Why is my dog acting strange after boarding?

A dog that comes home from boarding tired, clingy, hungry, jumpy or oddly quiet is usually coming down from a stressful few days. Most of it settles within a day or two once you are back to your normal routine. Coughing, vomiting, a dog that will not eat or drink, or anything that gets worse is a reason to call your vet.

Why boarding changes a dog's behaviour

A kennel is new smells, new noises, other dogs and a different schedule. Stress can cause unwanted behaviors and can lead to injury, illness, and aggression in cats and dogs.^[1] Stress affects individual pets differently, so one dog sleeps for two days and another paces the house.

Common signs include appetite loss, excessive licking and scratching, and more barking than usual. Others are showing the whites of the eyes, yawning, lip-licking, drooling, panting, pacing and freezing in place.^[1] Many dogs experience separation anxiety when away from their favorite humans,^[1] so a dog that follows you from room to room for a week after pickup is telling you something, not misbehaving.

Overgrooming, however, can result in skin irritation and sores, which can become infected.^[1] If the dog is licking one spot raw, look at it.

How to help your dog settle

1. Quiet first day. Water, a calm resting spot and a normal-sized meal. Skip the dog park and visitors.
2. Normal routine. Many pets thrive off of a regular routine, so feed, walk and bed down at the usual times.^[1]
3. Read the signals. An animal that is stressed goes into "fight or flight" mode and may lash out aggressively if pushed,^[1] so give a worried dog space and keep children from crowding it.
4. Give it something to do. A chew, food toy or short training session works better than extra fuss.
5. Check the body. Feel for ticks, fleas, scratches and sore spots. If you treat for parasites, use flea and tick control products only on the animal species and size/weight specified by the product label.^[3]
6. Keep notes. Jot down appetite, stool, coughing and energy for a few days, so a vet visit starts with facts.

Signs that point to illness, not stress

Dogs who are exposed to crowded areas with poor ventilation, such as those found in kennels or animal shelters, are at higher risk for developing kennel cough.^[2] Cold temperatures, exposure to cigarette smoke, and travel-induced stress can also increase a dog's risk for developing the infection.^[2]

Look for a dry, "honking" cough, coughing to the point of retching, fever, loss of voice, and ocular or nasal discharge.^[2] The most common cause is a bacterium called Bordetella bronchiseptica.^[2] If you suspect it, you should contact your veterinarian and keep your dog away from other animals to prevent the spread of the disease.^[2] That also means skipping daycare, grooming and the dog park until your vet says it is fine.

Do not assume every cough is kennel cough. There are many different problems that can cause a pet to cough, including an obstruction in the throat, primary lung disease, parasitism, cardiac disease, as well as infectious disease.^[2]

If the change is not an illness, your vet can still help. Your veterinarian can determine if your pet's stress is caused by a medical problem,^[1] and can talk through options if a dog is repeatedly distressed by boarding.

Making the next stay easier

Visit the facility before you book and ask how dogs are exercised, how often staff check on them and how they handle a sick or anxious dog. Pack the dog's own food, a familiar blanket and written feeding and medication notes. For a dog that clearly dislikes kennels, a sitter at home may suit better; see what to ask a pet sitter. For vaccine paperwork, read what vaccines a dog needs for boarding in Virginia, and for the price side, how much dog boarding costs in Virginia.

Stop and call a pro if

Call your vet the same day if the dog is coughing, has a fever, vomits repeatedly, has diarrhoea that lasts more than a day, will not eat or drink, is limping, has a wound or swollen eye, or is unusually lethargic. After a flea or tick product reaction: Contact your veterinarian and/or the National Pesticide Information Center at 1-800-858-7378.^[3] If the dog snaps, growls or guards things it never did before, keep it apart from children and call your vet or a qualified trainer. If you think the facility caused an injury, ask for its incident record in writing.

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