09/18/2026
This is a story we hoped we would never have to share, but it’s an important one. 🤍
One of the puppies from our most recent litter went home to his new family, and shortly afterward, he became sick and tested positive for Parvovirus.
I’m sharing his story because I think it’s important for new puppy families to understand something that can be easy to underestimate: Parvo is real. It is incredibly contagious. And it can be devastating.
His family did everything they could to protect him. They weren’t taking him to dog parks, pet stores, or other high-risk public places. His exposure was limited to their own yard — and he still contracted the virus.
That’s one of the scary things about Parvo. The virus can be carried into an environment without a puppy ever having direct contact with an infected dog, and it can remain infectious in the environment for a very long time.
Thankfully, his family recognized that something wasn’t right and acted FAST.
He received immediate veterinary care, aggressive supportive treatment, and canine parvovirus monoclonal antibody treatment. Those quick decisions may very well have helped save his life.
And today? He has made a FULL recovery.
He is now a happy, healthy, thriving 14-week-old puppy who is playing, growing, getting into things he probably shouldn’t, and doing all of the wonderfully chaotic things puppies are supposed to do.
But not every Parvo story ends this way.
With prompt, aggressive veterinary treatment, survival rates can approach 90%, but without treatment, most puppies will not survive. Treatment can mean days of hospitalization, IV fluids, medications, bloodwork, nutritional support and around-the-clock monitoring. Depending on the severity of the illness and where treatment is provided, the cost can range from hundreds of dollars for some outpatient cases to several thousand dollars for hospitalization and intensive care.
That’s why the first weeks after bringing a puppy home are so important.
Until your veterinarian considers your puppy adequately vaccinated:
• Avoid dog parks, pet stores, rest stops, communal dog areas and other places where unknown dogs have been.
• Don’t allow your puppy to walk around veterinary clinic parking lots or other high-dog-traffic areas — carry them when possible.
• Be cautious even in your own yard, particularly if you don’t know its history or other dogs have had access to it.
• Remember that people can unknowingly carry contaminated material on shoes or other objects.
• Keep your puppy on the vaccination schedule recommended by your veterinarian. Puppy Parvo vaccinations generally require a series of boosters every 2–4 weeks through approximately 16–20 weeks of age.
• If your puppy suddenly becomes lethargic, stops eating, begins vomiting or develops diarrhea — call your veterinarian immediately. Do not wait to see if they improve overnight.
There is no way to put a puppy into a perfectly sterile bubble, and this family is proof that Parvo can happen even when people are being responsible. A fellow breeder acquaintance even just lost a puppy to Parvo.
This sweet boy was one of the fortunate ones. His family paid attention, sought veterinary care quickly, and fought incredibly hard for him.
Seeing him now at 14 weeks old, happy and thriving, makes us incredibly grateful.
We share his story not to scare new puppy owners, but to educate them. Take Parvo seriously. Finish those puppy vaccines. Be cautious during those first few months. And if something seems wrong, trust your gut and call your veterinarian. Early treatment can make all the difference.
