Parvo Killed Two Puppies Across The Road

[kazg]

I just found out today that the two puppies across from us died in the last week as a result of the parvovirus. Kids in the street play at each others houses, including the house where these puppies lived, and our house, and I'm worried they could walk it into our yard. I know it can survive in the soil for quite a long time, but does anyone know how long the virus can live on shoes, hands etc...? Would I be going overboard if I banned all the kids in the neighbourhood from coming over, or is it ok for them to come over but wash hands and leave shoes outside? These kids all have dogs of their own, and many of the dogs often get out of their yards and go wandering around the streets(quite often into our front yard which is unfenced). :D

I forgot to mention, we picked our puppy up 4 days ago and she is now 10 weeks old, so she's not due for her second vaccination for another 2 weeks.

[Daisy]

SOrry to say but I believe the virus is easily transferred via shoes and hands, and yes I would be banning all the neighbourhood kids from your house and yard and any contact with your puppy. Taking off their shoes and washing their hands would be a good precaution too if you don't want to go so far as to ban them completely. Make sure you don't let your puppy out into the front yard at all. As you said that the neighbours kids and dogs do wander into your front yard, you really should be leaving your own shoes outside and washing your hands before you touch your puppy as well.

[kazg]

Thanks Daisy. I rang the vet this morning and she said the same thing. I'd heard it was in the local area, but this is a bit too close for comfort. Irresposible owners hadn't vaccinated those poor puppies, and now the risk seems a bit too real for our puppy. Lucky she hadn't been out in the front yard, and I just hope we haven't tracked anything in.

Fingers crossed...

[Sheridan]

Get some F10 disinfectant and start cleaning. You can clean your shoes before entering the house, for instance. There's a pinned thread in the rescue forum about quarantine which should help, too.

[Bilbo Baggins]

PM MissyMoo she is sooooooo update on Parvo.

[rugerfly]

I wonder where they got it from?

[Dogsfevr]

"Irresposible owners hadn't vaccinated those poor puppies, and now the risk seems a bit too real for our puppy. "

Vacc or not they can still get it.

The vacc provides a fighting chance .

There will be a common area that those dogs who have got will have been (ie school oval,dog beach,dog oval ,the list goes on.

The key is if your dog shows any symptons that arent normal dont wait.Parvo can kill within 24 hrs.

Having said that as far as im aware all dogs carry parvo its just acase of the right situtation bringing it out & also the right vet getting the right diagnosis ,If you vacc with alive vacc it will always be positive for parvo

[sandgrubber]

If I were you I'd be keeping my pup indoors until 10 days or so after the second parvo vaccination. . . . and keeping the kids and dogs out of the yard.

[cashew]

A piece of bleach-soaked rag across your doorway might be useful for giving the shoes a good wipe-down before anyone enters the house.

[Cavandra]

You are not paranoid at all........

If your pup was vaccinated at 6 weeks of age then it is not vaccinated at all..........Pups MUST be vaccinated at age 8 weeks or older to be effective, at 6 weeks it does NOTHING, no pups should be vaccinated under 8 weeks!!!............Your pup is basically an unvaccinated pup right now!!!!

[oakway]

You are not paranoid at all........

If your pup was vaccinated at 6 weeks of age then it is not vaccinated at all..........Pups MUST be vaccinated at age 8 weeks or older to be effective, at 6 weeks it does NOTHING, no pups should be vaccinated under 8 weeks!!!............Your pup is basically an unvaccinated pup right now!!!!

I would have to agree with Cavandra 100%

[morgan]

I would be investing in a spray bottle and a bottle of F10 immediately and spraying local visitors as well as removing shoes and washing hands. I would even think about spraying car tyres as the virus has travelled hundreds of kms on these in the past.

You only have to look at the precautions we had to take in the Equine Flu epidemic to see how seriously you have to take this threat. Spraying cars, tyres, footbaths, protective clothes etc should be considered with your girl being at such a vulnerable age. One vaccination, especially done so young, is useless.

The other two things you must do are to boost your pup's immune system with vitamin C, vitamin D and excellent food and keep her away from flies at all costs, as these can carry the virus on their feet straight from the infected material on the ground to your puppy's nose to be licked off.

[kazg]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I don't know anything about F10, but if it will help, I'll try anything and everything. I assume you get it from the vets or pet shop? Also, does normal soap actually wash the virus off hands?

I'm off to research some more and follow your suggestions.

Thanks again