Giardia and coccidia are intestinal parasites that may cause diarrhea or vomiting. Dogs can get these parasites from contact with the feces of infected animals (domestic or wild) or from contact with contaminated standing water. The parasites can be spread at daycare when dogs inspect each other’s rear ends or if they have direct contact with other dogs’ poop.
Giardia can cause severe dehydration which further weakens your dog’s ability to fight the parasite. If your dog has vomiting and diarrhea, take him to your veterinarian’s office immediately. Coccidia causes similar, but less severe, symptoms. Most dogs recover quickly with prompt medical attention.
Dogs can get worms (roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, etc) in the same way they can get giardia or coccidia. D Pet Hotels is diligent about quickly cleaning dog waste and if we see that a dog has worms, we will isolate the dog and contact the client to let them know. Once de-wormed, a dog should stay home for at least a week to give the dead parasites time to work their way out of the dog’s system. If your pooch seems to be a bit under the weather, please keep him home and seek veterinary attention if symptoms persist. It is not fair to expose your dog’s playmates to potential health issues.
Injuries can also sometimes occur at daycare. Any open play with a group of dogs can be a very active and interactive environment for your dog. Many of our dogs enjoy rough and tumble play; although we do break up play that gets too rough, the dogs can get pretty rambunctious. Dogs use their teeth like we use our hands; they grab each other by the neck and nibble, run, and play with one another. Minor injuries such as nicks, cuts, scrapes, missing hair and strained muscles do happen. Additionally, dogs do have disagreements from time to time, and fighting is a possibility. The staff is trained to break up any dog fights that may occur.
We believe the benefits of dog daycare far surpass the possible risks. We are diligent about quickly cleaning up dog waste and we sanitize our facility daily. We are quick to interrupt inappropriate social behavior and overly rough play. However, please be aware that your dog is at an increased risk of catching contagious canine illnesses and getting minor injuries when socializing with other dogs. This is a risk you must be willing to accept if you want your dog to play in this environment. D Pet Hotels has a strict supervision policy, and your dog will always be in the company of one of our trained employees. However, there could be fights among the dogs in any play environment like this. The staff is trained to anticipate a problem and break up a serious fight quickly. If your dog causes an injury to another dog or staff, you are financially responsible for that injury. If there was no incident and your dog was injured during play, you are financially responsible for that injury. If a serious injury or emergency occurs, we will rush your dog to the nearest veterinary hospital. We will call you immediately if your dog is sick or injured, and if your dog is sick, please keep them home.
