Parvo Shot

[Ky. Hunter]

I have a female that is a month into her pregnancy today. My question is, do any of you give a pregnant bitch a parvo shot before they have their pups and if so how close to the expected date do you give them or do you wait until after they have their pups before you give them a shot? I was told by a so called know-it-all that you should give the bitch a parvo shot during her pregnancy and this helps fight off any chance of parvo and I started thinking that he might have something here. Thanks for any info.

[da ridgetop]

I have never give a parvo shot to a pregnant bitch, don't know if will hurt anything or not i don't think it would but if she's been vaccinated before why would you? I would wait until pups are almost ready to wean and give them a parvo and go ahead and give her a booster.I like to give a shot while pups are still nursing because when they are first weaned thats when their immune systems are the weakest and i have lost pups by waiting until they were weaned but if you give the first shot while nursing they start building immunity to the virus(a vet told me that anursing females milk has natural antibodies to fight off infection) makes sense never had a pup while nursing get parvo. good luck Donald

[Ky. Hunter]

by da ridgetop on Thu Apr 01, 2010 8:02 am

I have never give a parvo shot to a pregnant bitch, don't know if will hurt anything or not i don't think it would but if she's been vaccinated before why would you? I would wait until pups are almost ready to wean and give them a parvo and go ahead and give her a booster.I like to give a shot while pups are still nursing because when they are first weaned thats when their immune systems are the weakest and i have lost pups by waiting until they were weaned but if you give the first shot while nursing they start building immunity to the virus(a vet told me that anursing females milk has natural antibodies to fight off infection) makes sense never had a pup while nursing get parvo. good luck Donald

Donald, I usually start giving my pups their shot when they are 4 weeks old but when he told me that I just wondered if there was any benefit to giving a shot to the bitch while she was pregnant. I know it helps to worm the bitch while she is pregnant but I was just curious if anyone else did it. He said the medicine would also get into the pups thru their mother. Thanks for your input.

[S.R.Patch]

Most shots(boosters) and worming are recommended 2 weeks before breeding and worming again after whelping.
If your hound has been vac in the last 12 months, you are safe the pups will be protected by the mothers milk, after that, the puppy shot, timing and luck is the next hoop to jump.
The tier level of the adult is kept up by exposure and the fight for resistance (natural immunity). I've heard of bad things happening to developing puppies from injection of viruses during gestation, I'd just wait and give the puppy shot at 5-6 weeks old. It's always a nerve racking period till the 3rd puppy shot is given for me.

[Ky. Hunter]

Thanks Patch.

[Salzer mtn]

If you give a pregnant bitch a shot that has lepto prevenitive in it the pups will be deformed.

[allniter]

my VET said the pups should be off the female for about week before PARVO shot ---because the milk from the female will kill the shot ---who do you beleave --good luck

[S.R.Patch]

The colostrum(first milk) is where your puppies get immunity from the mother. The tier level of immunity in the mother provided in the "first milk" will vary the time the immunity will last in the puppies. Her tier level is determined by exposure(immunization) and her own immune system capabilities. We don''t know the exact time frame the immunity from the first milk will expire so, some start vaccinations as early as 5 weeks. I never stop worrying until the 3rd shot is in 10 days. You can never really count on the first shot to do the job as to timing, so the second is most important and the 3rd to back it up.
It is this "first milk" that is most important to the offspring.
Immunizations are only the introduction of weakened virus into the puppy system, it is up to the puppies own immune system development to build antibodies against the virus. A weak immune system in a individual will always leave them susceptible to contracting the disease even tho proper immunization was given.
This you can believe...