Should I be worried about the Parvo virus??

[Janel and Sophia]

My DH and I are expecting.. rather waiting to get Sophia on the 10th of August.  In every book, blog and post I have ever read, Parvo is a real threat to a puppy and it should be kept well away from where another dog has been, till shots are complete..

Here is my situation....  My previous dog (Fozzie) who passed away in April, was just about every where in my yard and had free run of the house, so keeping Sophia  from sniffing where another dog has been, will be next to impossible!!!  Because we travelled a great deal, Fozzie was always up todate on shots, worming, flea/tick meds and had a titer test every year.   

Should I worry?  or is it okay to take her out in our yard?   I like to think that I keep my house in immaculate condition and according to my grandkids, my  favourite pass time is cleaning, so I think my floors and carpets are clean enough, as the house is only 2 years old.  Not sure how long another animal's scent lingers in a home... even though I have done numerous cleanings?

Would love to hear suggestions and/or comments on what I should be doing to keep Sophia, Parvo free!!!

 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

If I were you, I would check with your Vet. It seems like your puppy would be fine out in your yard, but I would definitely want my Vet's opinion on taking her to other places until she is fully immunized. From what I understand the incidence of Parvo can vary somewhat by location, but your Vet will have a good sense of the exposure in your area. My Vet didn't want us to take our puppies to public places where there were lots of other dogs until they had had all their shots.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Good Morning Janel,
No worry in your yard if Fozzie wasn't sick and from what you wrote, your yard sounds perfectly safe.
I will only speak for myself but would love to hear from others - both my girls were out and about after their 2nd set of vaccinations in the big world before they finished their shots. Dog park - NO!! Walks around our neighborhood YES. They need to be socialized to to all the sights, sounds and smells of the world. I did make sure that they avoided other dogs poop that wasn't picked up. I let them say hi to dogs I know personally that are vetted the way I do.
Make sure you get copies of all vet records to verify all the vaccines Sophia was given so you can stay on schedule.
Can't wait to see pictures and videos when Sophia comes home!!

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Janel - I just have to tell you that I love your name! My daughter's name is Janelle - lol. Good taste. I think your yard is fine, and I agree with both Jane & Adrianne - you don't want to let your puppy go to a public dog park or any place that would have exposure to dogs that you don't know. BUT don't over shelter your puppy, it needs to meet and greet - just do not let it go nose to nose with any dogs that you don't know. So take your puppy to the pet store and let it ride in the cart (up away from other dogs) but people can pet it. Set on a bench and let people going bye stop and admire. Be careful but not paranoid.

[Janel and Sophia]

Jane Great idea. never thought about putting Sophia in a cart, but that should work...

[Michael Gurley]

I work at a Petsmart, and people are ALWAYS bringing their puppies inside in the carts. It's probably the safest place since there are so many other dogs that have been in the pet store, and some of the owners apparently have never heard of giving dogs shots other than rabies.

[Denise & Sophie]

Thank you for asking this question. I also have a question. We just fenced in our back yard getting ready for our puppy. Both of my children are pet owners and want to bring their dogs over to allow them to run around while they are swimming. One is a 1 yr lab who runs all over with them. Other 2 dogs are 13 and 12 and they stay in their yard when out. I told them no because I am afraid of what they may bring to my yard. Do you think I am being over protective?

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

In my humble opinion - yes, but you have to go with your own comfort level. My vet said that if you know the dogs and that they are kept up to date on their vaccines - then it should be fine. One thing that I would insist on is that any doggie poo gets picked up immediatly other than that I wouldn't worry.

[Michael Gurley]

I think that the other dogs should be fine to come over as long as they are up to date on shots, and your children agree to go on "poop patrol" afterward!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Denise, I might take a little extra caution about the 1 year old lab that goes everywhere. If he/she goes to dog parks there is a chance albeit a small one, of her/his feet carrying contamination from the park. Maybe a paw wipe down might be appropriate before he/she enters your yard/property? My vet encouraged us to let Tara interact with "safe" dogs-those that have been vaccinated AND didn't hang out in a lot of public places and dog parks where they might come into contact with the virus.

[Janel and Sophia]

Hi Jane Thanks for your reply, I was mainly concerned that Sophia would pick up something from my own yard. I plan to be very careful out in public, but not to the extent that she will not have the socialization she needs. I will be contacting the Vet. to see what he has to say.

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

There are LOTS of people who have 2 dogs. It wouldn't be any different if Fozzie was still alive & you got a puppy to bring home. The first dog is always immunized & able to go everywhere & then they are in the yard. The new pup would be in the yard & not fully immunized. I've never heard of a problem with this. So...your yard should be fine! Just limit where you take her to places that don't have lots of dogs til she gets her shots. I'd say be careful, but not totally paranoid. Otherwise, you won't enjoy this special time!

[Janel and Sophia]

Thanks Adrianne for sharing your experiences.. When we got Fozzie as a puppy 8 years ago, I can not for the life of me remember, if I was that concerned over Parvo.. but now that I have the knowledge it makes me a tiny bit fearful. We do not have a dog park in our little town, so don't have to worry about taking her there. We do live in the mountains where there are all sorts of other animals and I have to be very cautious about that.
We will be taking her to visit our daughter's family at the end of September and they own a boxer. They keep all her shots up to date so I am thinking I will be okay there as well. The breeder will be supplying me with her shot records and deworming.