Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The LAB REPORT is a publication of the Huron River Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. (“HRLRC”) published monthly with deadlines on the 15th of each month. The publication is provided to the club membership, subscriptions are available to non-members for an annual subscription fee of $25. Material in this newsletter may be used for education purposes provided credit is given to the author and the source. Contributions in the form of articles, news comments, wins, litter and other items of interest to the membership are encouraged. Accuracy of information provided is strictly the responsibility of the author or advertiser. Opinions expressed are those of the individual authors and not those of the HRLRC either in whole or in part. The Editor reserves the right to edit materials in the interest of space, literary clarity, good taste or timeliness. All deadlines will be strictly enforced. Send all information to the Newsletter Editor.
Huron River Labrador Retriever Club, Inc.
Hello HRLRC Members!
Short & sweet again this month. We hope to see you all at our Holiday Party on Saturday, December 11th. The party will be held at the home of Norm and Sheila Norgren. Join us for fun, food, and holiday cheer.
Directors & Officers
President
Pauline Mortier [email protected]
Vice President
Cathy Culpert [email protected]
Recording Secretary & Member-ship
Jeanine Asch [email protected]
Treasurer
Al Reich [email protected]
Corresponding Secretary
Laura Reich [email protected]
Directors
Sheila Norgren, Kim Bryson, Mike Merians, Cindy Skiba, Annie Cogo
Newsletter Editor
Michelle VeuCasovic [email protected]
President’s Report 1
Meeting Schedule 2
Whelping Waggin’ 3
Coming Events 4-5
Veterinary Clinic 7
Specialty Results 8-15
Inside this issue:
President’s Report, by Pauline Mortier
The Lab Report December2004 Volume 2004, Issue 12
Membership Dues Notice
Annual membership dues and breeder’s directory fees are due by May 15th. The names of members who have paid their annual dues and directory listing fees will be
published in the upcoming newsletters. Act early!
All meetings will be held at the Hartland Community Education Building unless otherwise noted. Board Meetings begin at 7:00 pm. Membership Meetings begin at 7:30 pm.
January 7th—Voting-in of New Members
February 4th
March 11th
April 1st—Election of New Officers, Voting in of New Members
Club Meeting Schedule Mark Your Calendars
December Holiday Party, Membership & Board Meeting — December 11th
at The Norgren’s in Howell
Our holiday party and Membership/Baord Meeting will be held on Saturday, December 11th at 6:30pm, at the home of Norm & Sheila Norgren.
Norm and Sheila Norgren 900 Gulley Rd.
Howell, MI (517)548-4037
Email: [email protected]
The club will provide ham and soft drinks. Please bring a dish to pass.
It’s the season for giving. Please bring a 2 cans of dog
or cat food, or more if you wish to be donated to the lo-cal Humane Society.
Bring a picture to share with fellow club members of your favorite/special Labrador.
Directions:
From West: I-96 east, East on M59, past Latson Rd., Right on Gulley, home is on the left.
From East: I-96 west, Exit 141 to Grand River West (Left), Right on Latson Rd., Right on Golf Club Dr., Left on Gulley, home is on Right.
From US23: Exit M59 Howell/Pontiac west, Past Argentine and Hughes roads, Left on Gulley, home is on the left.
Page 2 The Lab Report
Members in attendance were: : Pauline Mortier, Cathy Culpert, Mike Merians, Judy Merians, Barb Paveglio, Kim Bryson, Al Reich, Patty Wayne, Rich Wayne, Bill Gardner, Delores Rich-ards, Freida Paison, Stella Blair, Cas-sandra Barrett and Kenny Barrett. Guests were Joyce and Jessica Tuntland.
Meeting was called to order at 6:25 p.m. by Pauline Mortier.
The minutes from the last meeting were not available to be read.
President’s Report: No news to report.
Corresponding Secretary’s Re-port—No news to report.
Treasurer’s Report—Motion made to accept the Treasurer’s Report as read. Seconded. Motion carried.
