Dog Flu Symptoms to Watch For

The flu doesn’t just affect people. Dogs can also get what’s known as the canine influenza virus. Although it’s usually not serious, some dogs can get very ill when they get this virus. Learn more about what symptoms to watch for, so you can make sure your pup gets prompt veterinary care.

What Is the Canine Influenza Virus?

This is a contagious virus that affects the respiratory system. The U.S. has two strains of it, which are H3N8 and H3N2. Dogs spread this illness when they cough, sneeze or bark, since these actions cause germs to enter the air. Dogs can also get this virus by coming into contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. Dogs are more likely to get dog flu in crowded places, such as boarding kennels. Dogs can be contagious from 10 to 26 days, depending on which strain they have.

Dog Flu Symptoms

Your dog can be infected without showing any signs of symptoms of this illness. When dog flu symptoms do appear, they are typically the following:

• Dry or phlegmy cough
• Sneezing
• Watery eyes
• Runny nose
• Fever
• Lack of energy
• Trouble breathing

When to Seek Veterinary Care

Dog flu symptoms can be mild ones that don’t cause your dog too much trouble, but it’s also possible for dog flu to cause serious symptoms that need immediate care. If your dog is lethargic, has severe breathing problems or runs a high fever, seek emergency care at the nearest animal hospital. Dogs can develop pneumonia when they have dog flu, which can be fatal in some cases. If your dog has mild symptoms, you should still make an appointment with your vet for treatment.

Keep in mind that treatment for dog flu usually involves making sure your dog is comfortable and has plenty of fluids while the virus runs its course. Your dog might also need antibiotics if any secondary infections have developed. Your vet will let you know what kinds of treatment are best for your dog, depending on the severity of flu symptoms and your dog’s age.

What to Look for in a Pet Grooming Shop

Pet grooming tasks, such as brushing your dog’s coat and nail clipping, can be done at home, but there are benefits to using professional grooming services. Professional groomers can make sure your dog’s coat, skin and nails look their best, and you can usually choose from a wide range of shampoos and other products for them to use. If you’re uncomfortable clipping your dog’s nails or doing other grooming tasks, professional pet groomers can handle these for you. When it comes to choosing a pet grooming shop, keep the following tips in mind.

Check the Pet Grooming Facility

Take a tour of the pet grooming place to make sure that it’s clean and has plenty of lighting. This helps reduce the risk of injuries and lowers your dog’s risk of getting sick from germs. The shop should also have the right kinds of equipment for grooming dogs safely and properly, including different types of brushes and nail clippers. The staff members should also be willing to answer any questions you have while you walk through the place.

Look for Experienced Staff

Staff members should have the right training and experience needed to provide your dog with quality grooming services. This includes knowing which supplies to use, how to use them properly, and being able to handle dogs of all temperaments. Staff members should also keep a close eye on dogs that are in blow-drying units to reduce the risk of overheating. Don’t hesitate to bring up any concerns you have about grooming services.

Check Available Services

Make sure the services you want are offered, and go over the available options for these services. Most groomers offer bathing, brushing, haircuts, nail clipping and ear care. Some also offer dental care to help dogs’ teeth stay clean and healthy. You might find a pet grooming shop that offers several options, such as oatmeal baths to soothe sensitive skin, medicated baths for skin problems, or baths with whitening shampoo for dogs with white coats. Some places also offer special nail services, such as nail polish.

Tips for Grooming Your Dog

Keeping dogs well-groomed is an important part of ensuring that they’re happy and healthy. This includes caring for their skin, coat, nails, teeth and ears. Keep the following tips in mind when it’s time for grooming your dog.

Baths

Giving dogs a bath helps keep their skin and coat clean. Dogs should get bathed every few months, but they’ll need them more often if they tend to roll around in dirt or play outside a lot. However, you should avoid giving dogs baths too frequently, such as every week, which can dry out their skin. Make sure you use a shampoo that’s designed for dogs, since human shampoo can lead to skin irritation.

Brushing

Dogs need regular brushing to remove dead hair, prevent mats and keep their coat looking shiny. Brushing helps distribute natural oils through dogs’ coats. The type of brush you’ll need and how often you should brush the dog, depends on the kind of coat they have. Dogs with longer or thicker coats, and dogs with coats that tangle easily usually need to be brushed more often. When brushing dogs, look for any signs of skin irritation or fleas.

Nail Clipping

Dogs need to have their nails clipped regularly to prevent them from getting too long. Having longer nails makes it harder for dogs to walk comfortably. Longer nails can also get caught, increasing the risk of having them torn off. You should trim dogs’ nails when they reach the floor. When clipping their nails, make sure you don’t cut into the quick, which causes bleeding.

Ear Care

Dogs can get ear infections or have parasites that cause irritation inside their ears. When grooming your dog, check their ears often for redness, foul odors or discharge, which can indicate an infection that needs medical care.

Dental Care

Dogs need regular brushing to keep their teeth in good condition and prevent gum disease and tooth decay. You should brush your dog’s teeth a few times a week with a toothbrush and toothpaste made for dogs. Don’t use human toothpaste, which can upset their stomach.

Choosing the Right Pet Grooming Supplies

When grooming pets at home, it’s important to make sure you have the right kinds of supplies. Use the following information when you’re choosing pet grooming supplies for your dog.

Dog Brushes

Your dog’s coat determines the kind of brush you’ll need to get:

• Smooth, short coat: For this type of coat, choose a bristle brush that has short, soft or medium bristles.
• Wiry, short coat: If your dog has this kind of coat, look for a slicker brush. You can also use a bristle brush that has firm bristles.
• Thin coat: For dogs with a thin coat, look for a wire-pin brush. You can also use a slicker brush to get rid of mats.
• Flowing coat: If your dog has a medium or long coat with flowing hair, choose a wire-pin brush. You can also use a bristle brush that has soft or medium bristles. For removing mats, use a slicker brush.
• Double coat: Choose a wire-pin brush for this type of coat. You can also use a bristle brush that has firm bristles. To remove mats or tangles, use a slicker brush.

