With cases of Kennel Cough on the rise in Northland, some doggie day care operators say the disease could be better controlled if their industry was regulated. Photo / NZME
With cases of Kennel Cough on the rise in Northland, some doggie day care operators say the disease could be better controlled if their industry was regulated. Photo / NZME
Two of Whangārei’s doggie day care providers fear the industry’s lack of regulation is contributing to a recent rise in cases of kennel cough.
The providers expressed their concerns to the Northern Advocateabout what they claimed were poor hygiene and animal welfare standards in some competitors’ facilities.
Donna Cameron from Pointsetta Dog Motel said it was important to air the issues. For commercial reasons, the other provider didn’t want to be named.
Older and otherwise immune-compromised dogs that contract kennel cough are prone to serious complications such as pneumonia. Vaccination is a good line of defence, at least, lessening the severity of symptoms.
Kennel cough is spread through places such as boarding kennels, training classes, doggie day-care, dog shows, pet shops, parks and beaches or in any other situation where dogs socialise, the association said.
Transmission was usually by dog-to-dog contact through sniffing, sneezing, coughing and sharing water bowls. Infected dogs remained contagious for extended periods after their recovery, when they could still spread disease-causing organisms into the environment, from which other dogs were readily infected.
The two concerned Whangārei dog day care providers said they became aware of the recent rise in cases through clients, including new ones who’d been dissatisfied with conditions at other centres.
The provider who didn’t want to be named, said she believed kennel cough was probably being spread through some facilities that she claimed were taking in “50 to 100 dogs at a time”, without checking on the vaccination status of those animals and where cleaning and sanitisation processes were substandard.
Cameron said she was also concerned vaccination certificates weren’t being checked by some providers and noted there were facilities where dogs drank out of shared water bowls.
“The industry needs to be licenced and regulated,” she said.
Many operators had taken to the industry like a fad and saw it as a good money-spinner with seemingly little concern for animal welfare standards, the concerned providers said.
Northland vets face rising numbers of patients with kennel cough - a highly infectious disease usually transmitted through any place commonly used by dogs or when dogs socialise. Photo / 123rf
Companion animal team leader Susie Soulsby BVMS for Northland Veterinary Group confirmed a recent increase in cases of kennel cough presenting at their three clinics.
She said she had no evidence to comment on the two providers’ concerns.
“It is common for us to see kennel cough present in outbreaks like this due to its infectious nature.
“I think the explosion of doggy day cares over the last few years in Whangārei has probably contributed to an increase in cases of kennel cough, purely because more dogs are “hanging out” together on a regular basis.
“Just like children that go to day care, the opportunity for bugs to thrive means infections are inevitable. The same goes for increased socialisation through walking the Loop and the dog parks that are available for dogs.
“As a vet I would always recommend the use of kennel cough vaccination and would certainly encourage people to only send their dogs to an establishment that checks their records are up to date and are also happy to allow an owner a full inspection of the facilities to ensure that everything appears above board and general hygiene is being adhered to.
The veterinary association said symptoms of kennel cough appeared within three to 10 days after exposure and included:
loud, high pitched cough, often described as a “goose honk”;
loss of appetite;
lack of energy;
retching or hacking;
nasal discharge.
Elsewhere around the region, vet nurse Donna Badorek of Phoenix Animal Welfare, in Waipapa, said there had been an increase in cases - “about six over the past month”. It was similar to a rise that occurred before a large outbreak last year.
Kaitāia’s Top Vets clinic reported seeing “a little bit more (of the disease) than usual but not a huge spike” in it.
The association said dogs suspected of having kennel cough, should be isolated at home and not taken to a vet clinic without phoning ahead first.
A vet might authorise some treatment for the dog’s cough (especially if the dog has other conditions such as heart disease), but medications such as antibiotics would only be prescribed if the dog had signs of bacterial infection such as a fever or lack of appetite.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference
