Opray Winfrey's puppy dies of parvo virus

Oprah Winfrey's puppy dies of Parvo Virus

Imagine that! A celebrity's puppy contracting parvo virus! I don't know why so many people assume that the parvo virus is a breeders' fault when it can clearly happen to puppies and dogs owned by anyone, anywhere and at any time. When a canine contracts the parvo virus, it is not the fault of a breeder or owner. Parvo can attack puppies and dogs alike who are of any age, even if they have had vaccinations. According the Entertainment Tonight:

Oprah Winfrey's new puppy perishes


March 17, 2009, 7:41 PM EST
Entertainment Tonight

ET has learned that one of Oprah Winfrey's two newly-adopted puppies has passed away.
Ivan, a golden cocker spaniel mix that Winfrey adopted earlier this month, passed away late last week from parvovirus. Winfrey adopted Ivan shortly after adopting his sister Sadie earlier this month. In the March 6 episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Ivan was held up by "Oprah" show panelist Alexandra Wentworth.

ET has learned that Sadie also has parvovirus, an infectious disorder that can cause diarrhea and vomiting in dogs. Sadie is currently in stable condition.
"I'm saddened by his passing though we only had him for a weekend," Winfrey tells ET. "I remain hopeful that Sadie will pull through."


I'm not glad that Oprah Winfrey's puppy contracted parvo and died. I am, however, very glad that this incident has come to light and that it happened to a celebrity such as Oprah Winfrey who is a huge "rescue" advocate. The reason I'm glad that it happened to someone like Oprah Winfrey...if it was going to happen to anyone...is because she is known to "rescue" dogs from shelters or rescue agencies and has, over the years, taken jabs at breeders and makes the claim that people should not buy puppies from breeders because they are "puppy mills" and the list goes on at the jabs she and her other advocate celebrity friends of hers has taken towards breeders over the years. So imagine my surprise to hear that one of Oprah's puppies that she more than likely adopted from a shelter....contracted parvo virus and died!

A lot of these rescue advocate snobs who sit upon their self made, soap oprah box to voice their personal opinions about breeders point fingers at breeders when an issue like parvo virus hits a puppy that someone has adopted. Here me now, people, parvo virus can attack a dog or puppy regardless of how terrific the breeder is. Many people do not realize that shelter dogs come with their own health problems and that parvo virus can attack dogs and puppies even in the cleanest environment. I am quite certain that advocate nuts will twist the reasoning around so that the blame still falls back to where Oprah's puppy originally came from......a breeder...because that's how they roll.

But let's learn a little somethin' somethin' about the deadly canine communicable disease called Parvo Virus:

WHAT IS PARVO VIRUS?

Parvoviruses are a large group; almost every mammal species (including humans) seems to have its own parvovirus. Fortunately, each virus is pretty specific about what animals it can infect (i.e. the pig parvovirus will not infect people, the canine parvovirus will not infect cats etc.) The canine parvovirus will affect most members of the dog family (wolves, coyotes, foxes etc.) and there is a new mutation that can affect domestic cats.
Parvoviruses are smaller than most viruses and consist of a protein coat (a "capsid") and a single strand of DNA inside. It is hard to believe that such a simply constructed organism could be so deadly; however, this virus has proved especially effective at infecting rapidly dividing host cells such as intestinal cells, bone marrow cells, cells of the lymph system, and fetal cells. Parvo viruses are difficult to disenfect away and very difficult for a puppy or dog to over come.
There are many parvo virus species have been well known for decades in our society, but the canine parvovirus is a relative new, when it comes to viruses. The original canine parvovirus, discovered in 1967 and called "CPV-1" or "the minute virus of canines," did not represent much of a medical threat except to newborn puppies. However by 1978, a new variant, "CPV-2" appeared in the U.S. This newer version seems to represent a mutation from the feline parvovirus (which is more commonly known as the "feline distemper virus"), though there is some controversy regarding what the parent parvovirus actually was. Because this virus was (and is) shed in gigantic numbers by infected animals and because this virus is especially hardy in the environment, worldwide distribution of the virus rapidly occurred. At this time, the virus is considered to be "ubiquitous," meaning that it is present in EVERY ENVIRONMENT unless regular disinfection is applied. More about parvo virus can be found on this link,

http://marvistavet.com/html/what_is_parvo.html

However, it's important to note that even "regular disinfection" can not prevent the parvo virus from attacking puppies and dogs. A bleach solution is really the best disinfectant to use if their puppy or dog has contracted parvo. But too many people assume that all they have to do is bleach their floors. All areas of your home must be cleaned with a bleach solution. The solution must be mostly bleach mixed with a little bit of water. Wiping counters, door knobs, floors and most surfaces will help kill the virus. Items that were used for your puppy or dog should be thrown away. Many people assume that they can just go right out and obtain another puppy or dog after the one they had, died of parvo. This is not recommended. A person who has lost a puppy or dog to parvo virus should ensure they have bleached every area, including the bottoms of their shoes, that their canine has been around. Many make the mistake of using the same toys, the same food dishes, the same crate, etc; Germs from the parvo virus can remain on these items and I definitely would not risk it by keeping these items for your next canine. Germs are not visible to the naked eye and who is to say if the virus still remains even if you have bleached them?

