Our sick policy begins at home with you, the dog owner. If your dog is displaying any signs of illness—vomiting, coughing, diarrhea, bloody stools, lethargy conjunctivitis, fleas, etc.—we request that you do not enter them into daycare where illnesses can quickly spread to other dogs. Any dogs in our care that begin to display any signs of illness will be removed from the general population and placed in a private suite in our infirmary. The owner of the dog will be contacted immediately to be made aware of what has happened. At this point, any medical intervention necessary will be done so only under the request and approval of the owner of the dog, and at the owner’s expense. If The Houndry is unable to establish contact with the owner of the sick dog we will act on behalf of the dog’s best interest, within reason, at the owner’s expense.

Any boarded dog that becomes sick while in our care will remain in the infirmary until the dog is again healthy and no longer deemed a health risk to the other dogs. This decision is left to the discretion of The Houndry and, if necessary, a veterinarian.

Any time a dog requires medical attention and the owner is unavailable, The Houndry will transport the dog, in order, 1) to the dog’s primary veterinarian as per our records, 2) to a secondary veterinarian or, 3) to an emergency care facility. All medical expenses will be the responsibility of the sick/injured dog’s owner. Any time your dog socializes with other dogs, he is at an increased risk of catching communicable canine health issues.  Please click here for more information.

Because it is the nature of dogs to play in a physical manner, it should be understood that there exists the chance that an injury may occur. Dogs are monitored at all times, as well as being given rest breaks, to help prevent injuries from happening. If a dog should display signs of being injured, that dog will be removed to the infirmary and given a thorough physical inspection. Most often, a dog will only require a little rest before feeling better. If this is the case, we will continue to monitor the dog in the infirmary before making a decision as to if and when the dog may be returned to the population. If an injury appears to require medical care, we will first contact the owner of the dog for consultation and, if necessary, seek care for the injured dog. If an injury is determined to be the result of negligence on the part of The Houndry, we will accept responsibility for resulting medical charges. As with our illness policy, if a dog is injured and the owner is unavailable, we will act in the best interest of the health of the injured dog in pursuing medical care.

NOTE:  All injuries will be reported to the owner of the dog, regardless of their severity. Unless otherwise specified by the owner of the dog, all non-emergency incidents will be reported to the owner at the end of the day.

NOTE:  Every afternoon we will brush out the dogs in our care. During this time, the dogs will receive a thorough visual and hand inspection to look for any injuries.

All dogs that enter into our care must provide proof that they are current with all state-mandated vaccinations or proof of titers. These include:  Rabies, Parvo/Distemper and Bordatella (Kennel Cough). Dogs six months of age or older must also be neutered/spayed.

We require that all dogs pass a thorough temperament test before accepting a reservation for daycare or boarding. Please contact The Houndry to schedule a visit.

Because dogs are very sensitive to sudden changes in their diets, The Houndry requires that owners provide meals for their dogs while being boarded. We don’t offer the option of purchasing food from us to use for meals unless we carry your particular brand. This is in your dog’s best interest and will prevent any allergic reactions or GI disturbances during their stay with us. We schedule two (2) daily feedings—one in the morning and one in the evening.  If you have any special meal or feeding requirements, please remember to include those when you drop your dog off. 

NOTE:  Meal times are scheduled for our boarded dogs before and after daycare hours. Typically, daycare does not include a feeding time. If your dog is with us for daycare and requires any meals, please be sure to make arrangements with our staff.

Just like us, dogs are susceptible to whatever bug is going around. The standard yearly vaccines are excellent in protecting dogs against the more serious diseases; however, there are many things they can still pick up from other dogs. Kennel cough, otherwise known as bordatella can be a frequent visitor any place dogs gather. It’s the pooch version of the flu that usually manifests itself as a deep froggy cough.  It is a highly contagious, airborne virus and even dogs displaying no symptoms can be carriers and sometimes spread it. All guests of the Houndry are required to be vaccinated against bordatella a minimum of once annually. We recommend the vaccine on a twice a year basis for those dogs who frequently stay in kennels or socialize with a large number of other dogs. Please help us keep the ‘pack’ healthy by quarantining all bordatella cases for 15 days.

Please, no Fleas. There are several great flea preventative products available through your vet.  All dogs at the Houndry are required to be flea-free.  No flea collars, however, as they can be toxic if bitten or chewed.

Dogs can get worms from inspecting other dogs’ feces.  It may sound gross, but it’s what dogs do.  At the Houndry, we are diligent about immediate removal of dog waste, and if we see that a dog has worms, we will isolate him in our infirmary and contact the owner immediately to let them know. Once wormed, a dog should stay home for at least one week to give the dead parasites time to get out of their system.

Giardia is a protozoan parasite common in wet areas like lakes, rivers, and streams. It is much more prevalent after it has rained. Symptoms may include bloody diarrhea and/or bloody vomit. If your pooch displays any of these symptoms, you should seek immediate medical attention from a vet as this can cause severe dehydration.

Coccidia, like Giardia, is water-borne and has similar yet less severe symptoms.

These are some of the more common bugs that are occasionally passed between dogs. If your dog is showing ANY signs of illness, please keep them home.  It’s not fair to expose other dogs to their germs.