Have you noticed all the questions about... ?

Question

WOW, Have you guys noticed how many people on her are asking about Parvo? Kind of scary!! Do you feel people who buy dogs should read up more on parvo first?

I am really enjoying these answers, but I do think Tom made a good point.. As Breeders, Does anyone say hey don't do this or don't do that it will help prevent parvo?

Answer 1

Let me ask a couple of questions.

When you have a litter and someone wants to see them, do you tell them "no"?? Do you inform them that if they have visited any other litters/dogs that they need to go home and shower and change clothes first??
Do you inform puppy buyers to never allow their puppy to touch the floor at the vets office?? To not carry them around town to show to every person they know?? To not take them to parks and other places where people commonly take their dogs??

Believe it or not a little common sense will prevent most cases of Parvo, and breeders need to assume a little responsibility by informing their clients.

Answer 2

It is very scary. People need to be more educated about Parvo. It also makes you wonder where they are buying these puppies. Are the coming from backyard breeders or puppy mills? I know many reputable breeders and have never seen them deal with Parvo issues. And if a reputable breeder did happen to have a Parvo issue they would never sell the dog. If these people are buying from pet stores then the answer lies in the fact that those puppies come from puppy millers, who don't care about the health of the puppy. It's sad when you walk into a pet store and hear the employees state how healthy the puppies are and how authentic the papers are that come with these dogs. I've checked out many pet stores and have seen many puppies that looked not all that healthy. But yet the pet store will sell them to you!

Answer 3

Any of my pups that are placed locally, I offer to personally give the boosters. I frequently keep pups past the 18 week mark to evaluate their quality for show or breeding potential, so they usually have all their boosters by the time they are placed anyway. However, in my area, parvo is rampant due to so many people who know (or care) little about vaccinations and how the schedule works.

Diane S:
While I agree that people should learn about costs and be prepared when they take on a dog, sometimes life circumstances change drastically for the worse. I've lost the use of both my legs, and can't work anymore. In reality, there was a period of time when should one of my dogs become seriously ill, I could not have afforded expensive treatments. Does that mean I should have dumped dogs I've had for 6-14 years into a shelter, just in case they *might* come down with an illness I couldn't afford to treat?

Answer 4

I think its a 2 way street. I think they should know where and from whom they are getting these dogs from and I also think they should be made aware of the Parvo virus when they get the dogs. Every dog and pup should be vet checked with in days of you bring it to your home.
I also think that they should get the pup or the dog into the vets and not ask here what to do.
Parvo has very distinctive signs and if my pup or dog was throwing up and had bloody stool and wasn't eating or drinking I would not be asking here what to do either.
It is common sense and there is a a very short supply of it, it seems.
Vet Tech ????
Is Parvo more prevalent in certain sections of the country? Or can it be anywhere because other than puppy store pups which I heard about the incident with. I have not had to deal with this at all and have not know other breeders in CT who have. Is it more localized in some areas over another. Or is it just being shushed up?

Thanks Vet Tech. That's why my pups stayed with me here until 10 weeks old and 2 sets of shots. Also gave each person a do and don't list with their new pup. Also went over it with each person verbally. So no misunderstanding could happen.

Answer 5

Very scary! I have never experienced it, but it scares the crap out of me..
I have to say, no one has ever in over 18 years asked me about parvo specifically.. They'll ask about vaccinations but no one really seems to know much about it until they get it, then it's too late to start learning.

I think people should do far more research before they buy a dog.. People generally don't know much about dogs when they are searching for a puppy.

Edit : I most definitely educate people on Parvo and other diseases people need to worry about with their new puppy. I don't know if they take me serious or see me as over protective.. I make sure puppies have 2 vaccinations before they leave here so that puppies are at least just a bit more protected cause I know people rush home w/ their new puppy and have to show off..

Yes Tom l I do tell people that they can't come and see the puppies til they have had first vaccinations. I also tell them if they want to visit, they must come here first thing in the morning and they cannot come if they are kennel jumping and visiting everyone in one day.. If they are, make it here first or forget it. And you don't even know how bugged my vet gets when I won't allow my puppies to touch the floor and when I insist that they wipe the scale down before puppies are weighed ! Yeah I am paranoid ! :)

Answer 6

A huge part of the problem is the number of people involved in selling puppies that are only interested in whether you have the cash.

To get one of my dogs, I had to answer a lot of questions from her breeder, demonstrate my knowlege of the breed, dog care in general, show a prolonged interest in getting a puppy etc. When I got her I had to sign a contract saying she would not be bred without the breeders knowlege, the breeder would be given the opportunity to assist in re-homing her if necessary and a few other conditions relating to health testing. I was also given a 2 page handout on do's and don'ts for the first few years of the dogs life. I am still in contact with this breeder.

