☹ Coping with Canine Cough, again! ☹

Updated February 8, 2025  

As of today, we have been advised that eight of the fifty-four dogs who were here between January 21st and February 1st, have some symptoms of Canine Cough. Most of these eight have had very mild symptoms lasting only a day or two while a few have been coughing for longer periods and have had some episodes of reverse sneezing. We are hopeful that the steps we have taken to contain the spread of the virus were effective and we want to report that we have no coughing dogs with us at this time.  

We want owners to be apprised of the situation and they can decide how they want to proceed. We will not be shutting down the business, as we have in the past, but we will continue to take steps to mitigate the risks of spreading Canine Cough. 

The first thing we would ask is that any dogs who are coughing or have any other symptoms, should be kept at home. If this is not possible, due to travel plans, then please contact us and we'll discuss the best way to proceed. Any dogs that arrive with a cough or develop a cough after arriving, will be isolated until ten days after they stop coughing. 

Symptoms could include some or all of the following.

• A cough that may produce phlegm, trying to clear the throat or retching,           
• a nasal discharge or increased reverse sneezing,
• some eye irritation,
• general lethargy.  

 There are things we, and you, can do to limit the risk of exposure, keep your dog from getting sick and prevent further spread of the illness. While young, healthy dogs may recover quickly, older dogs or those that that may be immunocompromised are at a greater risk for more serious illness. 

1. If you have a booking for your dog to stay with us in the next two weeks and you need to cancel because you think your dog may have the virus, there will not be any cancellation fee.

2. We will be contacting you, if our records indicate that your dog has not had a vaccination for Canine Cough (Bordetella) within the past twelve months. Dogs can still catch, as well as transmit Canine Cough, even if vaccinated, but if they get sick, the symptoms are usually less serious and the duration is shorter.

3. We will ask you to check your records or contact your veterinarian to find out if your dog needs to have an updated vaccination.  If so, then you must send us a copy of the updated Vaccination Certificate, specifying the route of administration, or ask your vet clinic to E-mail a copy to us.

4. For the two-week period, prior to bringing your dog to us, please avoid taking them to places where they will have close contact with other dogs who may be sick. This includes any of the following:
   • off-leash dog parks, 
   • dog daycare or boarding premises, 
   • grooming operations, 
   • training facilities, 
   • vet clinics, and
   • the homes of friends or family where there may be dogs that they play with. 

Please contact us as soon as possible if you have any other questions or concerns. 

November 8, 2024

We have begun to meet with potential new clients as we think we can manage some additional canine company. We will continue to keep a close watch on just how busy we get and we may have to limit the number again in the future. 

After reading the information below, if you are interested in meeting with us to find out if your dog(s) would be a good fit, please contact us. 

mailto:ccsitter@hotmail.com or tel:902 827-3135

About Country Critter Sitters

We've been providing home care for dogs, our own as well as those of friends and neighbours, for a while and welcome your inquiries.

It is necessary that we meet dogs before agreeing to provide care since this type of environment does not suit all dogs. We would be happy to set up a time to meet so you can see what we have to offer. At that time we can determine whether your dog would be comfortable living here with a group of dogs, big and small, young and old, social and not so social.

We offer care for short and long stays as well as a limited number of day-care spots for those that want to come and spend the day playing with fur friends. The dogs are always supervised and can spend as much time outside as they want or there are plenty of comfy dog beds to curl up on if that seems more agreeable.

Long before blogs became so ubiquitous, we began writing a daily diary report and we continue this tradition today except now we'll call it our Dog Blog. Our guests are as important to us as they are to their humans, so we enjoy providing a rundown on the day's activities from our guest's perspective. Sometimes they'll even contribute their unique viewpoint or share their literary talents. You can read about the days events and enjoy stories about old friends and the introduction of new ones.