‘Tis the season for germs and colds, right? Kennel Cough is a highly contagious, common airway infection in dogs, that can be caused by several viruses and bacteria. If your dog is showing any of “goose honk” coughing, wheezing, swollen tonsils or runny nose and eyes, we recommend bringing them to your vet as soon as possible and keeping them away from other dogs. Also, please remember to ask when your dog will be healthy enough to join group play.

To prevent Kennel Cough, vaccinate your dog annually, or semi-annually, particularly if they lead a social life. Similar to the airborne disease that humans have been working hard to avoid recently, Kennel Cough is passed through breath and airborne particles. This means that your pup can get Kennel Cough anywhere, including just walking by another infected dog momentarily. It is that virulent. In fact, many vet offices have attempted to create a unique entry to their facilities, because their lobby spaces could be contaminated by any of the dogs arriving for care.

At Scampers we require every pooch to be fully vaccinated, including for Bordetella. Note, the Bordetella protections, whether they be nasal spritz or vaccine, do not cover every known strain of the virus. Just like our human flu shots, they are not 100% effective. But, they are a whole lot more protective than no protection at all, particularly if they are given semi-annually. We also adhere to strict cleaning protocols, with an Infection Control Plan approved by the Seattle King County Board of Health. But, we do ask for your vigilance and partnership in keeping our canine population healthy: please do not bring your dog to us if they exhibit any of the above-mentioned symptoms. If we spot a possible contagion in your dog, we will segregate them from the group and call you for immediate pick up.

The health and safety of all of your pups is our utmost priority at all times. So, please be patient with us if we have to make that call or bug you about vaccination data for your dogs’ files.