Question about exposure of pre-vaccinated pup to garden where another dog has been

[Random789]

In the middle of the night when toileting my pup I saw a stray dog running scared past our house. I got my pup indoors and went to find the stray. He was desperate, obviously lost and needing help so I brought him into the garden (not the house) and phoned around.

No-one could help in the night so I gave the dog water and a snack and some bedding and left him in the garden until the RSPCA emergency number opened at 7am.

Sadly, he has found a way out and gone so I can no longer help him.

My question is: How long before I can allow my pup into the garden again without risk of exposure to anything infectious? He has had his first jab and will have the second on Monday. We have a back yard which the stray had no access to, so my plan is to restrict the pup to the yard until monday when I can ask my vet's advice.

But if anyone here had any knowledge of the period during which ground touched by a potentially infected dog may be a hazard, I would be very grateful.

I wouldn't worry too much about it.
If this would have been your second dog living with an older dog who already goes out everywhere the scenario would be similar or with even more exposure.
If the stray dog looked like a lost pet, so likely vaccinated, it would be a very similar situation.
If you also happen to live in an area with no outbreaks of major dog infections then it's even better.
Most Puppies are quite resilient. I would probably worry if it was a tiny breed like a chihuahua puppy but only because they look vulnerable although in reality they're just a puppy like all other puppies.
I'm not encouraging you to take the puppy out into the world in a busy park before Monday but I don't think you need to worry.

The one major worry with puppies is parvovirus and that is awful but your puppy will be fine going in the garden given the circumstances just make sure everything the other dog has touched (food bowl for ex) has been removed and cleaned and there's no dog poo left behind.

The RSPCA are bloody awful. Spend all their money on expensive begging requests for funds but I have NEVER known them to do anything useful ever!

Thanks very much Branster, that's reassuring. I will definitely search the garden for poo and wash the bowl, but perhaps I don't need to be quite as restrictive as I had feared.

He's a parson russell - smallish breed, but not tiny, and much more robust than a chiuaua I would think.

I might stll err on the side of caution because I'm in hypercautious new pup mode, but I feel less worried than i did.

The lost dog was so lovely. An enormous lurcher (which is why he managed to get out of what I had foolishly imagined in the middle of the night to be a dog proof garden.

Yes, mybalcony, it was annoying that the rspca didn't even pick up the phone. JUst a recorded message. It's a national number so you d think they could keep it going 24hrs

That's a robust proper dog breed you have there, although still a pup, it's normal to be over cautious- puppies are tiny and helpless but he's already got some protection from previous vaccination so it's ok.
Also you don't know what comes in your garden at night, there might all sorts left behind from foxes and mice. He's probably been exposed to a fair bit of contamination by now anyway.
If that was my first puppy I'd have done the same as you and worry about the danger

Look out for the dog again tonight, if hungry might remember and so many people are looking for lost dogs.

Thanks Branster. That's a good point about foxes etc. I phoned my vet and they said not to worry about letting him in the garden. But I still feel anxious.
I'm going to go on a poo hunt when i finish my day's work-from-home, and I might chuk a bit of Jeyes Fluid around on the drive.

I will keeep an eye out Newfluff. It was heartbreaking not to have been able to help the stray in the end. Hope he is found now.

Any more opinions are all welcome -- either to soothe my new-pup angst or to reinforce it!

I had my previous Parson Russell for 16 years (until he died in the Spring) so I should manage not to be flustered now! But newdog is so tiny!

Ooh disinfectant might not be necessary, purely because it is a strong chemical and I don't think it's required.
Our dogs are already exposed to so much: fire retardants in home fabrics and carpets, exhaust fumes when walking along the roads, cleaning substances from everyday home cleaning which do leave behind residues even our clean washed fabrics are bound to have remnants of detergents and softeners no matter how well they have been rinsed, even dog food packaging is probably contaminated with something.
Not a lot we can do about many things but it's best to keep stronger cleaning stuff to minimum especially with young puppies around.
If stray dogs are not an issue where you live, the lost dog is probably in reasonable good health without much available to spread around.

You're definitely a really good dog owner to worry but you'll relax before you know it

That's a very good point Branster, thanks.