Return To Competition Of Bitches After Whelping

[Lowenhart]

The vet confirmed that the bitch had picked up an infection while at a show ... In a perfect world if people left dogs at home that were sick ie kennel cough or parvovirus etc I probably wouldn't have a problem, but we all know that isn't the case ... Just my preference to not take the risk

So if the vet "confirmed" the bitch picked up an infection at the show, what was the infection (specific bacteria/virus) and how he/she was able to say that this bacteria is ONLY found at the show grounds?

A couple of years ago 2 of my puppies contracted a viral infection whilst at their owners house. It was a severe gastro bug that killed one pup and almost killed the other one. Neither dog, or ANY dog on the premises had been to a show for 4 weeks prior, nor walked around the neighbourhood. Owner's house backed on to open grass land and the dogs only had access to one neighbour's fence line which was a solid colourbond number.

Still a pup died, and another was touch and go for a while there and it had nothing to do with dog shows. Dogs can get bacteria and viruses just from being in their own yard, brought by wind and fauna.

I have shown up to 4 week pregnant bitches in the past and would not hesitate to do so in the future.

[Tarmons]

When I was in the US I stayed with the Monks of New Skete and worked in their breeding Kennels. Every day we had to disinfect our shoes and wear special gear while working with the puppies and the bitches. This happened every time we entered that kennel complex.

The reason for this extraordinary precaution was that they had almost their entire kennel wiped out by parvo-virus brought into the kennel complex by visitors. After that tragedy Visitors are not allowed within coee of the Breeding kennels. If they wish to see the puppies..... the puppies are taken out to the training lawn in front of the Monastery and they can see and play with them there.

In Brisbane another GSD kennel lost 14 puppies through parvo virus that had been picked up at a Dog Show at Durack. The virus came home on the clothes of the owners who were handling at a Show.

It does happen... bitches do pick up infections while in whelp. Is being 4- 5 months out of action such a big ask when it comes to the health and well-being of a bitch and her puppies?

A friend lost her entire litter [ 4 weeks old] to Corona Parvo Virus and the Vet figured out that it would have come into her place via her other dog who was walked each day in the local park. Her husband made sure that it had no contact with other dogs while out walking because of the puppies at home. They're airborne viruses.

BittyMooPeeb:

Obviously, you don't show at the Brisbane Royal...... Kennel Cough is rampant. You would be surprised at the number of Show breeders who don't hold with getting their stock vaccinated after the initial vaccinations.

[LizT]

Perhaps I'm missing something here, but if you enter a bitch in a show how is the secretary going to know if she's had puppies in the last 10 weeks or not. I don't think the VCA checks all show entries with pupy registrations and anyway people may not register the puppies by 10 weeks so how is this regulation policed. Seems to me this is just another ploy by the VCA to get us to spend more at the Vets.

Pam

It'd be easy to tell with a Cavalier...she's the one whose completely 'blown' her coat!!

[LizT]

In a perfect world dogs that are incubating a disease would flash pink lights too, you can be exposed to disease anywhere, you can even walk it into your yard or drive it in on your tyres.

I agree but there is more chance if you do take them to the show ...

Do you have any proof of this? I would be suprised if you did, because I doubt it is true.

Ask any vet about the number of pets (who have never been near a show ring) that contract Parvo each year. Some have not even left their yards! others get it from footpaths, visitors etc. Showgrounds and other exibits are not the only source of infection. I feel that the average exhibitor/breeder is more likely to pay attention to disease control than the average pet owner, and would feel much safer with my dog at a dog show than at other places dogs frequent (ovals, footpaths, free run areas, beaches etc)

Plenty of bitches pick up infections and have not been to a dog show while pregnant!

(and the vet in question in the example given previously could have no way of knowing where the infection was picked up, so to state that the vet KNEW it was picked up at a show is irresponsible)

An infection could be picked up by a dog being sent to the groomers. A new puppy in the household is then put at risk too. You can pick up an infection brushing against someone in a Supermarket checkout line or at a Petrol Station or standing at Assemby at your kids school, or walking across a nature strip to your car...the possibilities are endless.

[zenchel]

The wide variety of opinions and experiences being expressed here indicate how difficult (impossible??) it is to come up with a black and white regulation to cover this situation. Just a reminder that the whole subject came into focus because an exhibitor chose to run their bitch in an agility trial in the bitch's last week of pregnancy - most would agree that this was inappropriate. If I were allowed to have a personal opinion, it would be that the whole subject is better covered under the "bringing Dogs Victoria into disrepute" regulation, however with people being so litigious these days, it would probably never stick and the only winners would be the lawyers.

Canine Health Committee has submitted another set of guidelines; we are coming from the common sense, concern for the welfare of the bitch angle; however our submissions are probably too airy fairy and indistinct for the more legalistic approach of the Constitution, Rules and Regulations Committee. Hopefully we will eventually come up with a compromise that will be acceptable to most members.

I've posted this message to hopefully make it easier for people to understand the process and the different agendas that come into play when drafting regulations.

Sylvia Power

Canine Health Committee

Dogs Victoria

[Lowenhart]

When I was in the US I stayed with the Monks of New Skete and worked in their breeding Kennels. Every day we had to disinfect our shoes and wear special gear while working with the puppies and the bitches. This happened every time we entered that kennel complex.

The reason for this extraordinary precaution was that they had almost their entire kennel wiped out by parvo-virus brought into the kennel complex by visitors. After that tragedy Visitors are not allowed within coee of the Breeding kennels. If they wish to see the puppies..... the puppies are taken out to the training lawn in front of the Monastery and they can see and play with them there.

In Brisbane another GSD kennel lost 14 puppies through parvo virus that had been picked up at a Dog Show at Durack. The virus came home on the clothes of the owners who were handling at a Show.

It does happen... bitches do pick up infections while in whelp. Is being 4- 5 months out of action such a big ask when it comes to the health and well-being of a bitch and her puppies?

A friend lost her entire litter [ 4 weeks old] to Corona Parvo Virus and the Vet figured out that it would have come into her place via her other dog who was walked each day in the local park. Her husband made sure that it had no contact with other dogs while out walking because of the puppies at home. They're airborne viruses.

BittyMooPeeb:

Obviously, you don't show at the Brisbane Royal...... Kennel Cough is rampant. You would be surprised at the number of Show breeders who don't hold with getting their stock vaccinated after the initial vaccinations.

Bitches do pick up infections while in whelp, which, as you pointed out, could be brought in by visitors (another example - friend dropping by for coffee) or another dog in the house that had been taken out for training, or by owners going to a show but leaving all their dogs behind.

Having the bitch stay at home is no guarantee that she won't get sick.

I don't vaccinate my dogs against kennel cough and I'm a show breeder. You can only vaccinate against 2 strains of the blasted thing, when there are many many many more strains doing the rounds. My dogs have NEVER picked up kennel cough from the Brisbane Royal and I go every year. Infact my dogs haven't had kennel cough at all.

A dog I bred died as a result of being given a C5 (which covers the 2 kinds of kennel cough). Hence why I never recommend that protocol.