Parvo Puppy?

[ZachTX]

Hey guys, I need some advice:

A few weeks ago I bought a 15 week old GSP. Pup was very active and seemed normal. 3 days later he got sick with parvo and eventually died. He was the first pick out of the litter, and the only one the breeder sold before his whole litter got sick.

After talking with the breeder, he has offered to refund my money. He also has one puppy that has survived parvo and is now recovering, playing, no symptoms showing anymore. I have the option to take that puppy if I want to, and it happens to be a puppy that I very nearly took home the first time. Any thoughts on picking the parvo puppy? Has anyone had a dog that survived parvo? Are there any long lasting effects?

Part of the reason I am considering this pup is because I know that despite my best efforts at disinfection, the virus is probably still present in my home and yard, so I am nervous about picking a puppy from another breeder that may not have immunity built up...

Thanks for the help!

[mcbosco]

what do the vaccine records show?

sal

[mcbosco]

that is a tough call, that's a call for the vet i think

[snips]

I think the pup that survived it should have immunity to it...On the other hand I have heard of these dogs loosing their nose and had one dog in here to train that survived Parvo that had a terrible time smelling birds. I had a Pointer that had a mild case and he was fine.

[mcbosco]

did the breeder disclose this to you?

[birddogger]

I once had a beagle that died from parvo before there were vaccines. I had an opportunity to get another one about a month later. I called my vet and he told me to disinfect the kennel with bleach and water and I should be OK.

I did that and got the new puppy. I don't remember how long it was but she got parvo also, but after almost dying, she survived. However her nose was never any good after that.

Charlie

[dog dr]

whetther or not having had parvo will affect thier nose, i have no idea. BUT, other than that i would not be afraid to take the pup that got over it. as far as that pup being a carier, he could be. but so could ANY pup or dog that you would bring home. there are lots of dogs that carry it and never show signs.

[Sharon]

After talking with the breeder, he has offered to refund my money. He also has one puppy that has survived parvo and is now recovering, playing, no symptoms showing anymore. I have the option to take that puppy if I want to, and it happens to be a puppy that I very nearly took home the first time. Any thoughts on picking the parvo puppy? Has anyone had a dog that survived parvo? Are there any long lasting effects

I would take the refund. NOT the pup that survived the parvo. The surviver could be a carrier and shed the virus. I would not go out and buy another pup for a couple of months and bring it on my property. Treat parvo as though it is a plague. To me it is. I have not had to deal with parvo since the early nintyies ( thank god). I have seen whole litters saved ,half litters saved and all pups die. I have seen pups with parvo go on to live normal lifes.

x2 Why take a chance? There's no big hurry to get a pup. I'm very sorry you and your family have had to go through this.

[slistoe]

Unless the pup suffered brain damage from fever the only issue that the surviving puppy will have is a permanent immunity to parvo. It is even said that a blood transfusion from a survivor will have enough antibodies to ensure a cure in a sick dog. I have a survivor of parvo at my place that is one of the best field dogs I have and she was a close to death from the disease as it is possible to get. I know of a Lab FC that was a parvo survivor.

As for the dog carrying and shedding the virus, any adult dog can be a carrier and shed the virus with no symptoms of the condition themselves. You don't need a "survivor" for that one.

In regards to a new puppy coming in - yes, it is almost impossible to completely eradicate the virus from the soil etc, and it is a very persistent virus sometimes living years in the environment. But if the pup has been on a proper vaccination protocol and has had 2 shots prior to coming to your place they should have as much chance of being parvo free as any dog coming - barring the "survivor" pup who will of course have no chance of a recurring bout. The real difficulty would be if you were going to try to whelp and raise a litter of pups in the near future.

[birddogger]

But if the pup has been on a proper vaccination protocol and has had 2 shots prior to coming to your place they should have as much chance of being parvo free as any dog coming - barring the "survivor" pup who will of course have no chance of a recurring bout.

I have to diagree with your statement. We can give a pup shots , but when they break the mothers natural imunities the are accessable to parvo a that moment and have seen a dog contact parvo twice. True not the norm, but not all develop a natural immunity. Slitoe, my guestion to you is how many pups have you seen die from parvo.

I don't know what happened but that was not Sharon's quote.

Charlie

[slistoe]

You are right, there is a small risk that the natural immunities of the mother will inhibit the vacinne and it will not be effective. If the pup is vaccinated at 6 weeks then 8 weeks and goes home at 10 weeks with another vaccine at 12 weeks I have been led to understand that the risk is quite small - especially if coupled with a very diligent and thorough disinfecting (you may end up reseeding some areas of the lawn that will die from the bleach solution you saturate it with). I have had 2 litters with parvo. Lost 3 pups in the first and none in the second.

