Back from kennels - lost voice and weight

[Bedlam]

We've been away for 10 days and for the first time ever sent our Lakeland Terrier to kennels on his own. He's been before, but always with our other dog in a shared kennel. This is the first time since she was finally pts last year that we've been away and haven't had anyone move in to house sit.

Now he was a little chunky to start with and was on a weight management diet - he wasn't hugely fat, but I wouldn't have wanted him any heavier at 12kgs. We were aiming to get him down to 10kgs or just below.

I am quite shocked at what 10 days has done - he's now 7.5kgs! He has also completely lost his voice, is exhausted and quite weak.

I didn't go to pick him up - my husband went - he tells me that they said he 'had been good', but nothing else. He must have absolutely hated it! I can't think he could have eaten at all to have lost that much weight in such a short space of time and must have been barking or crying the whole time to have lost his voice so completely.

We'll never leave him there again, but is there anything I can do to speed his recovery? Would you take it up with the kennels or just put it down to experience and move on? Is warm honey good for lost voices? (There's no cough and I don't think he's ill at all - just exhausted). Thoughts?

 

[Clodagh]

I'm sure just a good nights sleep will cure most ills. Don't make too much fuss of him or he might get clingy. We had a dog who went to kennels once and he came home with no voice but it soon came back. Poor chap, it must be like being in jail to them but at least they are safe and can't get run over or lost - God willing!

 

[gunnergundog]

To go from 12kgs to 7.5kgs in ten days is a BIG drop, so he was obviously very stressed - hence the constant barking. It's amazing sometimes how dogs who appear confident and at ease with life are only so because of their dependence on their pack mates. I guess that is lesson learnt for you, so if you need/want to kennel him again somewhere else you will need to start prepping him for it by short (1 hour) visits, then 2 hour visits etc etc building up slowly to an overnighter. Maybe also double check any other situations where you currently leave him on his own, for instance at home, by setting up a camcorder so that you can check that he is really okay?

HOWEVER, trying to take something positive away from this....I see from googling it that the average weight according to the breed standard for a lakeland male is 8kg. Assuming, now that he is home, that he is eating and no longer barking. then I don't think you need to do anything additional to aid his recovery, other than maintain his new slimline figure.

Not sure what you are thinking of taking up with the kennels, but suggest little or no mileage in it.