[goodogg]

Hi - Oh boy, I met with a local breeder yesterday to see her pups. Turns out that the whole litter got Parvo at about 4 weeks. A few of the pups are still in the vet, but most of the pups were treated quickly and are back at home. She is continuing to sell them as usual, is being upfront about the situation, but I don't know - I have heard too much about possible long term heart weakness in a dog that has survived Parvo. This is the only thing that is holding us back from committing - what would you do???
Thanks much! Linda

 

[GSDOwner2008]

I wouldn't get a pup. The fact that it got parvo makes me wonder about the breeder. You can find a better dog somewhere else that's healthy.

 

[scannergirl]

I don't wonder about the breeder, because I think Parvo is sometimes not preventable, at least there's a window of time when it's not- and the breeder is not hiding this from you. Parvo could have come in on somebody's shoes or hands- I know it would be a big worry at my house if I ever breed my dog because I have kids...
If the mother's antibodies are protecting the puppies then the shot will not be effective. When that protection from mom wears off then the shot will become effective but there is a window of time in which the poor pups are vulnerable and you cannot change that.
I do not know the long term effects of Parvo, so I would look at it from that angle and make my decision if it were me, as long as everything else checks out.
This is my understanding of the situation anyway- please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[goodogg]

Thanks so much - I'm putting my nose back to the grindstone and am going to look a little harder. It's such a big committment - this is the first time that I have purchased a puppy from a breeder - in the past, I have rescued or gotten a guiding eye GSD - we are hoping to choose a well bred puppy who will hopefully have a long and healthy life....fewer hip issues, etc. The Parvo just came out of left field! I'm not sure I could face the future with a young active dog always wondering if 'poof' her heart was going to fail prematurely.

 

[pupresq]

I'm a little surprised that the litter got sick at four weeks. They are normally protected by maternal antibodies at that age. Like Lucina, I agree that parvo is exceedingly contagious and sometimes it gets in in spite of people's best efforts. It does speak well of her that she treated them. I think I'd be looking at the rest of the set up and breeder credentials to make a decision - this one could go either way.

Parvo can rarely attack the heart muscle and cause heart weakness but the vast majority of puppies with parvo recover completely and normally and you'd never know there was anything wrong with them. Do keep in mind that these puppies will continue to shed parvo virus for a month or so following recovery and care must be taken not to expose anyone else's dog.

 

[pupresq]

Does the breeder to other health screenings for the parents? Are her dogs titled? How is the rest of the set up? All that stuff would concern me more than the parvo.

 

[BlackGSD]

On the plus side, the breeder DID tell you about the Parvo. She could have just as easily not said anything and you would have never known.

 

[Liesje]

Like Lisa says, parvo doesn't = bad breeder, necessarily. However, I would never get a pup that had parvo, unless it was a pup I'd already taken home and fell in love with, or a pup I'd already committed to.

 

[goodogg]

My thoughts exactly! It's such a major major decision, and for us, this is the first time that we have gone the breeder route and we are trying to really get it right. My past dogs have all been rescues and after putting the work in, they have been wonderful dogs. For me, since I'm not a serious competitor with my dogs, it's always tempting to go back through a rescue....We're hoping to avoid some of the health and temperment issues that we have had in the past. This breeder seemed to be doing a lot of things right, considering the puppies were in her kitchen, things were very clean and she was careful about us tracking germs in or out. The breeding on the puppies was IMHO not bad, but by expanding my search a bit, could be better, so our search continues....and along the way, man am I ever learning! Thanks everyone!

 

[DHau]

If this is a reputable breeder and you really like the puppies, talk to your vet about the possible side effects. This breeder was upfront with you and I am sure she would let you take a puppy to be examined to see if there were any other health problems. Here in GA, Parvo could be anywhere. My vet said anybody could walk in it and bring it into your home. Since the puppies survived, I don't think they can get it again. One less worry.