3 Ways to Protect Your New Puppy from Canine Parvovirus
Canine parvovirus, more commonly known as parvo, is a very dangerous disease for your dog. Parvo is often a life-threatening disease for your dog, especially if they are young or old. Parvo is so deadly because anyone can transmit the virus once they come into contact with the disease, including humans. You want to make sure that you protect your new puppy from canine parvovirus.
Get Vaccinated
The top way you can protect your new puppy from parvo is by getting your dog vaccinated against parvo. Your dog should get their parvo vaccination when they are a puppy and should then get booster shoots as well. Once your dog gets out of the puppy stage, they need to booster shots at least once a year. If you fail to get your dog a parvo booster shot, their vaccination could lose its effectiveness. You need to make sure that your dog continues to get their parvo vaccination every year of their life to ensure that they are protected continuously against this deadly virus.
Avoid Areas with Unvaccinated Dogs
Next, avoid taking your puppy to areas with unvaccinated dogs, such as pet stores and dog parks, until your puppy has all of their vaccinations. You don't want your puppy to be around other dogs until they are protected from parvo since it is so easy to transmit and dogs can transmit parvo without showing outward signs of the disease.
Once your dog is old enough, you can take your dog to places such as the pet store and dog park; just be aware that your dog can pick up parvo and spread it easily, so if your dog also interacts with puppies at home, you should keep your dog from places where they can pick up parvo when your puppy is little.
Change Your Clothing After Being Around Unvaccinated Dogs
Finally, if you have a puppy at home, and are around other dogs during the day, change your clothes, clean the bottom of your shoes, and rinse up before you interact with an unvaccinated puppy. The scary thing about parvo is that it can be carried and transmitted on a variety of sources; it doesn't need to be transmitted by an animal, it can get on other objects and be carried by them.
Parvovirus is really easy to spread and can be deadly for your young puppy. Make sure that you vaccinate your dog against parvo, avoid places where your dog will run into unvaccinated dogs, and clean all dog items with bleach after going to the dog park or after boarding your dog. Help your new dog make the transition by seeking advice from puppy placement services.