Dog & Cat Boarding in Kansas City, MO

Leaving your pet at a boarding facility can be a stressful event for both you and your pet! It is normal to worry about how your pet will be feeling in an environment away from home and without his or her “parents.” Sometimes, though, our busy schedules call for a little help in taking care of our much-loved furry family members. We hope the information below can help put you at ease about leaving your pet with us, as well as inform you about what you can do to make little Fluffy or Fido’s stay a smoother transition for you both.

Do Our Part:

It is important that boarded pets are kept in safe, sanitary kennels that can be disinfected. Dogs are housed in kennels of appropriate size, with ample room to move about to become comfortable and are given soft bedding to allow your pet to “get cozy.” Dogs are given outside Yard Time in a fenced area for 25 to 30 minutes morning and evening for a little exercise and some individual TLC with our animal caretakers. For those dogs that like to play with others, the daycare option allows them to socialize with other dogs and exercise in our grass yards.

Cats are kept in “kitty condos” which have open fronts but solid walls to prevent “arguments” with their neighbors. The condos also provide seclusion so cats can feel safe which is very important in a new environment. For those cats that enjoy a little exploration, each day they can be let out to explore the cat room or bask in the sunny windows.

All pets are fed once to twice daily according to owner instructions. We are happy to feed any diet you provide. If no diet is provided by the owner, then we feed Diamond Naturals Beef Meal & Rice Formula for Adult Dogs and Diamond Naturals Indoor Cat to cats. These are high quality diets that are easy to digest in an effort to minimize GI upset during your pet’s stay. We strongly recommend you bring your cat’s normal diet for us to feed during his/her stay because cats tend to be more sensitive to food changes.

Despite careful care and attention, boarding can still be a stressful time for your pet. He/she must adjust to a new routine as well as new sounds and smells. This can make your pet more susceptible to stress-related illness, such as GI upset and diarrhea or infections. For example, kennel cough is a contagious bronchitis that is well known for its ability to spread easily between dogs in a boarding situation. While we require vaccinations for all animals staying at our hospital as a precaution, it is still possible for a pet to contract a contagious illness in a communal situation. Because we are a Boarding Facility we indeed receive priority with affiliated Veterinary Clinics should he or she become ill. Animal caretakers are trained to watch for any potential problems such as poor appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, or other issues and will immediately notify the owner and a doctor should they have any concerns.

What you can do:

The best thing you can do to protect your pet’s health in boarding situations is to comply with your veterinarian’s preventive health care recommendations. This not only means making sure your pet’s vaccines are up to date at least 3 days prior to boarding, but also keeping current with recommended physical exams and wellness screening blood-work. This allows both you and your veterinarians to be aware of any potential problems that may need special attention or monitoring during your pet’s stay. In addition, providing your pets own food helps prevent digestive upset from sudden diet changes as well. Always inform Elkhound Ranch staff members of any medical condition your pet may have (arthritis, allergies, heart murmurs, history of coughing, etc). Please also inform the Kennel of any changes in your pet’s condition that may have developed since his/her last physical examination (changes in water consumption, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, etc...).

If your pet takes medications, make sure they are clearly marked with their name, the type of medication, and the dosage. Labels that are damaged or smeared should be replaced. In addition, please inform the staff what time of day the medication is usually given, and why specifically the medication is being given.

Keeping your dog socialized and used to experiencing different situations also helps to reduce stress when it comes time for boarding. Visiting an area dog park a few times before his/her visit can help socialize and desensitize your dog in order to help make new situations rewarding instead of traumatizing.

Owners often wish to provide a special toy, blanket, or other item that “smells like home” for their dog. While this is understandable, there are some guidelines that should be considered. In any boarding situation, items are frequently moved from the kennel to be cleaned or moved due to the kennel itself is being cleaned. It can sometimes be difficult to separate Shadow’s pink blanket from Biscuit’s pink and blue blanket, especially once they enter the laundry basket! Although it is your decision, we recommend that you not leave blankets or leashes with us, as these are the most common items to get mixed up. We also recommend not leaving any sentimental or special items and any items that are indeed left should not be easily shredded, torn, or ingested in order to prevent intestinal upset or obstruction.

