Hi everyone im having a bit of a panic because I work in the puppy block of a dog rescue centre and at the moment we have had 3 pups die from seperate litters with suspected parvo the tests came back positive today. The problem is that I have 3 gsds and 1 of them was due her booster at the beginning of december but couldnt have it because she has anal furunculosis and has been on very strong anti biotics and steriods for the past 3 months and the vet said that the drugs have to be out of her system before she can have her booster. Another of my dogs is also on anti biotics for a severe allergic reaction to her face and has been on them for about a month and is still on them until her face clears up which could be a while and she was due her booster at the end of December.
Just wondering if any of you guys knew if they could still catch parvo and how easy it would be if i changed and washed after work and before i came into contact with them?
Any advice would be gratefully appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I use Parvocide.  It kills everything, bacteria, viruses, rabies, etc  Might be worth you keeping some at home anyway as in a rescur centre there's always bound to be something that you can bring home to your own dogs!
http://www.runtimehost.co.uk/petcetera/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_DISINFECTANTS__SANITIZERS___ODOUR_CONTROL_72.html

Thanks I will do that. Do you know how much it is? Also can I use it on myself cause the last kennels I worked at you had to wear gloves when you used it. Will this actually stop my dogs from getting parvo or will it just help to keep the bacteria etc. down afterwards?

The link I gave gives the details. 
The Animal Health Co makes parvo-virucide, a similar product, in smaller quantities
http://www.animal-health.co.uk/products_disease.htm#
It's VERY concentrated and so is very economical.  Once diluted, it can be sprayed on furniture, fabrics etc.  I don't believe that it is intended for, but I spray it on myself and my dogs when I come home from shows.  I also use it as a foot (shoe) wash when I have puppies. 
I've used it in the grooming parlour for 16 years and as far as I'm aware it's kept my dogs and my puppies protected for all this time.
Don't forget that parvo is an air borne virus, and so we can carry it on our clothes, hair etc.

Thanks for the help will get some parv and just hope it works I'm going to phone vets tommorrow and see if theres any way at all they can get their vaccines .I know I'll have to take them off the drugs but I'd rather do that than lose them to parvo. Any way will see what vet says thanks again for all your help
gsd mad
xxx

OK let's think this through logically. 
Vaccine doesn't protect us - it gives us a small dose of the disease and our own body makes our immunity to fight it and THAT is what gives us the protection. 
Now IF your dogs have been introduced to parvovirus, their immune system should be making antibodies as we speak!  So would it be necessary to introduce more parvovirus to them when they are making antibodies now??!!  I think that I might be tempted to watch them carefully and treat syptoms IF they arise.  Unless the antibiotics and steroids would be interfering with this natural process?
What do others think?

I'm inclined to agree with you on that Val.
The dogs have been vaccinated, so yes, they should be making their own antibodies...in theory!
Mind you, if it were my dogs, I'm not sure what I'd do...I'd probably panic and take them for their boosters anyway.

Sorry to have been no help at all!!

Lisa

Never really thought of it like that. Its put my mind at rest a little. Thanks for all of your help and I think I'll get the parvovirucide anyway and hopefully it may help to get rid of all of the bacteria, viruses etc. anyway
thanks again

You're welcome.  Sorry you didn't get more opinions!! :rolleyes:  Fingers crossed for you after you doing your good work for rescue!!  I really don't know why all kennels (and hospitals come to think of it!) don't use it.

Have worked at many kennels mainly golden retriever breeding kennels and boarding kennels and they all used parvovirucide, but this is the first rescue kennels and they use trigene everyday and a disinfectant called virkon twice weekly, it is a powder that has to be added to water, bright pink and very expensive but dont know how strong it is compared to parvo!
Might get some from work for the time being until the parvo comes through the post.

have a blood test done and check there titre count, it will tell you if there ok, also if its high enough they wont need a booster.

i suggest you have the dog titre tested, i have a litter of rottweilers and i work at a vets and we have seen at least 20 cases of parvo during the time my bitch was pregnant and me handing them over to new homes i made sure i changed my shoes and clothes but when we got the first case of parvo in i had my bitch titre tested to make sure she would pass immunity onto the pups - i had missed her booster as she was due just before she got pregnant and i used the new herpes vaccine so you cannot vaccinate at the same time. her titre came back fine and the puppies were also fine. so i suggest a titre test is done, its not too expensive about the cost of a booster vax and at glasgow they do the test on a friday so get your blood tothem for then and you'll get the results striaght away. hope this helps