To blame Daycare for my dogs kennel cough?

[DobieMom81]

My dog (7 month old puppy) goes to daycare twice a week. She was last there last Thursday. On Saturday she started coughing and became quite unwell. £100 at the vets and kennel cough diagnosed. I contacted the daycare to make them aware and they admitted that they’ve had a few dogs “call in sick” with KC in the past week. So they clearly knew it was spreading around the dogs in their care and chose not to tell anyone. Now my French bulldog has caught it off my puppy. I’ve been in contact with a number of customers and their dogs are all suffering with KC.

If I’d known it was going around the school I would have kept her at home. But they never thought to mention it??!!

I’m fuming. They’re now at me to pay £160 for January’s dayschool fees. AIBU to send a strongly worded email tomorrow about the fact that they knowingly let dogs go to their care knowing KC was spreading around when they should have been warning people???

Neither dogs vaccinated as they’re never in kennels as such
But they go to daycare twice a week?! It’s about being around a collection of other dogs.

To be honest, I can’t believe anyone is running a dog daycare without insisting on all dogs being vaccinated including KC. However as others have said, it is highly contagious and could be picked anywhere other dogs are.

It is true that the kennel cough vaccine is not 100% effective and only protects against certain strains of it, much like the human flu vaccine.

Dogs catch kennel cough (which is from a range of viruses) from close contact with other dogs, so not just in kennels. They can even catch it from running around with other dogs when out playing on walks. Kennels though, and daycare establishments, are prime places for it to catch and to be able to spread. That is why they usually insist on seeing proof that the KC vaccine has been given, to protect themselves and their businesses as much as possible too against possible negligence claims.

Get the vaccine done. If you use daycare it is for the best.

Dog day care is a type of dog kennel. I can’t believe you fell for the marketing jargon of “day care” it’s a kennel. You should have had your dogs vaccinated.

YABU to not have your dogs vaccinated. They can spread it anywhere they go, saying they don’t go to kennels often (although your OP says 1 does go twice a week?!) is not a reason to not have them vaccinated. They will seem come into contact with other dogs on walks, in public places etc

I think yanbu

You don't have to vaccinate your dog against kc,and it is not a requirement of dog ownership. Kc really isn't a big deal for dog owners, it's like getting a cold, and fit dogs recover quickly. The vaccination often doesn't work anyway.

Just as with humans getting colds it is a bigger problem when it spreads quickly through a group situation and when young and older or physically inhibited dogs are affected (like flat noses or dogs with another deformity which restricts Airways) as they are weaker and more likely to develop complications.
There is no need for routine antibiotics and I wouldn't even take my dog to the vet with kc unless there was a complication. I would simply tuck them up and restrict movement and make them rest. I would also prevent missing with other dogs for several weeks as that is the responsible thing to do.

However I do think the dog care facility is guilty here. They have taken a fee to provide a service. They cannot provide the service due to their lack of due care. Are they licenced? The vaccination records of all clients will be a condition of the licence. They have not abided with the law either by not having a licence or by not enforcing the terms of that licence so you are well within your rights to complain and refuse to pay. They need to bring their affairs into order. This is their responsibility not yours. You are paying them for a professional service which they have failed to provide.

@sillyscrablegames

I can’t see how they’ve failed in their duty given the KC vaccine isn’t mandatory.

Any dog that’s mixing with other dogs should be vaccinated you can get KC from anywhere , that said having the vaccine won’t necessarily stop them getting it as there are so many different strains . My dog is vaccinated never goes to kennels , daycare or a walker and has few interactions with other dogs because he’s a very private individual but he still gets KC because he’s particularly susceptible .

Firstly the KC vaccine is like the human flu vaccine, it isn’t infallible, but obviously helps. Secondly, no, the daycare weren’t irresponsible.

Kennel cough vaccinations is only a very low per cent successful against kennel cough, as there are so many strains. The kennels I use say they have to request it, but tbh it does6make a lot of difference.

@Schuyler
Dog owners are not required to give their dogs any vaccines and the kc one isn't even one of the core vaccines. It's notoriously ineffective anyway: to illustrate there are even people on this thread saying how they always use it and their dog still gets kc.