Membership—No news to report.
Fall Specialty 2004—No news to
report.
Field Report— No news to report.
Old Business— The subject of litter ads was discussed. Barb Paveglio stated that she called AKC regarding the club’s attendance policy and requirements to be an “active” member. AKC stated that we could not have an “active” versus an “inactive” membership. Therefore, the club’s policy regarding attendance and active or inactive membership status is void. This means that litter ads may be placed by any member after paying the required fee. The cost of litter ads is $10 effective immediately.
New Business— Cathy Culpert an-nounced that we received a $100 dona-tion from the Pease family. The Pease family has a special needs child and Sheila Norgren’s bitch, Konga, was placed with them. Cathy will submit an article to the newsletter telling how Konga saved the Pease’s child from drowning.
The 2005 Judging Panel was completed with the addition of John Steyn of Water-crest Labradors.
Kim Bryson will write an article remind-ing club members that rescue funds are available.
The place for the December meeting was discussed. Sheila Norgren will host this year’s meeting at her home on December 4, 2004.
Motion made by Judy Merians and sec-onded by Al Reich to accept Joyce and Jessica Tuntland as new members. Mo-tion carried.
As there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Judy Merians, volunteer note taker
General Membership Meeting Minutes—November 4, 2004
Disclaimer Clause: This list is for litters of our members that are in good standing with our Club and the American Kennel Club and has been made available for your assistance in finding a new puppy. But: The Huron River Labrador Retriever Club, Inc., makes no war-ranties, expressed or implied as to the condition of any dogs being offered for sale, stan-dards or practices of any breeder, the quality of their animals or the accuracy of any of the information contained within the HRLRC, Inc., newsletter listing, or within the HRLRC, Inc., website or any links from the website. HRLRC, Inc., does not endorse, recommend, or guarantee any kennel, breeder or dog listed.
Reminder: Send $10 litter ad fee per month/per ad to Al Reich, 5558 Sunkist, Oxford, MI 48371. Please indicated in memo section of check the month that you are paying for. These litter ad fees go towards the HRLRC Rescue Account. Please call (248)969-6998 or email [email protected] to renew or update your ad. Deadline is the 15th of the month. Ads received by postal mail must be received on or before the due date in order to be published in the newsletter.
Ch Hunt Club Clayview Funny Bear Infinity’s Boyd Bear
Forsythe’s Toot, Toot, Tootsie
X
Trendmaker’s Tycoon Infinty’s Desi Lu
Ch Windfall’s Be-Boppin’ Bobbi Socks CD NA NAJ
Due: December 17th yellows Michelle VeuCasovic 734-728-8889 [email protected] www.infinitylabradors.com
CH Moraines Malcolm at Zinfandel Limelights Mister Mister
Limelite’s Hearts Afire X Hunt Club Lubberline Captain
Limelite Captains Affair Limelite’s Mad About You
Born: September 17 4 Yellow Males Bill Gardner 248-4378016
Volume 2004, Issue 12 Page 3
Whelping Waggin’, submitted by Laura Reich
Other Coming Events - submitted by Jeanine Asch January 9, 2005: Spartan Mid Winter Match B-OB Held at the MSU Pavilion for Agriculture & Livestock Education Classes offered: 3-6 months, 6-9, 9-12, 12-18, Open. Obedience classes: Pre Novice, Novice, Open, Utility, Grad Novice $7 per entry; Registration starts at 8:30 and accepted until judging of breed begins. Sporting judge: Don Leonard. For additional information, contact Mark or Al Stinson, 517-655-5363, [email protected] or www.cvm.msu.edu
January 15: Rally Show & Go Match at The Canine Workshop 36339 Groesbeck, Clinton Twp, MI Novice and advanced courses will be offered. Entries $7 for first entry, $3 for second entry of same dog. FMI: 586-792-8533
