Health Considerations With Day Care for Dogs

Things to Consider About Doggy Day Care

• The day care should require proof of current immunizations, including rabies and Bordetella. This protects all the day care attendees from infection.
• An evaluation session should be required. The evaluation will let both the day care staff and you know if your dog will be comfortable staying there for a whole day or if anxiety will be an issue.
• Cleanliness of the facility is important to maintaining your dog's health. Ensure that they have proper procedures for cleaning, disinfecting and disposal of waste.
• Both heat and air conditioning should be available to ensure the climate is comfortable for the dogs, avoiding hypothermia or heat exhaustion.
• Ensure there is ample water available. When the dogs are running around, dehydration can be a factor.
• Many facilities are requiring the dogs be on an effective flea treatment program to avoid the spread of fleas throughout the facility.
• Some daycares are more strict than others in terms of prohibiting barking and dealing with aggressive behavior (from rough play involving biting to actual injurious acts); be sure to ask them where they stand on these issues, and ask to watch the daycare activity to get an idea of how your dog might experience it.
• Dog day care can be a fun and healthy activity for your dog. Ensuring that both you and the day care facility follow a few guidelines, your dog can have healthy social time while you go to work.