Parvo in Dogs
Parvo and puppies should never have to meet. The virus is ever present, completely without guilt or shame and can relentlessly take out entire litters of puppies.
There are as many methods of defending against parvo in dogs as there are dog breeders. As a serious breeder, I first eliminate any carpet covering in areas where puppies are born or play. I leave only surfaces that can be easily cleaned and disinfected. Then I let mom and/or puppies go outside. There is little if any defense against parvo in dogs in the great outdoors. Dogs and puppies can be kept in runs made of concrete where the surfaces can be kept clean and sterilized. But if that one virus carrying fly lands in the dog space, the contamination is now present. Sometimes whether or not it strikes is sheer luck.
As a personal perspective on keeping puppies safe I offer the following advice to prevent parvo in dogs:
Rule number one, clean, clean, clean. Use bleach or any other virus fighting product on the market. Keep whelping boxes on surfaces that can be cleaned with water, soap and bleach. Keep outdoor influences outside as much as possible.
Rule number two, inoculate brood bitches with a parvo booster prior to breeding. Keep Parvaid on hand in case the worst does happen. When the puppies are too young for defensive treatment, Parvaid liquid is given to the mom which is fed to the puppies through her milk.
Rule number three, no outside visitors allowed in the whelping area during the first two weeks, as a minimum, of the puppies’ lives.
And finally, Dr. Jack Broadhurst, the doctor who helped me treat a litter of puppies for the deadly Cardio Parvo virus, has developed a treatment for Parvo that includes the drug Tamiflu. The article he has written on it is clearly for other professionals, but you can read the information and take it to your vet, if necessary.
Dogcheapsleeps.com dog beds, dog pads, whelping box pads, and covers are a must for me as they are a huge help in preventing parvo in dogs. The covers can be wiped down with water, bleach and a sponge and disinfected without having to wash the whole bed. In the past, whelping box padding has consisted of the mainstay: newspaper, a disaster when it becomes wet. I made a trip to the Salvation Army for quilts, cheap blankets, and towels, with ensuing multiple trips to the washer and dryer. I no longer make that mistake.