January 16: Stress Reduction Seminar for Handlers Presented by Brenda Riemer, Ph.D. Northfield Dog Training, 3676 W. Ellsworth Rd., Ann Arbor, MI. 2-6 p.m. $45/person. For further information, email brenda at [email protected]
February 6: Rally Show & Go Match at The Canine Workshop 36339 Groesbeck, Clinton Twp, MI Novice and advanced courses will be offered. Entries $7 for first entry, $3 for second entry of same dog. FMI: 586-792-8533
February 19-20: Bill Sahloff & Mike Szabo Handling Seminar 9 am -4 pm Limited to 30 handlers with dogs: $125. Spectators $75. Continental breakfast and catered lunch provided. Held at Alden's Kennels, 6810 Barnard Mill, Ringwood, IL 60072. FMI: Don or Roberta Toivola 630-736-9125, [email protected]. Pre-registration closes February 12
March 12-13, 2005: A 2-day working seminar focused on training your dog by understanding how dogs learn Connie Cleveland was born in Lansing, Michigan and received her B.S. in Engineering from Michigan State University. She spent 10 years as the Training Director for Dogs for the Disabled. Currently, she and her husband, Brian, live in Fountain Inn, South Carolina, where they own and operate Dog Trainers Workshop, a training and boarding facility. Together they teach obedience to over 120 stu-dents each week. Connie’s obedience experiences include six Obedience Trial Champions, a UDT Maltese, and a CDX Shih-tzu. (She and Brian share their home with 4 Golden Retrievers, 2 Labrador Retrievers, and a Shih-tzu.) They are active in obedience and field trial competitions. Currently, she is competing with her Lab, FC-AFC-OTCH “Ezra” and her Golden, AFC OTCH “Eli”. For more information, please see their website: www.dogtrainersworkshop.com. This is a working seminar to be held at the Hamilton Dog Training Club, 2716 Symmes Road, Fairfield, OH 45014. Fee includes lunch and refreshments. Fresh water will be available for all dogs. Limited spots available, so register early! Seminar hours: Saturday, March 12th – 9:00am – 5:00pm - Sunday, March 13th – 8:00am – 3:00pm. For more information, please contact Dominique Mercurio, 513-531-3884 (eve) or [email protected]
Working spots are limited to 24 dog/handler teams who will to attend both days of the seminar. No limit on auditors. Registration Fees: Working spot with one dog: $160 both days Auditing spot without dog: $90 both days or $60 one day
March 19, 2005 The Dog Whisperer Seminar The Midwest Borzoi is announcing a seminar and is sending you this email,because your Club had a Supported event at Detroit Ken-nel Club (DKC) in 2004.
The Midwest Borzoi Club is extending an invitation to any member of the Huron River Labrador Retriever Club to a seminar on March 19, 2005, at the Holiday Inn Southfield, on US 24 in Southfield, Michigan. Seminar time is not yet determined, but will be in the eve-ning at the hotel, after conclusion of Best In Show at DKC. Cost to any Huron River Labrador Retriever Club member is only $5.00 per person. I am hopeful that informing you of this seminar now, allows you enough time to notify your membership.
Seminar guest speaker is Vladislav Roytapel, Trainer/Behaviorist “The Dog Whisperer”.
"Alternative Canine Training was founded by Russian Innovative Dog Trainer/Behaviorist, Vladislav Roytapel, known in the U.S. as “The Dog Whisperer”. Amazing results were extensively featured in Michigan and beyond on television and radio. One of the most successful dog training companies in the nation. Unique and unparalleled method was originated in Russia, and it delivers breath tak-ing results! Your dog will become a loving member of your family that you can enjoy everywhere. Issues resolved: all obedience issue-sues, home manner problems, street manner problems, anti-social behavior, rambunctious behavior, socialization problems, separa-tion anxiety, all aggressive behaviors, doggie A.D.D., learning disabilities. You can visit Vladislav’s website at: http://www.alternativecaninetraining.com "
Any one wishing to make reservation for this seminar, can email: [email protected].
