While sometimes necessary, leaving your beloved furry friend in a boarding or doggy daycare facility can be a stressful experience. While most boarding facilities take great care of their guests, it's not uncommon for dogs to experience digestive issues, such as diarrhea, after returning home from boarding.
In this blog post, we will explore the possible causes of diarrhea in dogs after boarding and discuss what to do if your dog comes home from the kennel with diarrhea and vomiting.
Causes of Diarrhea in Dogs During or After Boarding
First, let’s look at a few reasons dogs may get sick after boarding and experience diarrhea, vomiting, or other digestive issues.
Stress and Anxiety
Just like humans, dogs can experience a lot of stress and anxiety when placed in unfamiliar surroundings. Being away from their home, routine, and family can trigger digestive upset, leading to diarrhea.
The presence of other dogs, consistent barking, and the unfamiliar smells of the pet care facility can all contribute to loose stools due to stress.
Dietary Changes
Boarding facilities often have specific food protocols. While most facilities will feed your dog the food you brought from home, the feeding schedule and process may differ.
In addition to a new feeding schedule, it’s not uncommon for pet caregivers to give your dog special treats or other goodies to reward good behavior.
These sudden changes in diet can disrupt the delicate balance of your dog's digestive system, leading to gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea.
Infectious Diseases
Due to the close quarters, boarding facilities can increase the risk of infectious diseases like kennel cough or canine influenza. These illnesses can manifest with symptoms such as diarrhea, coughing, and lethargy.
Prevent Dog Diarrhea Before, During & After Boarding
No one wants to come back from vacation only to clean up dog diarrhea off the carpet or make an emergency trip to the vet. In our opinion, prevention is critical.
Here are a few natural solutions to dog diarrhea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal issues — before, during, and after their stay at a doggy boarding facility.
Keep Your Dog On A Familiar Diet
Whenever possible, provide the boarding facility with your dog's usual food. You want to make sure you inform them about their normal feeding schedule, preferences, and health history to maintain consistency during their stay.
In addition to food, consider bringing the healthy dog treats and chews your pup is used to at home rather than relying on the caregivers to pull from the facility’s supply.
Since your dog’s body is already used to these foods, there’s less of a chance for digestive issues.
As you return home, avoid making any major changes to your pet’s diet. While you might be tempted to give them “people food” or special treats to show love after being gone, these unfamiliar foods can trigger digestive upset.
Utilize Stress Reduction Techniques
Help your dog cope with boarding stress that can lead to diarrhea by providing a calm, familiar environment and working to reduce separation anxiety.
Helpful techniques include engaging in regular exercise/walks and consistent feeding times leading up to and following their stay at the facility.
When you actually drop your dog off for boarding, bring your pup’s favorite blanket or toy that smells like home. As you return home, make sure your pet is also surrounded by their favorite things.
As you transition home, get right back to their normal exercise, feeding, and sleeping routine. The familiarity and consistency will help minimize anxiety and speed up the transition between home and the boarding facility.
Pro tip: For super anxious pets, gradually start increasing your time away from home before your dog goes to the doggy daycare. That helps get your dog used to being alone or in a kennel and builds trust that you’ll return.
Try Pet Probiotics or Digestive Supplements
Pet probiotics can help restore the balance of healthy bacteria in your dog's gut, aiding in digestion and reducing diarrhea during and after their stay at the kennel.
Making natural dog supplements part of your ongoing feeding routine can help boost your dog’s immune system and alleviate digestive issues caused by food, stress, and other environmental triggers.
That said, many supplements and probiotics are too broad to actually make a difference or have additives and artificial ingredients that can make your pet’s gastrointestinal issues worse. That’s why we’ve developed another solution…
A New Natural Solution to Dog Gut Health Issues
You can go beyond typical probiotics to take your dog’s health to the next level with Maya Pet. With targeted good bacteria to improve your dog’s gut health, support their immune system, and protect them against unwanted pathogens, your dog will get a much-needed health boost during their stay at the kennel.
