Vaccination is highly effective in dogs with a good immune system. Get your dog vaccinated as soon as it is old enough. This is the best and most effective way of keeping your dog safe and stopping the spread of the disease. Puppies cannot be vaccinated when they are very young. A puppy has maternally derived antibodies (MDA) present in the bloodstream. These interfere with the pup's body registering the vaccine, as the MDA can attack the vaccine. This is why the last vaccine needs to be given around 16 weeks of age, because by this time the MDA has gone from the pup's body. When a puppy is too young to be vaccinated you should keep it away from other dogs. While it is good to get a young dog socialized to many different animals and experiences, the risk of a life-threatening parvo virus should delay this socialization. You should also keep an infected dog isolated. This will help to limit the spread of the infection. Also tell your neighbors that your dog has parvo so that they can take proper precautions to keep their dogs safe. If you have had a parvo breakout in your home, do not risk infecting future dogs in the home. Bleach kills the virus, so all items that can be thoroughly cleaned with bleach should be. Items that cannot be cleaned with bleach should be disposed of. If you have had a dog with parvo you should not bring a puppy into your home for at least six months after the virus is treated. This is even after you disinfect your home with bleach and replace items that cannot be properly disinfected. The risk to a puppy is too high to risk exposing it to this deadly virus. Since parvo can live in the environment for long periods of time, it is a good idea to keep dog areas as tidy as possible to limit the risk of parvo being present. If you know a dog with parvo has gone to the bathroom in a specific area, that area should be disinfected. Use a solution of bleach and water to accomplish this, with a ratio of 1 part bleach to 15 parts water. Pour this on outside areas that may be infected with parvo.  This is not to say that you can eliminate it for sure, but you can reduce the chances of it surviving in your yard or dog area. Even after you disinfect an area, you should not bring uninfected dogs into the area for six months.  Parvovirus is extremely hardy and it is not deactivated by high temperatures. It can survive at up to 60C for 60 minutes, meaning it can even survive steam cleaning. It is also resistant to desiccation (drying out). The only thing that will kill it is bleach, so all laundering and cleaning needs to include bleach. Parvovirus does a lot of harm in the body because it requires dividing cells to grow. It tends to colonize the gut wall, because the cells there divide rapidly. This rapid attack of cells leads to a quickly debilitating illness.  This is also why the heart is at risk in puppies, because the cells of the heart are dividing rapidly in young dogs and so they are ripe for viral colonization. Infected feces can pose a risk to unvaccinated dogs for weeks or months, or even years, to come. This combined with the severity of the virus' effects is why parvovirus outbreaks are so serious and devastating.

Summary: Get your dog vaccinated. Keep puppies and unvaccinated dogs isolated. Disinfect and dispose of contaminated items. Disinfect areas where dogs go to the bathroom. Be aware of the severity of the virus.


A wide variety of commercial cleaning products can help you clean brass.  While the specific directions for these products vary with manufacturer, generally you will spray the product on the brass hinge, then wipe it down with a clean cloth.  Popular brass cleaning products include Wright’s Premium Brass Cleaning Polish and Brasso Multipurpose Polish. Test the cleaning product on an inconspicuous area of the hinge before applying it to the whole thing.  If the cleaning product causes the brass plate to flake off, discontinue use of that product and try another instead. Consult manufacturer directions before using any brass cleaning product. Apply a thin patina of ketchup, marinara sauce, or tomato paste to the brass hinge using a paper towel or hand cloth.  Allow the tomato-based product to remain on the brass hinge for about 60 minutes.  Dip a clean cloth or sponge in hot, soapy water, then scrub the brass hinge. This technique also works with Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Combine equal parts vinegar, salt, and flour.  For instance, you might combine two tablespoons of vinegar, two tablespoons of salt, and two tablespoons of flour.  Smear this paste across the surface of the brass hinge.  Wait for about 60 minutes.  Rinse the hinge off with warm water.  Wipe it down with a dry cloth until it shines. Cut a lemon in half and remove the seeds from one half.  Cover the half of the lemon you removed the seeds from with salt.  Rub the face of the lemon (the flat side covered in salt) over the brass hinge.  As you rub the hinge, add additional coats of salt to the lemon as it flakes off. Wipe the hinge down with a clean cloth. Combine two tablespoons of cream of tartar and one tablespoon of lemon juice.  Rub the paste on the hinge using a clean paper towel or an old toothbrush.  Allow the paste to sit for 30 minutes.  Then, dip a clean cloth in warm water and wipe the paste away. Mix equal parts white vinegar and baking soda in a bowl with steep sides.  For example, you could combine two tablespoons vinegar and two tablespoons baking soda.  The ingredients will fizz when combined.  Dip a soft-bristled brush or a soft cloth in the mix and wipe down the brass hinge for a minute or two.  Wipe the hinge clean with a damp rag, then dry it with a clean dish cloth. Use a spatula to lightly cover the hinge in plain yogurt.  Try to stand the hinges on their edges so as to coat the maximum surface area possible with yogurt.  Allow the yogurt to dry overnight.  Rinse the hinges thoroughly using warm water.  Use a toothbrush to get the yogurt out of any recesses where it might have coalesced. Another dairy-based cleaning solution involves combing equal parts water and milk.  For instance, you might mix five tablespoons of water and five tablespoons of milk in small pot.  Whatever volume of each you choose to combine, ensure it coats the hinges completely.  Place the hinges in the pot, bring it to a boil, then turn the heat to its lowest setting.  The amount of time it takes to get your brass hinges clean by simmering them in milk depends on the extent of grime and tarnish the hinges have acquired.  Use tongs to pull the hinges out every 10 minutes  and examine them. If they’re clean, turn the stovetop off and rinse your hinges in water. If the hinges are not clean, drop them back in their milk bath. Place your brass hinges in a crockpot.  Cover the hinges with water.  Set the crockpot to low and let the hinges “cook” for a few hours.  Pull the hinges out using tongs or just conduct a visual inspection to discern whether the paint is coming off.  If the paint is coming off, remove it and restore the hinge to its rightful place. If it is not, place it back in the crockpot for another few hours. If, after another dip in the crockpot, the paint is still not coming off or has only partially come off, rub a cloth dampened with mineral spirits over the entire surface of the hinge.  This should further loosen the paint. This technique also works for removing lacquer from brass hinges.
Summary: Use a commercial cleaning product. Smear a tomato-based product on the hinge. Make a vinegar paste. Clean the hinge with a lemon. Create a paste from cream of tartar. Combine baking soda and vinegar. Coat the hinges in yogurt. Simmer the hinges in milk. Remove paint from your hinges with a crockpot.