Coping with Canine Cough

Updated June, 2025  

We are pleased that our efforts to reduce the risks of dogs contracting Canine Cough, when they stay with us, have been successful. We have not had an outbreak of Canine Cough among our guest dogs for over a year now. 

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 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. 

June 2, 2025 

Back in November 2024, we said that we were going to start meeting with a limited number of potential new clients. We welcomed some new critters to our group but there seems to be a much greater demand from all of our clients for dog care, at this time. Regrettably, we will not be able to meet with any new clients while we try to meet the needs of our existing clients. We expect that this increased demand will continue during the remainder of 2025 and into 2026.  

While it is gratifying to know that our dog care is much sought after, we must always keep in mind that we cannot take on a lot more dog care if the quality of that care begins to suffer. It is important to us that we be able to respond to the requests from our existing clients, many of whom have been with us during this twenty-two-year journey and whose loyalty and support we will never take for granted.

We will update this message, over the coming months, should the situation change.  

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.