Icky Nasty Season is Upon Us!

Spring is in the air, yet again! Beyond the fact that the temperature is mild, another sure indication is all the dogs have that extra pep in their step. They all seem to come out of their winter comas at once and need to PLAY!

As much as we all love the start of warmer weather, it's also the start of the Icky Nasty season. I'll explain:

Allergies: If you notice your pup has runny eyes, a little cough and is sneezing more than usual, it's probably allergies. Of course check with your vet but 9 times out of 10 this time of year it's a mild allergy.

Bugs...in your yard, on the street - everywhere. March can mean the beginning of the ever dreaded flea and tick season. YUCK. If you gave your pooch a break from its flea and tick preventative, now is the time to start it up again.

Routine viruses also rear their ugly little heads. And since no vaccine is ever 100% accurate in preventing illness, sometimes your pup may come down with a little something.

Speaking of viruses and such, starting March 15th, we are going to start offering our canine customers the bordetella aka kennel cough vaccine. It will be administered intranasally (up the snoot). This is one the vaccines the Board of Health requires for boarding and daycare facilities. It's also the one that jams

most of us up when it comes to boarding since it's administered every six months and the average pet owner only goes to the vet once a year. Plus, since it isn't considered routine, most often your dog hasn't got it and then the scramble to get into a vet prior to a Hounds Town visit begins. So we all learned how to administer it and will now offer it. It's $15 and can be done when your pup comes to play. Please just let us know if you want us to do it when you make your reservation.

That's all the news for now! As always, feel free to contact me any time!

~Marianne