My other girl was bought from a newspaper ad, and I never heard from her previous owners again. She wasn't a puppy, so it wasn't supporting a breeding operation, and it got her out of a less than desirable home. In this interview I was the only one asking questions, and it was hard not to get angry with the lack of concern for a living creature these people were responsible for.

If I go into a pet store, and they have puppies or kittens on display, I make a point of telling the staff I was considering making a purchase but decided not to - If you don't tell them they've lost sales, and why, it's not a protest. Many pet shops here in Australia now only carry birds and fish.

Answer 7

Without a doubt. They should also read up on the cost of owning a pet before they get one too. I get so angry when I read "my dog has Parvo and I can;t afford to go to the vet." If you can't afford the bills don;t get the pet.

In general people need to read up on every aspect of owning a dog before they even think about looking for one.

Answer 8

I have noticed. It is not scary it is ridiculous that people acquire dogs and do not both to research anything at all about dogs. They should read up on more than just parvo, a litlle reasearch goes a long way. Education is power, I guess people just do not realize this or even care.

DP, would you please email me or Bassetnut, there is something we would like to ask you.

Answer 9

OMG I could not agree more!!! Very scary! Unfortunately, many people do not educate themselves before one of the biggest purchases of their lives (a puppy!!).

Puppy Mills are now a much bigger problem than ever. If you can believe it... the conditions have gotten worse just over the last few years!!! Therefore, petstores, in my opinion, are getting a lot worse. They now solely purchase animals from millers/brokers, so you get one ill puppy in the shipment... every puppy will become sick. So, so sad.

A local petstore in my town had to euthanize 200 puppies because ONE puppy was infected with Parvo and the other 199 came down with it. Those innocent and helpless babies!! I refuse to even step foot in petstores... it has been proven that you can transmit Parvo by means of your shoes! It makes me sick! There is NO excuse for the neglectful and abusive breeding methods. It is all about the money.

I wish we could stop puppy mills all together...

Golden: I SO agree people should be told about Parvo... but... sadly... you know pet stores will NEVER educate people about it. One of our clients (who lost a pet store puppy last month to Parvo) had asked a few of the employees at the local pet store why that puppy looked ill. The employees said the puppy was perfectly healthy, not sick at all, just very sad because all her brothers and sisters were already purchased. EH! Unfortunately, people will believe the employees!

This is the same pet store which told another client the puppy was chubby because he liked to eat and he ended up being INFESTED with parasites and it was quite apparent he hadn't eaten for days!! Again, it is all about the profit.

Update: Funny you should ask! I just attended a seminar on Parvo because of its increasing popularity, eh. Parvo is more prevalent in the mid-west (surprise, surprise! Puppy mills anyone?), but is becoming more common across the united states due to pet stores now buying puppies from mills in bulk.

Years ago, pet stores used to purchase puppies from breeders (backyard primarily) at auctions, where the puppies were “healthier”. Now, pet stores prefer to only buy from millers because it is cheap and they can literally ORDER any breed they want! The local pet store in my town has a puppy order form if you go there and don’t find what you want. I actually have a copy of it at home (a client took it for me). You literally can choose the breed (pure and mixed), sex, and age you want. The store guarantees to have your puppy in less than 2 weeks.

So, Golden, to answer your question… yes it is mostly found in the states containing and surrounding puppy mills, but is becoming a more widespread problem throughout the United States. To be honest, we have been seeing a lot more of it at our clinic in the last few months.

Wonderful breeders (like yourself) are educated and very careful with their puppies. You are aware of health issues and therefore are cautious and will not to not let your pups “out” before they are fully vaccinated/protected. The only people "shushing" Parvo is pet stores. Shocking!

Tom: You have brought up some excellent points! I DO have to tell you... the good breeders (responsible/ reputable) that use our clinic do not allow anyone (not even potential buyers!) to come visit the litter until they are fully vaccinated. They will send pictures, that is all. They also carry (usually crates, but I have seen laundry baskets haha) their puppies in the office so they are not on the ground (we also have a seperate entrance for new pups). And I know for a fact these breeders do not bring their pups on any field trips until they are fully vaccinated. Wondeful points! Hope they make some people in here think twice!!!

Answer 10

People who purchase dogs, should be more aware of where they get the dogs from, whether or not they've been properly vaccinated, and how high the ''risk'' of Parvovirus is, where they live.

Many people don't understand WHY their puppies shouldn't walk on the floors of pet stores or outside when not on their own property. Until they get all their booster rounds, it's unsafe.