Knowledge is key to dog health and prevention of sickness. Knowing what signs and symptoms to look for is important. We are committed to staying educated on dog health and ailments. We would like to share that info with you. Here are some good resources/articles from the web that detail the common ailments that dogs can contract from a variety of places. As many of you know, we strive for perfection when it comes to dog health and safety, however, there is still a chance that your dog may be exposed to the sicknesses listed below. If your dog does show symptoms and is possibly sick, seek treatment and please notify Club Barks staff immediately. This will help us to make every effort to contain the sickness and possibly prevent other dogs from contracting the sickness.
We want to make all of our customers aware that dog parks, pet stores, play dates, and all other dog-on-dog contact can result in exposure to all of the dog ailments listed below. Remember that these scenarios are not "controlled" environments - there is no health screening or safety screening. Although great in concept (free, open access, and a nice way to spend time with your dog), they do pose great risk to you and your dog. You may be exposing your dog to some possible health and safety risks. Remember that the dogs at the park may not be up-to-date on their shots, or even vaccinated, for that matter. It only takes a quick moment to risk exposure to disease. Parks are not as clean as they might appear.
More importantly, safety is a major concern, especially in dog parks. Off-leash and free to roam, dog fights can quickly occur. Most people are not trained to watch for the warning signs of a dog fight and this can prove fatal, to both dogs and people in the park. In an unregulated environment where dogs are randomly grouped together, being of different breeds, sizes, and temperaments, there is great risk for conflict and danger to occur.
As you are well aware, Club Barks is vigilant about the screening process for all dogs to enter our facility. All dogs must have up-to-date shot records, be dog social, and be screened by us in order to play in our groups. Unfortunately, these stringent screening practices are non-existent at dog parks, pet stores, play dates, etc.
Read here to get more info on:
Contagious Ailments
We strive to maintain a clean and healthy environment, but we cannot control the initial contagious exposure of dogs that enter our facility and do not exhibit any of the symptoms from the ailments listed below. If any dogs show any signs, they are separated immediately and quarantined until they can be picked up by their parents.
Read here to get more info on:
Stomach Viruses
By maintaining a cleaning routine which consistently disinfects all floors and walls of the entire facility on a daily basis and all doggie accidents after they happen, we keep parasite transmission to a minimum. However, there are times that dogs are quicker than our staff and potentially eat other doggie accidents before it is disinfected. If your dog does suffer from Parasites or Giardia, please let the staff know so they can be extra careful to clean up immediately after your dog goes.
Semi-Contagious Ailments
Since all of our guests are required to have protection, Fleas and Ticks are not commonly spread. However, owners should check their dogs periodically to make sure their dog is not affected.
Non Contagious Ailments
Bloat - Can effect any dog. We have procedures in place that have limited the potential for a dog to suffer bloat, however, it can happen. Our staff is trained to spot the warning signs. If a dog does show any sign, it will be rushed immediately to a vet.
Stress-related Diarrhea - Some dogs can be affected by stress in the same way humans can. They can get diarrhea and bloody stool from stress. Stress can be triggered from participating in play group environments like Club Barks. Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done to prevent this ailment. The best course of treatment is to slowly de-sensitize the dog to the pack. We notify all owners when we spot a dog who may be suffering from stress.
Allergies - Dogs like humans are susceptible to allergies. There are differences in the coughs, sneezes and other symptoms than when a dog is actually sick. If we notice your dog suffering from allergies, we will notify you upon pickup.
