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Advice on transporting puppy exposed to parvo Pls


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Two days ago (Friday), I volunteered to transport a puppy (from a litter of 4). The pups were transported on 2 legs of their journey and arrived at a vet for check-ups, vax and baths before being parceled out to foster homes. I was scheduled to take one from the vet clinic to the next transporter.

 

One pup had diarrhea (otherwise fine) and was checked for parvo. VERY highly positive. All pups were immediately put on IVs and other treatments specific for parvo and are scheduled to remain at the vet clinic for at least a week. Yesterday (Saturday), they were were still OK.

 

The pup I was to take was not the one that tested positive, but I do not know what his immune status was since none of the other 3 were tested.

 

My question is: Should I request that the pup that I will transport be tested for parvo before I transport? [Only the one pup was tested. Personally, I would have had the remaining 3 littermates tested too.] If he is parvo free, I am assuming he will not be shedding any virus while in my car (in a crate). I don't want to rock the boat, but because the parvo virus hangs around for so long in the environment (some reports suggest a year or more, but no one really knows since it depends on so many factors), I don't want to be carrying around parvo in my car crates. My 3 dogs are vaccinated, but if I were to foster a puppy or transport another dog/puppy within the year, there is the possibility of exposure.

 

Alternatively, I could just transport without saying anything (although that is not like me) and remove the crate pads, then wash out the plastic crate with a bacteriocidal/virocidal soap.

 

Ideas? Suggestions? Advice?

 

Thanks in advance.

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Yes, that is my question. IMHO, I would think that every one of them should be tested - although the one that was + before will probably still be + (although with a significantly diminished response?). I just don't know enough about parvo and test results after treatment - which is why I have questions.

 

I feel very lucky that one was a little 'off' (diarrhea), and she was tested. [Don't want to have a parvo pup in my car.] Regardless, I feel that all should have been tested even if all appeared healthy.

 

Learning experience for me - next time I will make sure either testing or vac have been done.

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As a complete aside, there is a working dog rescue here in Australia that has had various pups come in with parvo (sadly all too common). Once the pup has recovered enough to start eating again, they have had a lot of success with feeding them sheep poo. The theory is that it helps repopulate the gut with good gut flora.

 

Not exactly sure whether the science is sound...

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I understand the concern - even if the puppy is well and never gets obviously sick, if there is parvo now that puppy is going to be shedding the virus in stool for at least 2 weeks AFTER apparent recovery.

 

I would be very, very hesitant to transport without being very sure, and to be honest I'm not sure I'd trust the results after a vaccination, exposure, treatment, and potential recovery, either. If I decided to transport I would keep the dog in a plastic crate and then scrub the heck out of that thing with dilute bleach - the only readily available household cleaner that will kill it (antibacterial soap won't) and retire that crate for a good long while. I'd also possibly put the whole crate on tarp and bleach then throw away the tarp afterward.

 

And, yeah, I'd not be transporting puppies in my vehicle. At least not pups under about 14-16 weeks who have had more than one round of vaccinations. Not if I intended to continue to transport or had a lot of exposure to other dogs (as you do).

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If it were me, I'd not transport the pup at all. I am of the same mind as Cat. Jack on this.

And the advice she gave if you do decide to transport the pup if good, and is what I would do if I decided to transport anyway. I would not allow the puppy to come in contact in any manner with anything inside my vehicle, hence tarp or plastic sheeting under the crate and spread out.

 

Probably the only way I would really be willing to transport such a puppy would be crated in the back of a pickup truck. Which of course is not where I would normally put a dog! But I would be paranoid as hell about parvo virus.

 

When fostering I would take in a dog with bordatella, as my dogs were vaccinated and even if they got sick it was an easy cure. I would not take in a dog who had ticks (even if they said the dog had been treated.....they never get them all), unless I personally had bathed and gone over the dog away from my home, or if the dog had parvo or any other serious transmittable disease.

This is also why I don't volunteer at the shelter, although I really would like to. I would never forgive myself if I brought a disease home with me.

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If you check the OP, the pups are quarantined at the vet clinic for at least a week, possibly two.

 

I still haven't heard how long the virus is shed.

 

I am definitely not going to even consider transporting unless this pup has been tested - and you guys have scared me enough that I may just pull out.

 

I am disappointed to learn that these pups were not tested prior to transport. Some people seem to be pushing the envelope.

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I agree that they should have been tested prior. Some rescue and foster care systems are better than others in this regard.

 

My three-year tick invasion started with a foster dog who came to me recently bathed. I was too dumb to ask if it had been a tick bath. Of course there were still ticks on her, and she had tick fever as well, and then my dog had it, and the ticks invaded home and yard and it took me three years, during which time I moved twice, to get rid of them.

 

That particular foster dog was so special she worth it, even so. But I now treat ticks the same as parvo exposure.

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