The Little Red Caboose Has Pulled Into The Station!

I apologize to vets everywhere . . . but boy did I tick off the vet tech (had to be all of maybe 18 years old), though my vet was cool about it and complimented my precautions.

The vet tech wanted to take the puppy, mind you Cubby could have none less immunity (shots at 6 weeks and now being 9 weeks). I said, "No, I will handle him I don't want him going to the back". I put a piddle pad on the scale and weighed him myself then told her to discard the pad. I put a piddle pad on the exam room counter. The tech asked if I was going to handle the puppy and I said yes. She asked if I was going to allow the vet to handle him. I said, "If she washes her hands" -- which she did instantly upon arriving to the room, of course. Healthy eyes, heart, lungs, 2 testicles, clean ears. ONLY roundworms since I brought along clean catch feces. I even sat with the carrier on my lap in the waiting room. I was going for the most minimal exposure I could engineer. The pup really liked the vet though. Was high-fiving her and trying to kiss her. It was so cute.

Only flaw was the boy got carsick on the way down, REALLY carsick. But he did OK coming back.

One down, three to go (rabies being solo and last). Glad to be home.
 
Just curious - why the piddle pads? My vet disinfected the scale & exam table before putting Baker on them. He also washed up & changed his scrub shirt before handling him.
 
Piddle pads = trust no one.

They may or may not disinfect all the surfaces between patients. I have never seen a vet wash hands in the room, ever, with the exception of this vet yesterday. She didn't change her scrubs, but she assured me that that day they had seen no sick dogs, only routine stuff. I am new with this practice and don't have years of trust built up. My previous vet was phenomenal but she hired a vet tech I hated. Like botched euthanasia hated. Twice 9 months apart!

They may have sprayed down the table before I walked in, but it was not in my presence, sooooo, physical barrier to contact. Weighing looking like an overprotective idiot versus $1K+ to save a sick dog or worse . . . yea, the idiot hat fits just fine, thank you.

I was told by the checkout girl that this other lady that was leaving as I arrived with a really young lab pup had done exactly the same thing. She had a previous pup who got sick and she spent a boatload to save it so she was going to be sure his little sister would be protected.

Now, even though at the vet's I was uber cautious, I was perfectly sane plopping the carrier on the floor or counter in the car dealership, though I did disinfect the sink counter and put down a piddle pad while I cleaned him up. I figured not too many sick dogs had been inside the car dealership! He enjoyed tremendously watching the child using the vending machine and the mechanics doing their work just on the other side of the window. They even waved to him. He didn't wave back (yet!).

Next weekend I will take Cubby to my mom's and we will do a couple walk throughs of pet friendly non-pet stores. I taught Cubby to pee on a piddle pad in her garage (she has foxes that go through her backyard so that is OUT for now) -- but he quickly figured out the piddle pad and so we can visit (yay!). Mom has no pets and a beyond clean house.

Can't wait til Aug. 29th + a few days when we are free and clear! I think every weekend in September we have something planned.
 
You are a smart and good mommy! I was so nervous at the thought of parvo, but fortunately so was my new vet, so they were ultra careful.

I remember counting down the days until I could walk Emmy. They seemed to take foreeeevvvverrrrrr. I think Labor Day weekend was the first time I could take her out, and boy was I excited!!!!!!! :biggrin2: Won't be long for you guys!
 
I just don't want to pay the money, face the heart ache, maybe lose the guy, and contaminate my property. For that, I will look like an overprotective nut in the vet's office. The vet was cool with it.

She told me just how many times people in our town have come in with parvo and said -- Oh I just took the puppy to the beach and we stopped at the rest area and played in the dog area. I told her how my previous vet did a doggie version of "scared straight" when I had Shay.
 
I don't have a puppy anytime in my near future (bummer!!!)... I'm glad Cubby is so stinking cute that I have to check all of his picture updates and followed along.... It really would not have ever occurred to me to take so many precautions with an unvaccinated pup... but they do make sense. Do they get any immunity from their mother the way a human does?
 
Ah, thank you, I am following Watson's ordeal too. I am SO sorry.

Because he was given the shots at 6 weeks, I counted 70 days between that date and 16 weeks when the last shots have to be given. I divided in 3. That gave me 24 days. We get shots every 24 days. Cubby will have a round of 4 shots. Many do 8, 12, 16 weeks and only do three. However, that works if placing pups into their homes at 8.5-9 weeks and not really if you do 7 or even 8 week placement. IF you start at 8, there's a fair chance the shots will be helpful then but they could still get eaten by momma's immunity and be useless.

So with 6 weeks first shots, there was a 99.99% chance mom's immunity ate the first shots. So, as of the last week or so we have been either totally uncovered or still with some of Momma's immunity. Not sure. No way to tell without blood draws to titer immunity. Likely, we had zero protection when we walked into the office. I have no clue how strong his mom's immunity was. I didn't think to ask if she got shots before pregnancy or like a year ago. I do know Cubby was the largest in the litter which probably placed him as a vigorous feeder, but that didn't mean he got the most the first day when the colostrum gives the big bang of immunity.

It's not quite like kids where you get a shot, form antibiodies, and get a booster to make more. It is all about Momma's immunity eating what the shot creates and the point where Momma's immunity stops and the shot you give making the immunity.


Thus, better to be safe than sorry with exposure.
 
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I don't think you were over cautious. I was just curious. If I hadn't seen my vet take the precautions that he did I wouldn't have been ok with it.

But - I'm sure you'll see that I just posted some concerns about Baker today. He's not having a good 9 week birthday. :(
 
No offense -- I do very much feel like an overprotective nightmare. I mean, I was nice about it and kind of joking, but I actually just feel bad that I swooped down off my broomstick and made demands (not that they were like seriously nightmarish demands or anything). Still.

Cubby is currently on his little knees praying for Baker!
 
Mom2Melli said:
No offense -- I do very much feel like an overprotective nightmare. I mean, I was nice about it and kind of joking, but I actually just feel bad that I swooped down off my broomstick and made demands (not that they were like seriously nightmarish demands or anything). Still.
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:lol: I like you!
 
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