Parvovirus scare, dog parks & puppy visits

We had a scare in the last day or so that a new canine parvovirus was circulating around several locations around BC, after seeing a brief glimpse of a news headline shared on Facebook. It looks like an old article about a viral spread originating in Chilliwack from 2013 is making the rounds through a number of dog blogs we follow, without people clicking to read the actual details... phew!

Nevertheless, it made us remember how fragile our new puppies immune systems are. Parvovirus is extremely dangerous & infectious, and can kill within 3-4 days of contraction. It is spread via direct or indirect contact with infected feces, and can live for up to 3 months on the ground (!). Transport can occur not only from dogs who play in the infected area, but on owner's shoes and any materials that come into contact with it (play toys, leashes, backpack set on the ground etc). 

You can read more about canine parvovirus here.

Vaccination will keep parvo at bay, and will be included in Beans' pups first round of vaccinations during Week 8 before they go to their new homes. We are careful not to over vaccinate our dogs and make an effort to provide information to our pups new owners on the choices they have regarding which shots are necessary and which they can choose to forego. 

Although dog parks can be tons of fun & usually have heaps of room for your dog to run around & socialize with other dogs, they can be dangerous for dogs with low immune systems due to spread of parasites & disease, create hard-to-control situations when too many dogs are brought together & territorial issues surface, and individual play can also become overly zealous leading to muscle strains, overheating & exhaustion, and general injury. 

Precaution should be used when taking your dog to a dog park (however old it is), and you should ensure you know how to control your animal if a situation arises you need to handle. We recommend new puppies should not go to the dog park for at least the first nine months of their lives. 

Some ideas for alternatives to the dog park (modified list from this site):

• Safe hikes & trail walks/runs that are at your dog’s fitness level
• Walk in your neighborhood, but take a different route each day for variety
• Go to a big, open field (that is dog friendly) and invite friends to join you
• Interactive toys to keep your dog engaged and play at home
• Go to a dog friendly beach or lake
• Join a community dog walking group

This week, we'll start having our puppies potential new owner's come to visit & meet the gang! We'll ask them to avoid the dog park for the time being if they have other dogs at home, or wear separate shoes from those they wear to the park. Shoes will come off when they come inside & a thorough hand washing before they get to interact with the pups. 

Teeth are in! Grrrrr

They are sooo big right now & getting bigger every day!