It would seem like an oxymoron: plastic glasses, clean dirt, amicable divorce, and contagious good health. The successful operation of a pet daycare facility, spa, or boarding establishment relies on your clients' spreading the word that yours is a business that provides a healthy and safe environment rather than one that disseminates disease. The practice of infectious disease control is based on the principles of Awareness, Consistency, and Education.

Awareness
Monitor the general well-being of all pets in your care on a daily basis. Dogs and cats like steadfast routines. Even a short stay at a grooming salon can be enough to induce stress and depress the immune system. Immune-compromised pets are more likely to become ill or begin to shed latent viral infections such as feline upper respiratory disease complex.

If you observe a pet that is less energetic, has an appetite that is faltering, coughs, sneezes, has loose bowels, or just seems off, it is best to isolate it. Record its body temperature and contact the owner/primary care veterinarian. It may be nothing. Transient blahs can pass quickly. Pet parents are usually grateful that they are updated. Unfortunately, a pet has probably already started shedding contagions by the time it starts to show signs of illness.

Consistency
A well-devised system of disinfecting hands, floors, cages, and other items that pets come in contact with is of little use unless it is based on good science and the entire staff follows the same sanitation protocols. The gold standard for personal hygiene is the thorough washing of hands with soap and water for an appropriate length of time. (A good rule of thumb? Wash your hands for as long as it takes you to sing the "Happy Birthday" song.) Hands should be washed between the handling of each pet. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are a good alternative.

Care must also be taken with clothing. The spores that cause the fungal disease ringworm, or aerosolized bacteria and viral particles responsible for conditions such as canine infectious respiratory disease complex (kennel cough and canine influenza), can circulate between pets on shirts, pants, and shoes.

Cage/run disinfection needs to follow a set protocol. First remove all solid material, sweep larger areas, spray with water, scrub with detergent, spray off cleaner, scrub again with a cleanser that possesses a different spectrum of activity, rinse with water, and allow to dry thoroughly. A relatively new type of non-toxic, one-step, short-contact cleaner/disinfectant that has gained great popularity in the specialized field of veterinary shelter medicine is an Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide cleaner. They are not the least expensive disease control products on the market, but their time-saving profile can make them very cost effective. More information can be obtained at www.sheltermedicine.com in the Shelter Health Portal.

Train your staff, train them again, and then train them one more time. Consistency can also be achieved by the use of a check list. If airline pilots consult check lists before every flight and are trained to reach for them in the midst of an emergency, your staff can also ensure they haven't missed a step by strict adherence to a modus operandi.

Education
An educated staff member is an asset. An uninformed employee can be a liability. Be sure everyone knows what constitutes "normal" for a cat and dog. How will you know when something is off when you don't know normal? Respiratory and heart rates are easy to assess. A cat's body temperature ranges from 101o to 102.5o F. Heart rate is 120 to 140 beats per minute. Respiratory rate is 16 to 40 breaths per minute. Age and body size can lead to variation in these numbers. Canine normals are a temperature of 101o to 102.5o F, heart rates of 70 to 120 bpm, and respiratory rates of 18 to 34 breaths per minute.

Have some reliable reference material on hand. The Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health contains great information and is easy to understand. Develop a good working relationship with a local veterinarian. Sometimes you can avert a more serious situation with a simple phone call.

We all live hectic lives. Pet parents may sometimes overlook a condition that needs attention. Be an advocate for their pet's health. If you notice a lump, bump, lameness, dental disease, or other medical concern, educate the pet owner about it. Repeat business is the life blood of any company. Gaining their trust is based on demonstrating how much you know and especially how much you care.

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