Our question this week was:

My wife and I are getting a Newfoundland puppy in May and we have had a nonrefundable vacation booked for July for nearly a year. By the time we go, the puppy will be just shy of four months - we have no family or friends in the area so we don't have a choice but to board our pup at a kennel? His shots won't be totally done by then - how risky is this? We are a mess because we don't know what else to do.

JP Smith


Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. I appreciate that you are trying to do the right thing by asking this question. I agree that it is a bit concerning with him being at the kennel before he is done with his vaccinations.

The risk is him being exposed to an infectious disease before the puppy is immune competent. If you do take him to the kennel, make sure they know that and hopefully they will take special precautions.

Another thing I'd consider is getting a house/pet sitter. Let someone take care of him in his own environment, it definitely has its benefits.

Don't cancel your vacation – go and have a great time. But do consider a pet sitter.

An article that might be helpful to you is on our Petplace.com is "Getting a Pet Sitter for Your Dog" and "Pet Sitter Instructions for Your Dog".

Don't forget about vaccinating your puppy, he will thank you!


Best of luck!


Dr. Jon


PS – For those of you reading this...do you have any great pet tips? I love learning from pet owners and have been looking for some pet tips. I might try to share some of these with other PetPlace users! Send me your pet tips!





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