Thank You for your time and consideration, Jenni Steele Midwest Borzoi Club Spring Specialty Chairman
Page 4 The Lab Report
Date Name of Show Judge(s) Entries close: Location
12/27 Elora Gorge KC 12/7 Breslau, ON 12/28 Elora Gorge KC 12/7 Breslau, ON 12/29 Elora Gorge KC 12/7 Breslau, ON 12/30 Elora Gorge KC 12/7 Breslau, ON 1/14 Elgin Co. KC Jacke Browning 1/5 London, ON 1/15 Elgin Co. KC Jane Roppolo 1/5 London, ON 1/16 Elgin Co. KC Terry Carter 1/5 London, ON 2/4 Wildwood KC 1/19 Woodstock, ON 2/5 Wildwood KC 1/19 Woodstock, ON 2/6 Wildwood KC 1/19 Woodstock, ON 2/18 Ontario Breeders Assoc. Dave Markus 2/1 Markham, ON 2/19 Ontario Breeders Assoc. Vickie Umpleby 2/1 Markham, ON 2/20 Ontario Breeders Assoc. Mildred Bryant 2/1 Markham, ON 2/21 Ontario Breeders Assoc. Ann Hennigan 2/1 Markham, ON 3/4 Orangeville & District KC 2/15 Orangeville, ON 3/5 Orangeville & District KC 2/15 Orangeville, ON 3/6 Orangeville & District KC 2/15 Orangeville, ON 3/24 Sudbury & District KC 3/8 Coniston, ON 3/25 Sudbury & District KC 3/8 Coniston, ON 3/26 Nickel District KC 3/8 Coniston, ON 3/27 Nickel District KC 3/8 Coniston, ON 3/26 Windsor Training & Tracking Club Richard Lake 3/8 Windsor, ON 3/27 Windsor Training & Tracking Club Steve Dainard 3/8 Windsor, ON
CKC Coming Events - submitted by Jeanine Asch
AKC Coming Events - submitted by Jeanine Asch Date Name of Show Judge(s) Entries close: Location Comments
1/7 Columbiana Co. KC Paula Hartinger 12/22 Tallmadge, OH 1/8 Rubber City KC Mark E. Threlfall 12/22 Tallmadge, OH 1/9 Rubber City KC Robert J. Moore 12/22 Tallmadge, OH 1/21 Livingston KC Marilyn Little 1/05 Novi, MI 1/22 Livingston KC Marianne Reder 1/05 Novi, MI 1/23 Oakland Co. KC Carol C. Sommerfelt 1/05 Novi, MI 3/10 Blennerhassett KC Keke Kahn 2/23 Marietta, OH 3/11 Magic Valley KC Houston Clark 2/23 Marietta, OH 3/12 Magic Valley KC George J. Heitzman 2/23 Marietta, OH 3/13 Blennerhassett KC Virginia L. Lyne 2/23 Marietta, OH 3/19 Detroit KC Cindy Vogels 3/02 Detroit, MI 3/20 Detroit KC James R. White 3/02 Detroit, MI
Page 5 The Lab Report
THE MAKING OF A NOVEL … or … “How I Wrote The Blue Ribbon” By Ron Hevener
Changing your life is easy. All you have to do is write a novel. Of course, you have to live a little before you’ve got anything in-teresting to say. Which means, you could end up with a house full of heartache and lots of gray hair by the time you’ve got enough to tell a story. In my case, it took 443 pages and every one of them felt like a year.
“The Blue Ribbon” isn’t a novel that happened overnight. Much of it was lived by the characters before anyone knew a novel was being hatched. If I remember right, an imaginative dress designer and the richest girl in town getting to know each other wasn’t the start of the story at all. The story behind the making of the paperback novel that’s creating such a buzz right now goes way back to a hot afternoon on July 8, 1945. That’s when a plump, dark-haired young bookkeeper named Jackie Kauffman got off a bus and walked along a dirt road to a farm house in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and got herself a Collie puppy. Me? For-get about me. I wasn’t even born yet. Jackie and I wouldn’t meet for another twenty years and that’s getting ahead of our story.
