A Word About Parvo

Parvo is a deadly disease for your puppy. On a serious note, I held a Boxer pup one month old. He was too cute for words! I told the owner that the puppy was too young to be out where so many dogs are present. Parvo thrives in dirt. Parvo is a horrtible death for puppies and is a real concern for puppies that have not had all their vaccines. The owner told me that his pup had two vaccines and I told him that the puppy wasn't fully protected until all the vaccines in the series are completed. A puppy is not protected from Parvo until the 16th week after the vaccines have been completed. At that time it is safe for them to be around other dogs. Before that time period you are taking a risk exposing your puppy to possibly catching a fatal disease. I tried to no avail to warn him, but he still insisted on having the puppy on the ground in the dirt. While it is important to socialize your puppy you have plenty of time to do this.

Many breeders will not let you see their puppies until all the vaccines are given. Parvo can wipe out a litter of puppies within a short period of time. Many breeders will have you step in bleach before entering their kennel and wash your hands beforehand, because they are afraid of  Parvo hitting their kennels and killing their puppies. Vet offices will do the same thing, their protocol is to disinfect the area if a puppy that is known to have Parvo enters their hospital.