After returning home, pets often sleep more than usual for the first 24 hours and may have decreased appetite for 24-36 hours. Keep watchful eye for any signs of stress-related illness, such as mild diarrhea. If your pet seems excessively lethargic, vomits, has moderate to severe diarrhea or does not seem to be back to normal within 24-36 hours after returning home, the best thing to do is consult with a veterinarian. A doctor can address any concerns you may have.

Being an informed owner helps make boarding a better experience for everyone! Feel free to call with specific questions that you may have about our boarding and daycare facilities, or any of the topics addressed above. 

The Pet Health Library

By Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, DipABVP

Educational Director, Veterinary Partner.com

Kennel Cough

(Infectious Tracheobronchitis)

What is It?

Kennel Cough is an infectious bronchitis of dogs characterized by a harsh, hacking cough that most people describe as sounding like “something stuck in my dog’s throat.”  This bronchitis may be of brief duration and mild enough to warrant no treatment at all or it may progress all the way to a life-threatening pneumonia depending on which infectious agents are involved and the immunological strength of the patient.  An uncomplicated kennel cough runs a course of a week or two and entails frequent fits of coughing in a patient who otherwise feels active and normal.  Uncomplicated cases do not involve fever or listlessness, just lots of coughing.

Numerous organisms may be involved in a case of kennel cough; it would be unusual for only one agent to be involved.  Infections with the following organisms frequently occur concurrently to create a case of kennel cough:

Bordetella Bronchiseptica (Bacteria)

Parainfluenza Virus

Adenovirus Type 2

Canine Distemper Virus

Canine Herpesvirus (very young puppies)

Mycoplasma Canis (a single-cell organism that is neither virus nor bacterium)

Canine Reovirus

The classical combination for uncomplicated kennel cough is infection with parainfluenza or adenovirus type 2 with Bordetella Bronchiseptica.  Infections involving the distemper virus or canine influenza are more prone to progressing to pneumonia, but pneumonia can readily result in any dog or puppy that is sufficiently young, stressed, or debilitated.

Not Sure What a Coughing Dog Sounds Like?

Dogs can make an assortment of respiratory sounds.  Usually a cough is recognizable but it is important to be aware of another sound called a reverse sneeze.  The reverse sneeze is often mistaken for a cough, a choking fit, sneezing, retching, or even gasping for breath.  In fact, the reverse sneeze represents a post-nasal drip or tickle in the throat.  It is considered normal especially for small dogs or dogs and only requires attention if it is felt to be excessive.  The point here is to know a cough when you see one.  A cough can be dry or productive, meaning it is followed by a gag, swallowing motion, production of foamy mucus (not to be confused with vomiting).

How Infection Occurs

An infected dog sheds infectious bacteria and/or viruses in respiratory secretions.  These secretions become aerosolized and float in the air where they can be inhaled by a healthy dog.  Obviously, crowded housing and suboptimal ventilation play important roles in the likelihood of transmission, but organisms may also be transmitted on toys, food bowls or other objects.

The normal respiratory tract has substantial safeguards against invading infectious agents.  The most important of these is probably what is called the mucociliary escalator.  This safeguard consists of tiny hair-like structures called cilia that protrude from the cells lining the respiratory tract and extends into a coat of mucus over them.  The cilia beat in a coordinated fashion through the lower and more watery mucus layer called the sol.  A thicker mucus layer called the gel floats on top of the sol.  Debris, including infectious agents, gets trapped in the sticky gel and the cilia move them upwards towards the throat where the collection of debris and mucus may be coughed up and/or swallowed.

The mucociliary escalator is damaged by the following:

Shipping Stress

Crowding Stress

Heavy dust exposure

Cigarette Smoke exposure

Infectious agents (as listed previously)

Cold temperature

Poor ventilation

Without this, a fully functional mucociliary escalator or invading bacteria, especially Bordetella Bronchiseptica, the chief agent of kennel cough, may simply march down the airways unimpeded.

Bordetella Bronchiseptica organisms have some tricks of their own as well:

They are able to bind directly to cilia, rendering them unable to move within 3 hours of contact.

They secrete substances that disable the immune cells normally responsible for consuming and destroying bacteria.

Because it is common for Bordetella to be accompanied by at least one other infectious agent (such as one of the viruses listed below), kennel cough is actually a complex of infections rather than infection by one agent.

