Parvo and New Puppy

Update, we traveled with caution and appear to have had success. Puppy is still a rocket on legs now that we are home.

"I would be most worried about rest areas, dog parks or exercise areas, pet stores... I would avoid those areas and interacting with unknown dogs (unknown vaccination status) as much as possible until the vaccination series is complete."

As would we. That was the reason for the question about carrying caution one step further.



The pup will be 10 weeks old with two vaccination shots of the series. At that time the pup will have some resistance remaining of the 22 weeks that the mother's vaccination provides to the pups.

The bleach solution did not kill my grass. We do not intend to put the bleach solution into a consumable or damp contact state so "poison and kill grass" seems to be a bit of a hysterical stretch for advice. Bleach use is common in hospitals, clinics, restaurants, and I suspect vet offices.

We have decided to use an outdoor carpet under the pen to avoid the pups contact with the soil. She will not be on walks, associating with other dogs, or on the ground outside of the matted pen. We will not be in the pen so tracking there will be limited.

But inside the MH things will not be so pristine as parvo contamination was not part of our concern for the past 12 years with our previous dog.

I realize there are no guarantees, that is why I asked if anyone had a failure in a similar process.

That was probably a silly question which can only be answered by dire warnings.

Thank you for your responses.

As Dr. Doug said Parvo can spread through your walking in an contaminated area and bringing it to your pup. Having been involved in rescue I found there is no bullet proof way to avoid Parvo. It can spread through the air through A/C vents in a building. We were shut down by the State of Georgia until we could clean the facility and then we had to close part of the shelter for six months to make sure we were clean. One of our foster homes was put off limits for a year because of a stubborn Parvo outbreak we couldn't seem to get rid of.

Vaccinations are the only way to deal with this deadly illness and even then you just don't know. Listen to Dr. Doug as he has many years dealing with this disease and most likely has seen just about all there is to see with this troublesome illness. Sometimes it is best not to travel with young pups until they have all of their shots and their immune system has a chance to develop.

You could use a puppy playpen that has a grated floor. That would keep the pup up off the ground - no contact. People at dog shows use these. You can keep a bucket of water with a toilet brush and disinfectant to clean the grate. They usually come in a 3' by 3', or a 4' by 4' size. You can get them with or without a top. If you have the top, it opens to facilitate cleaning, but it also keeps the pup contained without risk of him escaping. With the size of the playpens, it would give the pup plenty of space to move about while you were sitting out at your campsite. No need for his feet to touch the ground.

I agree with Dr Doug, the age and vaccination status of the pup would be an important factor.

When we first started RV'ing, I had a 15 y/o dog. I really hate taking a senior out at rest areas. I think they are a den of contamination. I tried buying one of those litter trays, hoping they would learn to go in the litter pan in the RV. With his age, he had to go frequently.

That failed - as he thought he should EAT the litter pellets. I then tried just putting one of the puppy piddle pads in the doggie litter pan. That didn't work either.

I think if the day comes that we get another young puppy, I would like to try to litter train them/ combined with normal outside housebreaking. Just so they could use the litter pan in a pinch when traveling.

Just my two cents.

we have taken a couple diff 4 mth old pups camping....never had a problem. they were up to date on all shots rabies included. we do spray Happy Jack on ground for a longer term stay where ticks are found. goal is to kill any mosquitos, fleas + ticks. dogs protected by Frontine/heratworm meds.

Bleach is POISON- and it kills grass. Unless you get approval from the Campground first, don't commit that destruction on property you don't own.

If you have concerns about the dog contacting turf belonging to someone else, keep him off of it.

How old is your pup, what vaccinations has he/she had and when.

I have not used bleach in a yard or a setting other than hard surfaces. Frankly, I don't see that as a solution as spread can (and very often is) done through contamination of your shoes or other objects when unknowingly walking through contaminated areas.

I would be most worried about rest areas, dog parks or exercise areas, pet stores... I would avoid those areas and interacting with unknown dogs (unknown vaccination status) as much as possible until the vaccination series is complete.

Doug, DVM