Businesses on the other hand have to follow regulations in law. The daycare business is required by law to have a licence. The licence will require them to ensure all clients vaccinate their dogs.
The daycare business is clearly not doing this, either because they don't have a licence and are therefore operating illegally, or because they just haven't bothered to check the paperwork with their clients.
Either way, it's for the business to follow and enforce this rule. It's not OK to operate unprofessionally and then as a consequence enforce charges on clients.

Picking up kc from casual dog walks is a normal hazard of life and not a serious issue. Picking up kc from an establishment that is operating illegally and in an unprofessional way is a completely different matter, especially when that establishment then tries to charge you fees for the pleasure.

@Sillyscrabblegames

Who said the dog boarder wasn’t licenced? You can get KC even when vaccinated and it has an incubation period, so it’s not that hard to catch it off a vaccinated dog at a licenced day care.

Is kennel cough even a big deal? My dog had it recently and just coughed for 2-3 weeks then stopped, is it dangerous for dogs? I guess there could be rare complications but if you had a generally healthy dog why would you bother with vets and be upset if they got it? It's just like us having a cold surely?

@schuyler You are just repeating what I have already posted.
The dog boarder was not enforcing the terms of their licence, if they have one. If they were, the op would have not been able to attend with an unvaccinated dog.
There fore they have not exercised due care, are probably breaking the law, and have a cheek to be asking for payment.
The op should complain.

@mskatonic Completely agree

However I do think the dog care facility is guilty here. They have taken a fee to provide a service. They cannot provide the service due to their lack of due care. Are they licenced? The vaccination records of all clients will be a condition of the licence.

Says who? OP knows they dont require it, because her dogs dont have it

@Scarsthelot says the law.
My goodness.
It is the law to have a licence and checking and recording clients kc vacc will be a condition of that licence.
They either don't have a licence and are therefore an illegal outfit, or they do have a licence and do not comply with the terms and soo are an illegal outfit.
We know this because the op is using it for her unvaccinated dogs.
Having established they are illegal in some way the op is right to not want to pay them!

Can you link the law because the pdsa says most doggy daycare and boarding kennels wont accept without vaccines. Most, not that have to have their injections and that boarders or day cant take them.

I have found guidance. But no law.

Having established they are illegal in some way the op is right to not want to pay them!

Except she was fully aware, since her dog isnt vaccinated.

My dog caught it last month after being in kennels for a few days. She gets vaccinated for it every year but it's not 100% full proof, but like the human flu vaccine. We didn't take our dog to the vet as there's really not much they can do, just rest and plenty of fluids and not to let them mix with other dogs as it's highly contagious.

I've read that if your dog uses kennels regularly you can get them vaccinated twice a year - will check that out with the vet when she gets her yearly boosters/kennel cough.

@Sillyscrabblegames

Sorry am genuinely not trying to be awkward or contradictory but i think I’m not understanding your point. I’m obviously too tired! Is it the law that dogs must be KC vaccinated for day care/kennels? I’ve always vaxxed against it so never looked into it.

My Irish terrier currently has kennel cough.

He gets picked up by a dog walker and walked with 3 other dogs for an hour 4 days a week. He is fully vaccinated. When DH took him to the vets last Thursday, the vet explained that it is like the human flu, and if your dog catches a different strain, the vaccine does not work. Very much like the human flu vaccine.

It’s just part and parcel of owning a vet...

Owning a vet - if only! Owning a dog.

Our kennels never allowed dogs who hadn't been vaccinated against kennel cough to board there. Your responsibility.

As been said above- kennel cough is caused by lots of different things but Is a lot like flu in us and very common. Most will recover on their own, or with antiinflammatories/benylin to help soothe coughing. Vaccination doesn’t always stop them getting it but means they should suffer less, and recover quicker. Like with children sometimes these things spread before people realise the dog is unwell. And if your dog is mixing with lots of others then vaccinating is a very sensible precaution. It’s caused by multiple things and having it once doesn’t stop them having it again so still worth doing once your dogs are better. It’s a squirt up the nose. It’s possible because your dog is younger that they’ve suffered more than an adult dog might have. Hope you get a quick recovery! But this is a risk when dogs are mixing with others.

@scarsthelot

All legislation is published on this site...
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/486/contents/made

The boarding business has a duty in legislation to prevent the spread of diseases. The local authority and the vet who the business is registered with will have stipulated the conditions for the licence. The op is in the right not to pay
as the establishment has failed to do this and there are a myriad of re flags here. The op could get all stroppy and challenge the business on their licence arrangements but I think a strong email will do the trick.