Canine Herpes and Other Risks to Neonates
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Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Q: How concerned are you with quarantine to prevent Canine Herpes or the other potential problems you may encounter the weeks prior to whelping and with pups on the ground and visitors wanting to handle puppies.
A: Because my dogs are ‘out and about’ in both the show ring and doing field work, they are hopefully exposed to this virus before I breed. I do not keep my dogs in a bubble as I realize that I cannot prevent exposure. What I do is to maintain a good cleanliness routine and I have recently started using Rescue Disinfectant. It is a one-step cleaner and deodorizer that is used by many veterinarians as it has a 5-minute contact time against Parvo, Ringworm, Influenza, and more. It uses Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide and is gentle on the environment as well. You can use this daily on kennels and wiping down surfaces that your dog is in contact with.
I do not personally have visitors to my puppy litters before they are 2 weeks old. I feel that the first 2 weeks are critical to make sure their immune systems are building properly, and that there are no other issues that need to be dealt with. Only my family interacts with the puppies for the first 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, when I have visitors, everyone is required to leave their shoes at the door and to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer prior to handling puppies. I also request them to sit and use a towel on their laps as well. This protocol has served me well, keeping the puppies healthy over the years.