Classically, dogs get infected when they are kept in a crowded situation with poor air circulation and lots of warm air (I.e., a boarding kennel, vaccination clinic, obedience class, local park, animal shelter, animal hospital waiting room, or grooming parlor).  In reality, most causes of coughing that begin acutely in a dog are due to infectious causes and usually represent some form of kennel cough.

THE INCUBATION PERIOD IS 2 TO 14 DAYS

Dogs are typically sick for 1-2 weeks.  Infected dogs shed Bordetella organism for 2-3 months following infection.

How is Diagnosis Made?

Usually the history of exposure to a crowd of dogs within the proper time frame, plus typical examination findings (coughing dog that otherwise feels well) is adequate to make the diagnosis.  Radiographs show bronchitis and are particularly helpful in determining if there is a complicating pneumonia.

Recently, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) panels have become available in many reference laboratories.  Using technology to amplify the presence of DNA in a swab, the lab is able to test for most of the kennel cough infectious agents listed.  This knowledge is helpful in guiding therapy and understanding expectations.

How is Kennel Cough Treated?

Although most cases will go away on their own, we like to think we can hasten recovery with antibiotics to directly kill the Bordetella organism.  Kennel cough may be treated with cough suppressants to provide comfort during natural recovery.  Alternatively, antibiotics and cough suppressants can be combined.

Prevention through Vaccination

Vaccination is only available for:  Bordetella bronchiseptica, canine adenovirus type 2, canine parainfluenza virus, canine distemper, and canine influenza.  Infections with other members of the kennel cough complex cannot be prevented.  Vaccine against adenovirus type 2, parainfluenza, and canine distemper is generally included in the basic puppy series and subsequent boosters (the DHPP or distemper-parvo shot).  For Bordetella bronchiseptica, vaccination can either be given as a separate injection or as a nasal immunization.  There is some controversy regarding which method provides a better immunization or if a combination of both formats is best.

Nasal Vaccine

Intranasal vaccination may be given as early as 3 weeks of age and immunity generally lasts 12 to 13 months.  The advantage is that the local immunity is stimulated right at the site where the natural infection would try to take hold.

It takes four days to generate a solid immune response after intranasal vaccination, so it is best if vaccination is given at least four days prior to the exposure.  Some dogs will have some sneezing or nasal discharge in the week following intranasal vaccination; this should clear up on its own.  As a general rule, nasal vaccination provides faster immunity than injectable vaccination.

Nasal vaccines for Bordetella generally also include vaccine against parainfluenza virus and some also include vaccine against adenovirus type 2.

Injectable Vaccine

Injectable vaccination is a good choice for aggressive dogs that may bite if their muzzle is approached.  For puppies, injectable vaccination provides good systematic immunity as long as two doses are given (approximately one month apart) after age 4 months.  Boosters are generally given annually.  Some dogs experience as small lump under the skin at the injection site.  This should resolve without treatment.

VACCINATION IS NOT USEFUL IN A DOG ALREADY INCUBATING KENNEL COUGH

If boarding is planned and more than 6 months have passed since the last booster shot, ideally the vaccine should be boosted 5 days or more before the start of boarding.

Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccination may not prevent infection.  In some cases, vaccination minimizes symptoms of illness but does not entirely prevent infection.  This is true whether nasal or injectable vaccine is used.

Dogs that have recovered from Bordetella bronchiseptica are typically immune to reinfections for 6 to 12 months.

What if Kennel Cough doesn’t improve?

As previously noted, this infection is general self-limiting.  It should be at least improved partially after one week of treatment.  If no improvement has been observed in this time, a re-check exam (possibly including radiographs of the chest) would be a good idea.  Failure of Kennel Cough to resolve suggests an underlying condition.  Kennel Cough can activate a previously asymptomatic collapsing trachea or the condition may have progressed to pneumonia.  There is also another respiratory infection called canine influenza, which seemed to be a racing greyhound issue exclusively until late 2005.  This infection produces fever and pneumonia but starts looking like a routine Kennel Cough.  This particular infection is much more secure, highly contagious, but for now seems to be uncommon.

If you have questions about a coughing dog, do not hesitate to bring them to your veterinarian.

Copyright 2014, Veterinary Information Network, Inc.