When it comes to pets, there is nothing more important than keeping them happy and healthy. Like humans, pets need vaccinations to help prevent illnesses. Laws associated with vaccinating your furry friends vary depending on the state, leaving a huge debate of whether or not we really need to treat our lovable pets with these vaccinations.

The answer is always up to the boarding facility owner and the pet owner. However, before deciding what is best for your business, it is imperative you understand what vaccinations are required by law. Below you will find a list of diseases that can be prevented with vaccination and properly educating your customers.

Rabies
Not only is it a legal requirement by most states to be up to date on rabies vaccines, but if a dog becomes infected with rabies, it is almost always fatal to other dogs that it could infect, and is also transferrable to humans. Though it is not an airborne illness, it does affect the mental state of the animal and could cause them to be violent and bite anything in its path.

Distemper
Distemper most commonly affects puppies under the ages of 12 months. This is caused by a similar virus that causes the measles in humans and it is also transmittable in many different ways, including through the air. Though it is not generally fatal to older dogs, it can spread quickly which makes it easily transferrable from dog to dog.

Bordetella
This is the vaccine that prohibits the spread of most strains of kennel cough, which is a highly contagious airborne ailment that can affect any dog at any age and can also be contracted by simply sniffing the same area as an affected dog. This vaccine is required by our facility, as it is a common practice among all boarding facilities for the protection of animals.

Canine Influenza
This is a shot that our facility requires based on the recommendations of veterinarians we work with in our area. This is a good example of why you should create good relationships with the vets in your area so that when outbreaks happen, they can notify you immediately. Check with local vets periodically to see if there is any new information that you should be aware of and in turn, should be making your clients aware of. Keep up-to-date on your area’s doggie health news.

Vaccination and education is the key to prevention and will ultimately help pets live a happy and healthy life. Having the right plan in place for your facility will make you even more successful.

K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel was founded in 2005 by brothers Steven & Jason Parker in Fanwood, N.J. In their early teens, their parents denied them a dog of their own, so the entrepreneurial pair opened a professional pet-sitting business to prove they were both willing and ready to care for a dog. That business not only became a highly profitable enterprise that they sold for a six-figure sum in 2006, that revenue became the expansion fuel for their burgeoning K-9 Resorts business. The business, which is the only facility in New Jersey to have been rated #1 by multiple major publications, is now positioned for franchise growth throughout the Northeast U.S. To learn more about K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel and potential franchise opportunities, visit the company’s website www.k9resorts.com.

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