Injuries and Disease that may occur in Doggy Day Care:

Animals are still animals. No matter how well-trained or disciplined they may be, mishaps can still happen even in the most controlled environment, such as a Doggy Day Care.

Dogs still have that instinct and characteristic that we cannot take away no matter how domesticated they are. Our staff are trained and Pet First Aid Trained. If any such injury occurs we will assess the situation, if we can’t sort the injury out, we will contact the owner and if it is more serious then the duty vet for advice on what to do.

Nipped Ear:

Dogs are meant to be sociable animals and they best learn these skills early in their lives. They play by interacting with each other and by biting lightly.  They would often focus on ears because these parts are an easy and accessible target. By being able to nip at the other dog’s ear, they can also show who is more dominant between them.  Even if it is supposed to be fun we discourage this behaviour, ear injuries can however still happen. A small cut on the ear can result in a lot of blood which may be aggravated due to the dog’s constant head shaking or movement.  

Paw Pads / Nails:

Peeling away of the paw pad is when the thick outer covering is peeled away due to running or skidding. Nails can also tear whilst running and playing with other dogs. Dogs nails can scratch and tear other dogs skin whilst running and playing too. These injuries can occur on almost any surface whether it be grass, astroturf, pavements, ground or lawns. 

Bites, Skin Tears & Hair Rips:

Dogs can turn and bite at any point. A dog may jump, irritate each other. Their instinct is to protect themselves and this may cause nipping or biting that can result in a full on dog fight or a tear of the skin or fur being pulled out. It all depends on the dogs mood that day.

Eye Injury:

Squinting, excessively blinking, and avoiding bright lights are some common tell-tale signs of an eye injury. Another frequent sign is also when a pet’s tear ducts overproduce, much like how it is with a human.   Dogs scratch their eyes to relieve the pain. Nails then can cause scratches in the eye or anywhere on the head and face. Also dogs playing with each other can result in eyes being scratched.

These injuries occur in or around  the eye when small objects or other irritants enter the eye such as dog hair, grass or dirt.  On top of this, abnormal growth of eyelashes and inverting eyelids can also cause injuries.

Pulled Muscles, Ligaments & Broken Bones:

Can happen during play. Dogs run into each other, they chase balls, jump over each other, run into trees and bushes.

Uncastrated Dogs:

When younger dogs get to that prime age of ‘humping’ they may pounce on any dog. They show this motion for dominance too. This could cause upset in them or other dogs and they may turn and bite causing injury to either themselves or to other dogs. This could also incur injury to our staff when getting the uncastrated dog away from the other dogs.

Your dog will be taken out of Doggy Day Care and put into one of the Hotel Rooms. We will inform you on arrival to fetch your dog. (When reaching 12 months of age all dogs need be be castrated)

Kennel Cough:

Kennel cough is an airway infection that causes a nasty cough in dogs. Call your vet for advice if you think your dog has kennel cough. Most dogs improve on their own, but some need treatment from a vet. Dogs with kennel cough should be kept away from other dogs and public spaces.

The best way to prevent kennel cough is to vaccinate against it, especially if your dog mixes with lots of other dogs.

Kennel cough vaccine lasts 12 months - so should be repeated every year.

Like any vaccine, the kennel cough vaccine doesn’t give 100%, guaranteed protection, however, it does significantly reduce the chance that your dog will catch kennel cough and reduces symptoms if they do catch it.

Vomiting and Diarrhoea:

A Dog can Vomit or have Diarrhoea for many different reasons like changes to their environment, sharing water bowls,  changes in their diet, even pick up parasites from the ground, grass, parks, rivers, other dogs, insects, change in weather can also affect.

Weight Loss:

With Dogs running around and playing with their friends more than they would at home, they may lose weight. If you notice your dog losing weight, please up their food intake.

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If you are concerned about your dogs health, you should contact your vet for advice.