Helping Pet Parents Understand Canine Respiratory Illness, Prevention & Dog Daycare Safety
Whether your dog visits us for daycare, boarding, grooming, or training, their health is one of our highest priorities.
Respiratory illnesses, often called kennel cough or Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC), are one of the most common health topics pet parents ask about. Questions like “Can vaccinated dogs still get kennel cough?” or “Is it safe for my dog to go to daycare?” are completely understandable.
At Best Friends Fur Ever, we believe informed pet parents make confident decisions. We’ve created this resource center to answer those questions, explain the steps we take to help reduce risk, and share current information about canine respiratory health.
Our goal isn’t to create concern. It’s to provide trusted information, explain our approach to health and safety, and help you feel confident about your dog’s care.
Our Layers of Protection
No environment where dogs interact—including dog daycare, boarding facilities, veterinary hospitals, grooming salons, dog parks, or training classes—can completely eliminate the possibility of contagious illness.
What responsible facilities can do is significantly reduce risk through thoughtful prevention strategies, early recognition of illness, and consistent health and safety protocols.
Protecting dogs from respiratory illness isn’t about relying on one precaution. It’s about combining multiple layers of protection that work together every day to support a healthier environment.
Vaccination Requirements
Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread and severity of respiratory illness. We require core respiratory vaccinations for dogs participating in daycare and boarding to help protect not only your dog, but every dog in our care.
Daily Wellness Observations
Our trained handlers spend the day getting to know your dog’s personality, energy level, behavior, and routine. Because they’re with your dog throughout the day, they’re often the first to notice subtle changes that could indicateyour dog isn’t feeling their best. If something seems unusual, we’ll document our observations, adjust your dog’s care as needed, and communicate with you promptly.
Hospital-Grade Cleaning & Disinfection
Maintaining a clean environment takes constant attention. Throughout the day, our team follows established cleaning and disinfection protocols for playrooms, suites, common areas, toys, water bowls, and other high-touch
surfaces using professional-grade products designed for animal care environments.
Our commitment doesn’t end when the last daycare guest goes home. Best Friends Fur Ever is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. While our overnight team cares for boarding guests, they also prepare the resort for the next day by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting play areas, laundering bedding, sanitizing equipment, and ensuring every space is ready to welcome a new day of happy, healthy dogs.
Air Quality & Fresh Air
A healthy environment goes beyond clean floors and surfaces. Our resorts utilize PetAirapy air purification technology, fresh air circulation, and 
spacious outdoor play areas to help support overall respiratory health and provide dogs with regular opportunities to enjoy time outside. Together, these measures are part of our multi-layered approach to creating a cleaner, healthier environment for every guest.
Trained Team Members
Every member of our care team is trained to recognize changes in b
Behavior, appetite, energy level, and overall well-being. Our handlers are PackPro Certified and have completed Basic Pet First Aid and CPR train ing through Pet Emergency Education (Pet E+R), giving them theknowledge to recognize concerns early and respond appropriately. Ongoing education helps ensure our team is prepared to provide attentive, professional care every day.
Communication
We believe clear, timely communication is an important part of exceptional care. If we have questions or concerns about your dog’s health or we
ll-being during their stay, we’ll keep you informed using your preferred method of communication. Depending on the situation, that may include updatesthrough the Gingr Pet Parent App, text messages, daily report cards, or a direct phone call. Our goal is to make sure you have the information you need to make informed decisions alongside your veterinarian.
Veterinary Partnership
Your veterinarian is an important partner in your dog’s care. If questions arise during your dog’s stay, we’ll communicate our observations, provide documentation when appropriate, and encourage follow-up with your 
veterinarian. If immediate veterinary attention is recommended, we’re conveniently located just around the corner from our trusted veterinary partner, allowing us to help coordinate care quickly while keeping you informed throughout the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Canine Respiratory Disease?
Many pet parents know it as kennel cough.
Veterinarians now often use the broader term Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) because several different viruses and bacteria can cause similar respiratory symptoms.
Rather than describing one specific disease, CIRDC refers to a group of contagious respiratory illnesses that affect a dog’s respiratory system.
The good news is that most dogs recover well with rest and appropriate veterinary care. More importantly, many respiratory illnesses can be reduced through vaccination, early recognition of symptoms, thoughtful facility practices, and responsible pet ownership.
Why Vaccinations Matter
Vaccines are one of the most effective ways to help protect dogs from respiratory illness. While no vaccine can prevent every illness, they help reduce the severity of disease, shorten recovery time, lower the risk of complications, and help slow the spread of illness within the dog community.
When more dogs are vaccinated, everyone benefits. This concept, known as herd immunity, helps reduce community spread and offers added protection for puppies, senior dogs, and dogs with underlying health conditions who may be more vulnerable to respiratory illness.
That’s why Best Friends Fur Ever requires core respiratory vaccinations before dogs participate in daycare or boarding. Our vaccination requirements aren’t just about protecting one dog—they’re about helping create a healthier environment for every dog in our care.
