puppy boxers and parvo

Question
QUESTION: hello,i wrote to you when my puppies were first born and you recommended a fantastic puppy formula which has helped extremely.now my puppies are 5 weeks today and i was wanting to know what can i do to help prevent them from getting parvo,they are getting there vaccines next week ( i know those don't protect them from it 100 %) i want to take them outside but am afraid they will get sick.my male boxer got it when he was 12 weeks and that was a nightmare,i cant imagine 7 puppies getting it. i don't want them to feel so cramped up in there cage and of course when i let them around the house they poop everywhere! also the mother has stopped wanting to go in the cage any more,i believe its because they have teeth now.ive been feeding them canned puppy food and the puppy formula.is this okay

ANSWER: Have you taken the pups to your vet? They should be old enough to get Parvo vaccinations-- and ask your vet to give it separately from their other vaccinations.

They need a wellness check-up, worm check (fecal check) and everything. Has their tails been docked-- or are you in the UK? (therefore, can not dock the tail)...

Some good general info about Parvo and vaccination:

http://www.chihuahuapups.org/parvo.html (even though it says "Chihuahua")

I took this from a forum:

Quote: "an initial "parvo only" vaccination can be given at 5 weeks (but some vets wait till the pup is about 8 weeks before giving the first 7 in 1)

1) the first 7 in 1 can be given from 6-8 weeks

2) the second 7 in 1 can be given from 10-12 weeks

Therefore, it is extremely unlikely that at just shy of 8 weeks, a full course of immunization would have been completed. With each booster, the immunity grows so it's important to continue lifelong vaccination." -Unquote-


Also, canned puppy food can cause loose bowels, more frequent pooping.

I would suggest a good dry, all natural puppy food that has no corn and no corn gluten in it.

Take some dry puppy food, and add water covering the food, and put in a bowl with a sealed lid. Let soak and get mushy.

Take a feeding (for all puppies) and mash the "puppy mash" with a fork and spoon until soupy or oatmeal like. No pieces they can get lodged in their throats. Puppies don't chew like they should, and gulp their food down. They have the "each dog for himself" mentality due to wanting food for themselves before a sibling eats it all and leaves them nothing.

Watch out for the runt and smaller ones of the litter,making sure they get their food.

If there are 7 puppies, then feed them all with 3 separate bowls allowing all a chance to eat without fighting. This will help them develop a better eating manner so they won't gulp food down.

You can mix wet canned food into the mix, or feed separately once a week, but changing up gives them the runs as their tummies can not handle food changes.

Get them to the vet though for Parvo vaccinations, and make 7 copies of all vet records for their new owners when the time comes. This is your proof they have received all their shots and Parvo vaccination.

Mom does not want to be confined to the cage-- this is normal. Do you have a room that you can puppy-proof (like child proofing) that they and mom can stay in? Just a suggestion.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I took your advice and went to petco and got all natural dog food.i have 3 questions why does a dog food that is specifically designed boxers contain corn? at how many weeks can the puppies eat the kibble safely without water? I'm going to give my puppies their vaccinations on sunday(6 weeks) to I give them a dewormer on that day? yes the puppies have had a vet check at 3 weeks and everything was fine. thanks

Answer
You can buy the deworming medicine and bring it home and administer it yourself.

I have forgotten the name, but it is yellow and tastes like bananas.

Ask the vet for a disposable syringe (no needle of course) and give them the prescribed 1 cc per dose. Mark it on your calendar. In 2 weeks, give the second 1cc dose. In two weeks from that, give the third dose. This is orally.

5-6 weeks is still young. Continue the wet puppy mash until at least 8-10 weeks old.

As long as it is a tiny sized puppy food, you can sprinkle a little on the kitchen floor and allow them to nibble pieces. Not much at one time. A little at a time so they won't choke. This will teach them to practice their chewing.

There is no dog food made specifically for the Boxer breed. And most Boxer owners concur that most Boxers have food allergies to corn and corn gluten. Besides, it is unhealthy, rough on the digestive tract, thus shortening the life span of your dog.