Jacqueline M. Kauffman grew up in a big Victorian house on the edge of a town called Manheim. There were two Kauffman girls: A glamorous one who looked like a movie star and a plain one who would spend her life working at a dull job in a big com-pany and never marry. The plain one was Jackie, later to become the wealthy Esmeralda in “The Blue Ribbon.”
She was quite a romantic, this unmarried woman. Her rambling house was filled with paperback novels and there were lists of sensual names for the many puppies she registered over the years. The name “Lochranza” was selected from such a novel. She said it was the name of a retreat for the Scottish monarchy.
The Kauffman girls didn’t have a father at home and I know Jackie grew up missing her Dad. But, Mother, a bitter, scowling woman, had chased him off and never liked men much after that. She ruined a love affair for Jackie by sending the police after the man and catching them. If I tell you Jackie was in her Thirties at the time, it might give you an idea of the power exerted by Mother Kauffman. Maybe that’s why Jackie’s heart went out to Collies: They’re always cheerful. Maybe that’s why she took off for dog shows almost every weekend: To get away.
Lochranza Kennels was a perfectly maintained enterprise advertising in all the right magazines and winning top honors when it was my turn to look for a puppy. I remember the clean, beautiful dogs; the flowers everywhere; the carefully mowed lawn and the freshly painted house. I remember Mother Kauffman, much like the character Dorothy Jacobus in the story none of us knew I would one day write, busying herself as she swept the porch – listening to every word.
Buying my first purebred puppy that day, I didn’t know I was meeting the one who would take me into the world of purebred animals where I would “make my name.” I didn’t know I would be trusted to handle the Lochranza Collies in the show ring for Jackie, help to develop the bloodline and that, one day, Lochranza Collies would be known throughout the world. I just knew I had found a friend.
Jackie liked to read to me. She read every one of the Albert Payson Terhune books to me as I brushed and fed the dogs. And she liked to cook good, old-fashioned Pennsylvania Dutch pot pie. Oh, I miss that! Mmmm!
As the years went by, she would call me to the kennel every time a new Collie magazine arrived. These were my lessons. And she was tough! We would sit at her kitchen table and go through those magazines page by page, studying every picture and reading every article.
“What do you think about this dog?” she’d ask.
“I like him,” I’d say.
“What! Can’t you see how long he is in the hock? You’d better take another look!” she’d scold, real stern. And then she’d laugh.
I think she liked me.
As the years went by, I married and moved away. I had daughters of my own and lost touch with Jackie. One day, on an im-pulse, I thought I must go to a dog show again. It was Mother’s Day and I remember seeing a familiar woman walking across the field. Beside her was a Sable Collie with a huge coat; obviously her treasure. “Jackie! Jackie!”
She stopped, turned around, and smiled so big I could feel it all the way through me. I introduced my young daughter and we talked about Collies. She told me she hadn’t bred any litters for several years and I asked why. She had no answer for me, but I knew: Jackie was losing interest in life.
Well, that wasn’t going to happen. Not if I had anything to do with it. If there’s one thing I know, it’s how dreams keep us alive. It didn’t matter to me that the big Victorian house in Manheim was now crumbling; that the flowers shared their beds with weeds; that the classy sign in front of the property had long since fallen down. These
Volume 2004, Issue 12 Page 6
THE MAKING OF A NOVEL … or … “How I Wrote The Blue Ribbon” Contin-ued things could be fixed up. And over the next ten or fifteen years, Jackie and I planned a new life for Lochranza Kennels.
