Parvo and Boarding Your Dog

Last week I got a call from a potential new dog boarding client. In the course of talking she mentioned that her dog had just recovered from Parvo and her vet had said she was good to go 2 days before. Warning bells went off in my head. I said "I want to call my vet now, and I will call you back".  My vet said you don't want to take a dog that has just recovered from Parvo. It takes 1 to 3 months to be sure the dog is fully recovered. I called the woman back and told her I could not take her dog for a 3 month period of time. I appreciated her honesty, and she appreciated the information.

Parvo is a very contagious virus. The virus is shed in large amounts in the stools of acutely infected dogs for up to several weeks following infection. The disease is transmitted by oral contact with infected feces. Parvo can be carried on the dog’s hair and feet, as well as on contaminated crates, shoes, and other objects. When the dog licks the fecal material off hair, feet, or anything that came in contact with infected feces, he acquires the disease. Parvo affects dogs of all ages, but most cases occur in puppies 6 to 20 weeks of age. Parvo is an expensive illness to treat and can be fatal.*

This is why it is important to isolate young puppies as much as possible from other dogs and from potential sources of infection until they complete the parvo vaccination series at 16 weeks of age. Whenever I have had a puppy I have walked them in my own yard. I took care NOT to walk them where other dogs were walked. This is not easy, but your dog's health depends on it. IT IS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY when it comes to your sweet dog.
*If you have any questions about Parvo or any other dog health matter please contact your vet.

Original Jobs of Small Dogs

This is really fun because I had never heard of some of these.

Most of us know that small dogs were used as lap dogs to keep their owners warm, but did you know that Miniature Poodles were used as handwarmers? They were kept in the long sleeves of nobility during the Renaissance. They were known as "sleeve dogs".

Yorkies were used as War Dogs because they were fearless and could warn soldiers of oncoming enemy advances. They also entertained the soldiers. That part is not hard to believe.

Small dogs were also used as watchdogs and walked the palace walls. Some were expected to guard their Lady's chambers and were used as canine burglar alarms.

For more information on this and other interesting dog facts go to www.dogster.com.

Choosing a new dog...do your homework

It is so exciting when you decide to pick a new dog for your family. You must treat this decision as one of the most important you will ever make. You are choosing a 'forever' member of your family. You have to decide which breed will fit in with your lifestyle. Do you have small children? Which is the best breed for a growing family? Which breed will be a fit for your house or apartment? How big a yard will the dog need? Is someone home during the day to let the dog out? Do you need a doggy door? There are so many questions when bringing home a new family member. There are many resources available to you. You can research books in the library. You can go online. You can speak to a veterinarian or a breeder.

Please give this at least as much thought as you would if you were purchasing a car. An animal should never have to be returned if you have put some thought into the process.