Nail Clippers

When choosing pet grooming supplies, you’ll need one of the following nail clippers:

• Scissor clippers: These work best for bigger dogs with thicker nails, since they apply more pressure when trimming nails.
• Guillotine clippers: These clippers, which go over each nail and slice the tip off, are suitable for small or medium dogs.
• Grinder tool: This tool can be used for bigger dogs with thick nails or dogs who don’t like nail clippers.

Dental Care

When it comes to dental care, choose toothbrushes and toothpaste that are specifically made for dogs. Toothpaste made for people isn’t good for dogs, since it can irritate their stomach. Remember to replace your dog's toothbrush when it starts to wear out.

Bathing Supplies

For bathing dogs, you’ll need shampoo that’s safe to use on dogs. Don’t use shampoo made for people, since these products can bother their skin. You can also choose dog shampoo with oatmeal for sensitive skin or shampoo that helps brighten white coats.

Comparing Costs for Pet Boarding, Pet Sitting and On-site Daycare

When you need to travel without your pets, you have a few options to consider for pet care. You can have your pets stay at a boarding facility, hire a pet sitter, or sign them up for pet daycare. These different options vary in price based on certain factors. Here’s what to expect when you compare pet boarding cost, pet sitting cost and daycare cost.

Pet Boarding Cost

The cost for pet boarding is usually higher than costs for a pet sitter. This is mainly due to the fact that your pets will be staying in a facility that provides cozy kennels, play areas and staff members to keep an eye on them. You don’t have to worry about arranging for a sitter to come by each day or stay at your home, which means you don’t have to worry that they won’t show up. Boarding provides you with peace of mind while you’re away from your pets. Keep in mind that pet boarding facilities also offer grooming, training and other services, which also accounts for higher costs.

Pet Sitting Cost

The cost of a pet sitter is typically lower than pet boarding or daycare. The least expensive option is having a pet sitter stop by your home a couple times a day to walk your pets, feed them and play with them. If you want someone there at all times, you’ll usually have to pay more for an overnight pet sitter.

On-site Daycare

If you only need someone to watch your pets during the day, on-site daycare is a great option. This usually costs about as much as pet boarding, although you can typically find discounts to take advantage of, such as signing your pets up for more days or weeks at a reduced rate. On-site daycare provides pets with a safe and exciting place to spend the day, and you can also arrange for grooming services or training for additional costs.

How to Find the Best Boarding Facility for Your Pet

Boarding facilities offer a place for your pets to stay when you won’t be home, but how do you know which one to pick? When you’re comparing different facilities, keep the following tips in mind. This will help ensure that you find the best boarding facility for your pets.

Check Vaccination Requirements

When you find pet boarding facilities in your area, one of the first things to check is the vaccination requirements. Facilities should require all pets to have certain vaccinations in order to stay there. This helps lower your pets’ chances of getting sick while they’re boarding. Without strict vaccination requirements, pets are at risk of getting kennel cough and other contagious diseases.

Look for a Clean Facility

Any boarding facility you consider for your pets should be kept clean on a regular basis. You should visit the facility to take a tour of it, so you can see what kind of condition it’s in. Any messes from pets should be picked up right away instead of being left on the floor. Pets should also have bowls of clean water available. If the facility you visit seems dirty, don’t board your pets there. They’re more at risk of getting sick if they stay in an unclean boarding facility.

Talk to the Staff

Before choosing a boarding place, talk to staff members. This lets you find out how knowledgeable they are about pets and pet care. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions you have about the place and how certain situations are handled, such as how staff members deal with emergencies. Talking to staff also helps you to determine if they’re friendly, courteous and good with animals.

Ask About Supervised Play

If your pets will be taking part in play groups, make sure these are supervised by staff members. Find pet boarding facilities that require pets to go through assessments. This ensures that they don’t have behavioral problems that could make them a danger to other pets. Supervised play also reduces the risk of having pets get loose and run off.

What to Expect from Overnight Pet Boarding

When your pets stay overnight at DoGone Fun, you can rest assured that they’ll have a great time. If you’re wondering what to expect from overnight pet boarding, this is what pets typically go through during their stay.

Check-In

When you bring your pets in for boarding, we’ll give you time to say goodbye before taking them back to the kennels or play area. Please have your check-in form filled out for us, so we’ll have all of the information we need for your pets’ stay.

Playtime

If you drop your pets off in the morning or afternoon, they can play with other dogs in the play area. We provide pets with time to rest during the day, so they don’t get overexcited.

Training

We offer training for pets that are boarding. If your pets could use some obedience training or if they need to learn specific commands, we can work with them while they’re at our boarding facility. We offer training classes and one-on-one instruction.

Meals

Our overnight pet boarding facility serves meals at regular times each day. We’ll feed your pets their regular food, or you can indicate that you want them to eat the food we provide at our facility. If your pets have special diets, please let us know, so we can accommodate them.

Elimination

Your pets will have plenty of opportunities to eliminate during their overnight stay. They can do so while playing outside or going for a walk. Our staff members clean up after your pets right away in order to keep our facility clean.

Bedtime

When it’s time for bed, your pets will stay in a comfortable kennel with a polar fleece blanket. For an extra fee, you can arrange one-on-one cuddle time for them, a biscuit, or a Kong filled with goodies. You can also arrange for an extra comfortable bed for them for an extra fee.

Grooming

Our staff members can give your pets a bath, trim their nails and provide other grooming services if you want. Just let us know which grooming services you would like for your pets.