By this time, Jackie was retired and could spend all her time on the Kennel. She did, in fact, become an heiress at this point and delighted in carrying $20,000 certificates of deposit in her purse, knowing she could buy anything she really wanted to. What she wanted was the best Collies in the Breed and she knew she would have to create them. Collies were losing type, she decided. They didn’t move like they used to. Their muzzles were becoming too pointed; necks were short. There were a few scattered around the country that still pleased her. And there was one in particular. If we could only send our best females to him for breeding, Lochranza would have the kind of puppies she wanted. But, Jackie didn’t trust sending her dogs away to be bred.
News that she had bought one of most valuable show dogs in the Breed at the height of his career made headlines in the inter-national Collie community. The arrival of Ch. Amberlyn’s Bright Tribute (A noble Mahogany Sable known simply as “Kane”) from Alaska sent shivers through her competing kennels in the Eastern United States. She didn’t stop there. Driven by a bigger picture, she searched the whole country and bought mates for Kane as well. I didn’t realize it at the time, but she was selecting the dogs for me, and they were the final foundation stock on which to build the Lochranza breeding program.
One afternoon, I received a call from the “Glamorous sister.” Could I hurry to Jackie’s house and see if she was all right? She had been taken ill the day before and refused to stay at the hospital. “The dogs need me.” The ambulance crew drove her home, sat her in her favorite chair, and left. I found Jackie in that same chair the next afternoon, still alive, and begged her to let me call the ambulance again. Only when I promised I would take care of the Collies did she allow me to make that call. She never returned home again.
Before she died, Jackie left the kennel to me and told me how to manage the breeding program. It isn’t often that a kennel lives on into a second generation in this way, but the American Kennel Club worked with me to transfer ownership and continue Jackie’s labor of love. I took Kane to her funeral and his image is carved on her grave stone. The marker says, “Famed Collie Breeder.”
Today, all the Lochranza Collies are related to Kane. Some trace to him as many as ten and twelve times within a six or seven generation pedigree. What are we finding? First of all, you must realize that all of our original breeding stock was tested for health before we started the line breeding program. So, the health of the Lochranza Collies has been maintained. Yet, I can say that our pups today are better in some respects than the original stock.
This past weekend, we showed two littermates that are ten times Kane. They are among the heaviest-boned Collies you will ever see. And huge coats! They move free and easy. The judge, a woman in her sixties, said she hasn’t seen Collies like this in many years.
“Did you hear that, Jackie?” I want to ask. The chills running up and down my arms tell me she did. Ron Hevener Lochranza Kennels 1338 Mountain Road Manheim, Pennsylvania 17545 Phone: 717.664.5089 Fax: 717.665.4651 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ronhevener.com
Mr. Hevener is the author of “The Blue Ribbon” (Pennywood Press) which can be ordered through Barnes & Noble bookstores everywhere.
Volume 2004, Issue 12 Page 7
Page 8 The Lab Report
Parvo A reprinted article found at http://www.lbah.com/Canine/Parvo.html#intro Long Beach Animal Hospital
Symptoms The majority of dogs presented with parvovirus show signs of fever, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and lack of appetite. In severe cases the diarrhea is very watery and frequently bloody, with a telltale odor. They are very ill, with significant abdominal pain. The virus is so strong that it literally causes the lining of the intestines to slough. It is painful to eat, and with the severe diar-rhea and vomiting that is present, they rapidly become dehydrated. The also have a disruption in their electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chlorine) that adds to the weakness.
There is a complication that can occur from all the intestinal activity regarding vomiting and diarrhea. It is called an intussus-ception, which is literally a telescoping of the intestine into itself. This will cause the intestine to die, resulting in death of the pup. Treatment is surgical, unfortunately, these pups are in no shape for surgery. Luckily we do not encounter this very often, if at all.
In the peracute form of this disease the virus attacks the heart and causes rapid death. Fortunately, it is rare to encounter this nowadays.
