IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ! 

This is a long but important email. PLEASE read it carefully and thoroughly.

The University of Georgia has confirmed the first case of canine influenza in Georgia.


The dog diagnosed is doing very well and is located in Decatur, not near our facility or in our immediate community. However, as a canine professional with 20+ years of experience, this illness and its ability to spread very quickly, causes me great concern for the safety of all our dogs.

The dog diagnosed in Decatur had frequented local dog parks. For several years now, I have been openly discussing, with our clients and at national canine professional conferences, the concerns I have with public dog parks. Your dog's safety is a concern, due to the unchecked aggressive behavior and unsuited temperaments in these parks, combined with the lack of any safety protocols to implement should a dog fight occur. Additionally, the unknown medical and vaccination status of dogs in these parks, combined with uncleared fecal material that can harbor illness and parasites, only compounds my concerns and I cannot not recommend any dogs engage in play in these parks. The risk vs benefit is just too great and there are other alternatives that are much safer. Dogs in playgroups at K-9 Coach have known medical and vaccination histories, thereby reducing the chance of an illness transfer, our yards are clean and follow Dept. of Agriculture protocols and our staff are trained to identify unsuited behaviors and temperaments for playgroups. Thus the mandatory evaluation for new dogs AND those who have not been quests in over 6 mos. Playcare is not for every dog, but for dogs who want to play with other dogs, monitored playcare in our facility is the best choice.

For almost 15 years, K-9 Coach has consistently been the best of the best in professional dog services. It is why you chose us and why you are part of our family. Protecting our dogs and keeping the safe and clean facility our clients have come to enjoy and depend upon requires proactive work as well as quick and efficient response to challenges that arise. As we enter into the busiest time of the year, two questions arise:

 

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

  1. Avoid dog parks, any other free-play areas, nose-to-nose greetings on walks, etc... where the health status of a dog is unknown. A dog that looks healthy may not be and canine flu can strike very quickly in a dog that was seemingly healthy 24 hours earlier.
  2. Contact your vet and discuss vaccinating against canine flu. This vaccine is not currently in common vaccine protocols. However, local vet partners and the American Veterinary Medical Association have begun reassessing this and it is likely that it will begin to be required. It is further likely that K-9 Coach will begin requiring this vaccine in the very near future. While the vaccine does not provide 100% protection and we do not know at this time if the current case would have been protected by the vaccine, any steps we can take to ensure safety in our facility, we will implement. There are different strains of influenza and the vaccine does not protect against all strains. We are anxiously waiting to learn what strain is identified in Decatur by the University of Georgia and further decisions will be made at that time.
  3. Do not bring your dog to K-9 Coach if they have sneezing, coughing, have runny eyes or nose, bloodshot eyes, lethargy or are not eating. Prevention is key and the canine flu is most likely to spread in the first 4 days of infection. See your vet for treatment of any concerning symptoms. Per K-9 Coach policy, if your dog is currently receiving treatment for these symptoms in relation to allergies, please provide a note from your vet. However, should your dog's symptoms change at any time, regardless of the note from your vet, rest assured that we will seek medical attention for your dog.
  4. Please avoid boarding your dog in "cottage" facilities - boarding or daycare facilities run out of someone's home that have not acquired the proper permits and licenses. These are often run in a private home and the Dept. of Agriculture does not have the opportunity to inspect these "facilities". Often unsuspecting owners feel this is a safer and more "home-like" environment and do not realize that safety protocols such as vaccine and infectious disease protocols are not required, licenses are not in place and these facilities are not monitored by professionals from the Dept. of Agriculture.
  5. Wash your hands after you touch a dog. While this flu cannot infect humans, it is transferable dog to dog by human hands that have come into contact with an infected dog.
  6. Do not panic. There is no reason to lock your dog away and never take them out. Most dogs who contract any illness recover very quickly and with no long-term effects. Dogs with compromised immunity, puppies and elderly dogs are most likely to contract an illness and should be kept away from any unknown dogs. 

WHAT IS K-9 COACH DOING?

  1. Our vaccination protocol mirrors that of our veterinary partners, the AVMA and Dept. of Agriculture.
  2. We are in regular contact with local veterinary clinics and have recently reviewed our health and wellness protocols with them in light of the recent Bordatella issues in Gwinnett County.
  3. Our cleaning chemicals are the same ones used in animal hospitals throughout the area.
  4. All customers are required to sign our services agreement. In it, customers agree that their dog(s) "are in good health and has not been ill with any communicable conditions within the past 30 days. I certify that my dog/s has not been exposed to Rabies, Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, and Bordetella (kennel cough) within a 30-day period"
  5. We require all dogs coming into K-9 Coach to have been in their owner's possession for a minimum of 30 days. In other words, you cannot adopt a dog today and come to K-9 Coach on Tuesday.
  6. Any dog who displays symptoms of communicable illness including sneezing, coughing, runny eyes or nose, bloodshot eyes, lethargic behavior or not eating, are removed immediately from our group boarding and/or play areas and isolated. The owner is contacted to come and their pup is not allowed to rejoin groups until a vet has examined them. If the owner is unable to be reached or requests us to do so, our team will transport the dog to a vet for assessment.

As always, we truly thank you for your business and I encourage you to contact our management team with any questions, feedback or concerns. 

 

Amber Burckhalter, CDBC, CNWI

CEO, K-9 Coach

Chairman, APDT Board of Trustees

APDT Foundation Board of Trustees

Leadership Cobb 2015

Copyright ?2012 K-9 Coach, LLC, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
K-9 Coach, LLC
4870 South Atlanta Rd.
Smyrna, GA 30080
phone: 404.603.9744
fax:404.603.9746