Can Vaccinated Dogs Still Get Sick?
Yes. This surprises many pet parents.
Vaccines are incredibly important, but no vaccine can prevent every illness 100% of the time.
Instead, vaccines help by:
- Reducing the severity of illness
- Shortening recovery time
- Lowering the chance of serious complications
- Reducing how much virus or bacteria an infected dog sheds
- Helping slow the spread of disease within the community
Think about the flu vaccine in people.
Understanding Herd Immunity
One vaccinated dog helps protect one dog. A community of vaccinated dogs helps protect everyone. This concept is called herd immunity.
When more dogs are vaccinated:
- Fewer dogs become infected.
- Illness tends to be less severe.
- Dogs recover more quickly.
- Outbreaks spread more slowly.
- Puppies who are too young to be fully vaccinated receive added protection.
- Senior dogs and medically vulnerable dogs benefit from reduced community spread.
Every vaccinated dog contributes to a healthier dog community. That’s why vaccination requirements aren’t simply about one dog. They’re about protecting every dog who shares that environment.
What Are the Symptoms?
Every dog is different.
Some dogs develop only a mild cough and continue acting completely normal. Others may need veterinary care, especially puppies, senior dogs, or dogs with underlying medical conditions.
Common symptoms include:
- Dry or honking cough
- Sneezing
- Nasal discharge
- Eye discharge
- Mild fever
- Decreased appetite
- Low energy
- Difficulty exercising
- Difficulty breathing (requires immediate veterinary attention)
If your dog develops coughing, sneezing, or other signs of illness, it’s best to contact your veterinarian before returning to daycare, boarding, grooming, or other places where dogs gather.
Can My Dog Get Sick at Daycare?
This is one of the most common questions we hear. The honest answer is yes.
Just like children can catch a cold at school or adults may become sick after traveling or attending large gatherings, dogs that spend time around other dogs can be exposed to contagious illnesses.
That doesn’t mean daycare is unsafe. It means responsible daycare providers work hard to reduce risk through multiple layers of protection.
At Best Friends Fur Ever, protecting the health of every guest is one of our highest priorities. Our approach includes vaccination requirements, daily wellness monitoring, hospital-grade cleaning and disinfection, fresh air circulation, trained handlers, prompt isolation when needed, and ongoing communication with local veterinarians.
No facility can promise that illness will never occur. What matters is having thoughtful protocols in place to help reduce exposure, recognize concerns early, and respond quickly.
How Respiratory Illness Spreads
Respiratory illnesses are not unique to daycare.
Dogs can be exposed anywhere they spend time around other dogs, including:
- Veterinary hospitals
- Grooming salons
- Dog parks
- Boarding facilities
- Training classes
- Community events
- Playdates
- Apartment buildings with high dog traffic
What Happens If My Dog Doesn’t Feel Well During Their Stay?
Your dog’s health and well-being are our top priorities. If one of our trained team members observes signs that your dog may not be feeling well, we’ll respond promptly.
Depending on their symptoms, your dog may be moved to a quiet area away from other dogs while our leadership team completes a wellness assessment and documents our observations. We’ll contact you—and, if needed, your emergency contact—to discuss what we’ve observed, answer your questions, and review the next recommended steps.
If veterinary care is recommended or needed, we’re conveniently located just around the corner from our trusted veterinary partner, making it easy to coordinate care if necessary. We’ll also provide you with updates and documentation of our observations to help support any follow-up with your veterinarian.
Our goal is simple: to respond quickly, communicate openly, and ensure every dog receives thoughtful care while keeping you informed every step of the way.
Working Together for More Good Days
Our Commitment to Your Dog’s Health & Safety
Every policy, protocol, and decision we make is guided by one goal: creating a safe, healthy, and enriching environment where every dog can thrive.
Protecting dogs’ health isn’t the result of one product or one procedure. It’s the result of thoughtful planning, daily wellness observations, comprehensive vaccination requirements, professional cleaning and disinfection, trained handlers, quality air management, and open communication with pet parents and veterinarians.
As new research emerges and veterinary recommendations evolve, we remain committed to reviewing our protocols, collaborating with our trusted veterinary partners, investing in our team and facilities, and continually looking for ways to strengthen the care we provide.
Thank you for trusting Best Friends Fur Ever to be part of your dog’s journey. Together, we can help create a healthier community—and more good days—for every dog.
Information Disclaimer
The information provided in this Resource Center is intended for educational purposes only and should not replace the advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations of your veterinarian.
Best Friends Fur Ever regularly reviews this information with guidance from veterinary professionals and current industry best practices. As recommendations regarding canine health and respiratory illness continue to evolve, our health and safety protocols may be updated to reflect the latest available information.
If your dog is showing signs of illness or you have questions about your dog’s individual health, we encourage you to contact your veterinarian.
Last reviewed and updated: August 2026