Cause The disease is caused by a highly contagious virus that is transmitted mostly by dogs orally contacting infected feces. Being a virus, they contain only DNA or RNA, and are not capable of reproducing unless they invade a cell. Once inside the cell they take over and force the cell to produce so many new virus particles that the cell eventually bursts, releasing these new virus particles into the bloodstream and tissues so they can invade other cells. The only thing that can stop this is the immune sys-tem.
Treatment Dogs with parvovirus need immediate veterinary care because they are usually very sick. They should not be treated at home if they are significantly ill. This care involves large amounts of intravenous fluids, added electrolytes, antibiotics, and special medications to minimize vomiting. It is common for them to be hospitalized for 5 days. We will monitor red blood cell counts and protein levels to identify those dogs that are not responding to routine treatment. If the protein level becomes low we institute therapy with additional fluids (called colloids) to combat the problem. Dogs that continue to decline in spite of therapy may also need a blood transfusion because they can become anemic and deplete their protein. We will also treat the internal parasites that can be an integral part of this disease.
Fortunately, most dogs recover with our intensive therapy, although there still is an occasional dog that does not. This may be due to a weak immune system that can not produce adequate antibodies, or a particularly strong (virulent) strain of the virus that we encounter occasionally. Dobermans and Rottweilers seem to be especially sensitive to this virus, and have the most dif-ficult time recovering from an infection.
Since the pup is potentially contagious to other dogs, it is well advised to keep it away from other animals for at least 30 days since it can still spread the virus.
Pups that have recovered from parvo do not get the disease later in life. They can completely recover and lead a normal life.
The virus has 3 basic strains:
1. CVP2 which was the first one found in 1978
2. CVP2a came on the scene in the early 80's
3. The strain most prevalent today is CVP2b
Eventually a new strain will appear because the virus will adapt to the immune system of dogs.
The parvovirus can linger in the environment for many months, allowing it to affect other dogs. It can withstand common household disinfectants (except bleach) and can withstand freezing winter temperatures. It can be spread on the hair and feet of dogs, in addition to shoes, clothes, and eating utensils.
We tend to see parvo in dogs that have other diseases, especially intestinal parasites (worms). This might be because these dogs have immune systems that are weakened, making them more susceptible to a viral infection. Also, the parvo virus capitalizes on the fact that the lining of the intestines of these dogs with intestinal parasites are damaged and susceptible to the parvovi-rus.
Newsletter Editor c/o Michelle VeuCasovic
415 N. Sybald St. Westland, MI 48185
Happy Holidays!
Huron River Labrador
Retriever Club, Inc.
We’re on the Web: www.huronriverlrc.com
Parvo Continued Prevention As with all infectious diseases, minimizing exposure from infected animals is the most effective means of prevention. Since in-fected dogs shed large amounts of virus in their stool, contamination is always a possibility. The virus is quite resistant in t he environment, especially in public areas that are not disinfected. This is a good reason to keep your pup away from these areas until it is older, worm free, and had its full series of dog vaccines.
Since this disease occurs mostly in puppies, worms (internal parasites) and poor nutrition add susceptibility. Puppies should be wormed frequently until they are 3 months old.
Any dog you already have in the household before you exposed it to a parvo dog you recently brought in (whether it died or re-covered from the parvo) should be current on its vaccines and should have minimal exposure, if possible, to the contaminated areas. It is rare for an adult dog that is current on its parvo vaccine (yearly boosters) to get parvo.
If you had a dog die of parvo we recommend thorough cleaning with diluted bleach (1:30 with water, or 4 ounces of Clorox in a gallon of water) and waiting 1-2 months before introducing a new dog to the area. Spray the yard as best as possible with a hose and keep new dogs away from the area for 1-2 months. Never put bleach on your dog .
Vaccines are highly effective. Ideally, we should vaccinate pups every 2 weeks starting at 6 weeks of age and lasting until 5 months of age. This is not realistic for most people though. Fortunately, parvo vaccines given at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age are highly effective. Puppies should not be exposed to other dogs or the feces of other dogs until the vaccine series is complete.
