Doggie Daycare

Wow, our Doggie Day Care service has grown by leaps and bounds. It is a real pleasure to watch so many dogs playing and interacting every day. As with all social settings, we have some dogs who seem to get along with everyone; some who seem to have “friends”; and some who just enjoy running around in the great outdoors. And, like children, some of the dogs guard their favorite toys while others are more willing to share.

However, there are a few items we do NOT want our Daycare participants to share. These would include contagious diseases like Kennel Cough, and parasites like fleas, ticks, and worms. To prevent one dog from “sharing” these with its friend, we are instituting the following policies as of May 1st, 2009:

1. DDC participants must be up-to-date on vaccines, including the Kennel Cough (Bordetella) vaccine. Puppies must have had at least two (2) DHP/P vaccines in order to participate in DDC.

2. DDC participants must have a fecal exam every twelve (12) months to check for intestinal parasites. Any dog with a positive fecal test (i.e., parasites are found) will be treated with an appropriate medication and may be kept out of DDC until the parasites are cleared.

3. As an alternative to the fecal exam, you may simply choose to have your pet dewormed every twelve (12) months.

4. Dogs must be spayed/neutered over 9mo of age

5. Any DDC participant with fleas or ticks will be treated with an appropriate medication and may be kept out of DDC until the parasites are cleared.

6. Any DDC participant who is showing signs of illness will be checked by one of our veterinarians and may be kept out of DDC.

Some of the above policies are not new. Still, we thought it best to go over them again so that everyone understands the guidelines. Thanks for helping us keep our DDC area a happy, safe and fun environment for your pets!

Dr. Charles H. Livaudais