PARVO - The Puppy Killer
Parvo is terrible, expensive and life threatening for your puppy.
The good news is that you can protect your puppy. Below are some ways in which you can do this:
Do not let your puppy touch any surfaces at the vet office, store, pet store, dog playground, etc until they are 16 weeks of age or at least 1 week after the 4th series of puppy vaccinations.
When you are at these places, leave your shoes outside the house so you also do not track this in. Parvo is a virus that can live in the ground for up to 7 years. If you want to bring those shoes in, you can make a bleach water spray and spray the bottom of your shoes (don’t bleach your floors) before entering your home. Here’s other alternatives to bleach that kill this virus: https://canineparvovirus.org/cleaners-that-kill-parvo/
Deter them from smelling any feces, especially dog, as this is a major way that Parvo spreads.
When potty training them during this critical 16 week period, have 1 area that the puppy goes (use a small fence if necessary) and parvovirus antiviral spray the area as an additional measure of protection at least 30 minutes (or until dry) before the puppy uses the bathroom.
Keep the genital fur area short and wipe off the paws with antiviral wipes if the puppy is kept in an apartment complex and must use the potty outside
Using a litter box method or sod method on a porch is an alternative to some of the cautions above until they are immune.
The hard part about this is that the critical socialization period is also during this same timeframe that the puppy is most susceptible to Parvo. So how do you socialize your puppy while keeping them safe?
Great articles to read:
https://www.vetwest.com.au/pet-library/puppy-socialisation-and-parvovirus-protection
https://www.austindog.org/socialization-and-parvo
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/puppy-socialization-risk-of-disease/