Recently the news and social media channels have been full of the news that there’s a parvo outbreak in Western Washington. Several dog parks in Snohomish County have been temporarily closed and dog owners are asking if they need to have their dogs revaccinated.
We lost our puppy Riley to Canine Parvovirus in May 2012. Our fully vaccinated littermates, Rodrigo and Sydney, were exposed to the virus, but two veterinarians informed us that they were protected. We now have a third puppy, who is also fully vaccinated.
I happen to believe that our pets are over vaccinated and I have concerns about people forcing unnecessary chemicals into their dog’s system, because the news of the parvo virus has them running scared.
The below information is from Dr. Vanessa Rucker, DVM, Animal Hospital of Lynnwood, (425) 771-6300
The current recommendation is that all pets be current on their DAPP boosters. Depending on the clinic, manufacturer, etc, this vaccine needs to be boostered every 1 to 3 years Additional boosters are unnecessary, and could potentially lead to an increased risk of a vaccine reaction. Pets that have never had a vaccine reaction would probably be fine, but anytime you give a vaccine there is a risk of a reaction, and why take the risk unnecessarily?
The especially concerning issue with this particular outbreak is that some dogs getting parvo virus have had a good vaccination history. So keeping current on the vaccine, as well as avoiding areas frequented by dogs with unknown histories (i.e. dog parks, feed stores, etc) is the recommendation the Puget Sound area for now. Avoiding these pet areas will likely be of much greater benefit than extra vaccine boosters.
I’m confident in not having our dogs revaccinated for canine parvo virus and I encourage dog owners to contact their vet to get a recommendation. Although social media has created a great community for dog owners to find support, it’s not the best place to go for urgent medical questions. If you’re concerned about your dog’s risk of exposure to parvo, you need to find out:
What was the last vaccination date for your dog and what vaccinations were given? I have an organizer that holds each of our dogs’ (and cats’) vaccination and medical records. If you don’t have the records, ask your veterinarian if you can get copies; it’s not too late to start keeping up to date records.
How long does the vaccination last? Some vaccinations last 1 year, some last 3 years. Find out which schedule your dog is on AND ask the difference.
Are titer test available? A titer test will allow you and your veterinarian know the levels currently in your dog’s system. A test is expensive, but if you can afford it, it’s worth looking into to avoid over vaccination.
What is your dog’s risk of exposure? Share your dog’s recent outings with your veterinarian and discuss your dog’s exposure. Where did you go? Who did you encounter? Did your dog play with dogs that may not have been vaccinated?
If your veterinarian is busy, schedule a time to call back so that you can ask all of your questions. I often write down a list of my concerns and schedule a time for a chat. By keeping my thoughts organized, I’m only taking up 10 minutes of the doctor’s time.
If your veterinarian isn’t receptive to questions, considering finding a new doctor.
Homeward Pets
If you want to learn more about Canine Parvovirus, please visit the page I created when we experienced the virus in our home.
Kimberly Gauthier
With Mommy Bloggers being all the rage, Kimberly Gauthier writes about dogs and being a Fur Mom. She don't have kids, so she's been on the receiving end of the "it'll happen" statements and looks of pity when people realize that she's made it to the big FOUR OH without conceiving. Fur Mommy Bloggers have a voice too and Gauthier intends to profile her journey with "The Fur Mom" feature on the Girl Power Hour blog. She says, we spoil our kids, we worry about nutrition and we schedule play dates...just as fur mom's do. And let's face it, puppy classes are a lot less spendy than private school. Follow Kimberly on Twitter at @TheFurMom
* This post is from a Girl Power Hour featured blogger. It is not written, edited or endorsed by Girl Power Hour. The authors are solely responsible for content.
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Nora Lenz
12.08.2012
I urge you to look at the information you’re getting objectively. For example, the vet who states that the dogs who have gotten sick with Parvo have had “good vaccination” histories goes on to blindly recommend re-vaccination. How about if we ask her to account for dogs getting sick when they’ve been fully vaccinated?
I’m sorry about Riley. If I could ask, why wasn’t he vaccinated, when all his littermates were? And if he was vaccinated, how do you reconcile what happened to him with the idea that vaccination infers “protection”?
As long as these questions and many others go unanswered, you do not have to “believe” that vaccination or ‘over-vaccination’ is harmful to dogs. You can know it, as I do. Please, for the animals, speak out against this abomination and the devious efforts on the part of the various invested industries to frighten pet lovers into poisoning their pets.
Kimberly Gauthier
12.08.2012
Nora – thank you so much for commenting. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. To answer your questions…
1. Riley (a girl) was a stray that we fostered and then adopted in May; we know nothing about where she came from or who her littermates where or their vaccination status.
2. We were told that she was vaccinated by the rescue group who placed her with us, but the veterinarians who cared for her doubt that this was the case, because she succumbed to the virus so quickly. They don’t believe she had any protection. Since we lost our puppy, it doesn’t really matter to us who was right; she’s gone.
I’m not encouraging people to revaccinate their dogs; my article is in response to Facebook discussions where people are encouraging dog owners to re-vaccinate their dogs. The idea of pumping poisons unnecessarily into our dogs bodies frightens me, but my fears aren’t enough to change people’s mind.
I appreciate the Dr. Rucker sharing her thoughts and hope that people take the statement “anytime you give a vaccine there is a risk of a reaction, and why take the risk unnecessarily?” to heart. Why risk our dogs’ health with more unnecessary vaccinations, which is what many people on social networking sites seem to be calling for.
I shared our experience with parvo to show that our dogs (who were 2 years old at the time) interacted with a parvo puppy for over a week and didn’t get sick. We adopted a puppy, Blue, a month later after we cleaned our home thoroughly. Parvo is very resistant to hot and cold and disinfectants; but our fully vaccinated puppy has been nothing but healthy. I was hoping that by sharing our experience, it would dampen some of the fear being stirred up by worried dog owners.
Kimberly
Deb
12.29.2012
Kimberly, thanks for sharing. We have a 10 mo old Leonberger puppy whose greatest joy has been going to dog parks, but we’ve kept him away from them since we first heard about the Parvo outbreak, the first of November sometime. While Takos is fully vaccinated, having read that at least one of the infected dogs had been vaccinated, we decided not to take the chance. I found your blog trying to research exactly how long we should ban dog parks. Unfortunately, it sounds like Parvo is stil an ongoing concern.
Kimberly Gauthier
12.29.2012
My pleasure, Deb – we have three dogs and all are vaccinated. We experienced parvo first hand with one of our dogs so I’m hesitant too. What you can do is schedule play dates with friends so that you know you’re not interacting with un-vaccinated dogs.
Best of luck to you and your pup! Our youngest is 11 months old.