[birddogger]

I would also like to say that the new dog I spoke of in my previous post, the one that didn't have a nose after surviving, may have not had a nose to begin with. I blamed it on the parvo but don't know that for a fact.

Charlie

[Sharon]

But if the pup has been on a proper vaccination protocol and has had 2 shots prior to coming to your place they should have as much chance of being parvo free as any dog coming - barring the "survivor" pup who will of course have no chance of a recurring bout.

I have to diagree with your statement. We can give a pup shots , but when they break the mothers natural imunities the are accessable to parvo a that moment and have seen a dog contact parvo twice. True not the norm, but not all develop a natural immunity. Slitoe, my guestion to you is how many pups have you seen die from parvo.

That's BIZARRE. I didn't write that. I'm not that smart. Oh my God, now my name is being put on other people's quotes. I see trouble.

[Rick Hall]

Over the years, we've had two such pups: one that survived parvo and the other closely-related corona(?) virus. Niether showed signs of after-effect, and one lived 14 years and the other 18.

[dan v]

One of our males survived it....went on to become DC/AFC.....great bird dog.

Also there seems to be a virulent strain of parvo out now.....the vets are recommending a parvo booster at 18-20 weeks.

[Maverick57]

I too have a Parvo pup, she is now 3 and a very smart girl, she is a Border Collie-Heeler, talk about a litter hunter, she is better at water retrives than Hubby's lab. You Go Mollie Sue.

[Kiki's Mom]

I too have a parvo survivor. There is not a thing wrong with her scenting abilities....she is a heck of little bird dog. She contracted parvo at 16 weeks even WITH 2 vaccines on board. The newer virulent strain is capable of breaking through vaccine protocol.....

[slistoe]

Parvo was quite common in Calgary for a time and I always recommended to folks to check with their local vet when taking a puppy home regarding the vaccination protocol. Standard at the time is that I would give them a shot at 6 wks, send them home at 8 wks and they got a booster at 10 wks and then again at 6 mos or a year old depending on the vet. Calgary vets were taking them in immediately at 8 wks for a booster , giving another at 12 wks and then again at 6 mos.

[Georgia Boy]

I was told by my vet that parvo can survive for years in the ground. Often times after a big rain the cases around here sky rocket.

[ZachTX]

Wow, Thank you all for the responses! I've decided to wait a week to see if the puppy is putting weight on, and if he is then I will have him checked out by a vet before taking him. If the vet gives the all clear, I'll bring him home.

BTW, Slistoe: I'm in Calgary visiting right now. What a beautiful area, at least during the summer months!

Zach

[labrdogs]

I have a 4 year old that contracted parvo at 21 weeks of age, fully vaccinated 5 days post known exposure. Exposure was from two parvo infected foster pups. She was thin longer than I would have liked, about 12 months of age she put weight on. She has been healthy since. She also has natural antibodies for parvo for life. She also passes this immunity on to her pups and any pups that are fed her milk.

Environment: bleach everything in your home, kennel, yard, garage, anywhere you walked or drove. Bleach is the only thing that we have in our homes to kill parvo. I washed walls, bedding, beds, sofa, carpets, floors, anything in site. I killed a new washer during this. I also bleached the yard every time I picked up a doodle. yes I killed the grass but worth it. Can use lime well watered into the ground as well to kill in the yard. learned that after the parvo outbreak. If you dig in the uard, the dogs dig in the yard you will have another outbreak. Even in the cold winters of Wisconsin parvo will live. Plus a fly in the area can spread the parvo virus a distance and infect without knowing this.

Vaccinations: If you bring a pup in outside of this exposed pup I would purchase a neo-par vaccination give and bring home two weeks later for their protection this early in the parvo exposure. Can also use this with litters at 4 weeks of age to protect pups. If this pup that has been exposed is what you are looking for there is no reason to not take the offer.

[kninebirddog]

Parvo is one of those things that you'll never get over ..it comes down to a dogs/pups resistance to it that will determine if they will get it or not...you can spread parvo just by walking through a spot an infected animal walk or ran through and every where you step after will spread it

there is a new strain and also stressed pups can get it even after vaccinations

the parvo takes about 10 days to incubate so if they are exposed and then stressed the stress lower the immunities which then makes them more susceptible to coming down with the parvo virus or other puppy maladies like stress related, coccidia, mange ......