Sad to say, majority of our Parvo patients here at Greenwoods Pet Clinic are bought from pet shops supplied mainly by puppy millers. Solely motivated by profit, these people engage in the indiscriminate breeding of dogs regardless of dog health condition, or genetic defects which may be passed on to the offspring.
The young are prematurely weaned from their dam to be "disposed" to various petshops in the locality. The puppies come to us with dubious vaccination record- meaning they have vaccination cards with stickers indicating the vaccines used but without the signature of a licensed veterinarian who is the only person qualified to administer the shots.
Understandably, a puppy miller would not want to incur additional expense for the vet's professional fees. However, as a result of cutting down on over head costs, vaccination failure often occurs. This may result from various factors such as improper handling and administration of the vaccines, or an incorrect vaccination protocol. The vaccine must be administered at a time when the maternal antibodies would have already disappeared, otherwise the vaccine would have little or no effect- a concept which a non veterinarian would be ill-equipped to understand.
We advise our clients to buy puppies only from reputable breeders. They should be looking for this kind of breeder:
-one with breeding programs, who take into consideration the improvement and enhancement of the breed.
-one who keep his dogs in good health, providing adequate shelter either in their house or in a well maintained kennel.
-one who is not in a hurry to dispose their puppies, who take an effort in selecting and ensuring the qualification of prospective buyers.
- who raise puppies with plenty of environmental stimulation and human contact, allowing it to leave the kennel upon completion of its vaccines.