Parvo virus is NOT a breeder's issue. Parvo virus is everyone's issue. In 1978, there wasn't a single dog or puppy who had protection against this deadly disease. They had no immunity whatsoever. An epidemic happened which proved quite disastrous. By 1979 a second mutation called CPV-2a occurred and this particular virus was even more aggressive. Many veterinarians used the feline vaccine on dogs because back then, vaccinations were at a premium and not that affordable. Thirty years went by and a new virus began attacking dogs. This virus was CPV-2b. Virtually all dogs at that time were exposed to that particular virus. In 2000, an even newer virus hit the United States and this particular virus was able to attack even cats! CPV-2c was even deadlier than the CPV-2b. Cats who were vaccinated against feline distemper were protected.

In 2004, an even deadlier version of the parvo virus became known to not just breeders but to everyone who owned a dog in the United States. Vaccinations that puppies and dogs had been given didn't even protect them against the new strain that happened that year. Many puppies and dogs, that particular year, were hit with this new deadly strain even though many dogs were older dogs who had years of vaccines that was suppose to protect them. It was a known fact that in New York, many Goldendoodles and Labradoodles who attended a "doodle romp" that year, had been hit by the new virus and many of them unfortunately died and could not over come the disease even with hospitalization by top vets. We, ourselves, had been contacted by just a couple of customers in 2004, whose Goldendoodle pups had contracted this particular deadly strain and had passed away. It was devestating for not just our customers, but for us as a breeder. We knew the pups had been checked out as healthy by our veterinarian and we knew for a fact we had given them the proper vaccinations. We could not understand how or why a couple of our puppies had contracted this deadly disease especially given the fact we have always taken every precaution possible to protect our pups and dogs from deadly canine communicable diseases. This deadly strain of parvo virus happened to many breeders and dog owners alike, in 2004. This disease was wide spread through the United States and it was not particular of what dog or puppy it attacked. It is a known fact that even some veterinarians who were breeders themselves, had been hit with the virus that was new in 2004 and even they were unable to save all of the puppies or dogs who had contracted that particular strain of parvo.

What WE did, as a breeder who never wanted this to happen...hopefully...to us again, was contact several laboratories who made the parvo virus vaccine and find out everything we could as to the best way to protect our puppies and dogs from this deadly virus. We switched our vaccines to a newer version called "NEO-PAR" and we were told to use a "high titer", low passage vaccine in the beginning and then reverse the vaccine during the second phase of vaccinations by using a "low titer", high passage. This way, our puppies would receive the best protection possible. We have now also included a new vaccine that has come out for distemper and we add this vaccine as the third "puppy" vaccine so that our young puppies receive at least three sets of vaccines while still nursing with their mother, which also helps boost their immune system. So far, the changes we made in the vaccine types that our puppies and dogs receive as well as implementing our "no browsing" policy, has been completely effective in protecting our puppies and dogs from parvo. We have not had a single incident of parvo since 2004. Which of course, we are simply delighted over, but we know that a newer strain of parvo can happen at any time. Breeders and shelters alike always need to be diligent in their practices regarding vaccinations but also in how they allow people to come into contact with the animals in their care. Vaccines do not mean much if breeders and shelters allow the general public to handle their puppies and dogs simply for the asking. Parvo virus germs attach themselves to every article of clothing that a person wears. They attach themselves to your shoes, hair, clothing, even car tires! Anything that you have on your being at the time of visiting puppies and dogs of any age, can become deadly due to harboring parvo germs. Without you even being aware of it. We've been ridiculed by some for our strict "no browsing" policy since 2004.......but any breeder or dog owner who has suffered a financial loss, not to mention the emotional loss, of a puppy or dog, understands why our policy was put into effect. It is because of our strict policy and our vaccination changes that we have been very fortunate to not have a recurrance of parvo attacks and we do not apologize for the changes that we made.

There is an old saying....those that mind don't matter and those who matter, don't mind.



*About the author: Dee Gerrish has been a private, professional, hobby breeder since 1996. She has written extensively about the Goldendoodle dog since 1999. Dee Gerrish has photographed, documented and researched the Goldendoodle dog since 1999. Dee was the first breeder to register the Goldendoodle dog with a ligit kennel club in the United States and Dee is one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle dog in the southern region of the United States.