are precautions for pet owners to consider.
“At our facility, we do require rabies, distemper/parvo and Bordetella (shots),” Meadows said. “So, we do require the basic immunizations.”
Before picking a place to board your dog, Meadows said it’s important to research the facility.
“Boarding from one facility to another can come with its issues if every boarding facility doesn’t take the precautions we do here,” he said.
Meadows also offered guidance for any pet owner who thinks their dog might be sick.
“If you think your dog is ill, sick, not doing very well, I would suggest keeping it separated from your other dogs as well as any other dog daycare or boarding until you figure out what is wrong with it, whether it’s a cold, whether it’s kennel cough or whether it just maybe has an upset stomach,” Meadows said.
The American Veterinary Medical Association urges any pet owner to make a veterinary appointment if a dog has a lingering cough, loss of appetite, or shows signs of weakness. Clinical signs of the illness that’s spread among dogs in 16 states include inflammation of the trachea and bronchi, which can last six to eight weeks or longer. You’ll want to look out for coughing, sneezing and nasal discharge.
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