Low Fallowfield Farm Kennels and Cattery, South Hetton, County Durham Review

Overall Rating

None.

Do not follow medical instructions given by owners. Dogs dietary needs not catered for. No Sneeze barriers in place to prevent infections spreading. Lacking in breed knowledge.

Having placed our Japanese Akita with this Kennel, as our ususal Boarding Kennels were full for our forthcoming week long family holiday, it is a decision we live to regret.
On the day we dropped her off, we were somewhat taken aback when asked by a member of staff if half a chicken breast a day was enough for that size dog? That should have been warning enough, but we had nowhere else that had space to take her for that week, and with a great deal of trepadation, we left our dog with them.
We collected the dog the very first morning of our return to be told she was fine. They then produced my dog who greeted us with just a slight tail wag, instead of her usual over enthusiastic boucing around. This was unusual, and the first in a set of clues something was amiss.
We noticed she had blood on her front paws, and the staff commented she had just finished eating a piece of raw chicken, suggesting the blood had come from that. We were somewhat surprised as she does not eat chicken normally.
They then handed us back three antibiotic tablets from a five day course she had been on, when she went in there for a bowel infection she had been receiving treatment for.
The staff had been informed of the dosage and frequency, when we dropped her off.
There should have been no tablets left, as it was a 2 tablet a day course over 5 days.
We were just glad to get her back, and when we got her home it was clear she was not feeling herself. She was dirty and ungroomed, and looked very sorry for herself. Nothing like the dog we handed over.
She gave out a series of snorts and blood gushed down her nose and onto our footware and her paws.
This accounted for the "chicken blood" on her paws when we had picked her up.
She looked thinner, and her ears were flat on her head instead of pointing upright as they normally do.

She immediately drank two bowls of water when she came into the house, and wolfed down some food, something she never does.

We got an emergency appointment to see our vet, who noted she had picked up a severe infection of kennel cough, and when she weighed her, to give more antibiotics, she noted the dog had lost 2.5kgs in weight since she had weighed her the week we placed her in these kennels.

It was noted that the dog had not been given the 2 tablets a day for 5 days as insructed, when we left her on day one.

The bowel infection therefore, had not been fully treated by the course of antibiotics given for that purpose, (you will recall we were given 3 tablets back, with a comment that she had not had today's dose). This course should have been completed days before we collected her!!
In one week my dog had lost almost 5 pounds in weight, was bleeding heavily from the nose from a severe infection of kennel cough, that should have been noticeable to any suitably trained staff member. She was filthy, and her coat was dull.
I personally will never use or recommend these kennels to anyone, and if you do use them it is at your own peril. A definite NO....

Members' Comments onbrianjmcgrath's Review

• oschar on 23rd Jul 2009

  In reply to brianjmcgraths review. It sounded very one sided to me. I have never put a dog in low fallowfield and his review would not in all honesty put me off for a number of reasons. If i ever put my dogs in kennels i would take their own food so that they wouldnt be given food that they dont normally eat! Unless your dog is actually bathed it is always going to look a bit scruffy at the end of the day they are in a kennel with concrete floor for cleaning purposes and do dirty and jump in it, it carnt be helped its a fact of life! Any dog that goes away from home with something as nasty as a bowel infection or the like is obviously not going to be looking or feeling its best. I personally wouldnt have put my dogs in kennels in them circumstances at all.