Should I proceed with puppy?

[daring_panda]

Hi Everyone

My husband and I are having a hard time deciding whether we should proceed with a puppy we have verbally agreed on or find another breeder. We are first time dog owners so want to make sure we're making an informed decision.

After months of research, we found a registered hobby breeder who had a litter of 5 oups available. This was the dams first litter and via caesarian. We visited the breeder at 3 weeks and both pups and mum were doing well and healthy. Unfortunately a few days later we found out that 2 of the pups had died following cluster seizures. The remaining pups are now 4 weeks old.

Given the pups death, we're now concerned about genetic abnormalities in the surviving pups and what that could mean for the future. The breeders vet has advised that should the pups survive and are thriving by about 6 weeks, then they should be clear or are only carriers of the genetic issue that caused the deaths.

The breeder has been open and honest with everything that has happened and we genuinely believe she cares for her dogs and the breed. This situation has apparently never happened to her before.

Do you have any advice or experience on how we should proceed?

[zeta1454]

Welcome to the Forum

This is a really difficult situation for anyone to advise you with certainty and you may have to rely on your gut instinct as to whether you feel confident to go ahead with taking a puppy from this breeder / this litter. I am not sure how, without tests and maybe even then, the vet can be certain this is a genetic abnormality or, if it is, the likelihood of the other puppies being ‘clear’ or only carriers. Genetic inheritance is not entirely straightforward and you would need to know what the condition was, if it is hereditary, and whether it is known that one or more likely both parents carry the particular gene. There are a number of reasons why puppies / dogs have seizures, from exposure to toxins to a bacterial or viral infection as well as a hereditary issue and diagnosis is not always straightforward even with an older dog.

Generally speaking the critical times for new born puppies are the first 48 hours and then at the time of weaning when certain conditions may reveal themselves that were not obvious while they were feeding from their mother. Issues can arise more often with Caesarian births as the pups may lose out on the critical intake of antibodies in the colostrum from their mother’s milk which they are not able to absorb after 24 hours from birth. This is a first line defence against common bacterial /viral illness in vulnerable newborns and without this they may be susceptible to infection in the early weeks which can lead to seizures and death. If it is not a genetic issue but simply a failure to resist infection that has caused the seizures, there may be no need to worry if the remaining pups are fit and well and you do have another 4 weeks minimum to monitor their progress until you would be taking one home.

Personally I would be reluctant to take a puppy from a litter with these deaths unless I knew both the breeder and the pedigree lines of the parent dogs very well. Of course there will always be a risk when taking a puppy even from the best of breeders that a totally unpredictable condition may affect them. We lost a beautiful well bred mini schnauzer puppy years ago after a catastrophic reaction to the second puppy vaccination and this could not have been foreseen - we already had her older sister from the same parents and still do have her at nearly 14 years old and she is fit and well. However, when you do already know that something is not quite as it should be, you are taking a calculated risk as regards taking one of the remaining pups and it is a question of weighing up just how confident you are in the integrity of the breeder and, also how willing to accept the possibility of a pup you adopt developing that particular health issue.

I don’t know also whether if there is a hereditary element proven, this would affect insurance? You could ask for the Contract of Sale to include a clause regarding the return of the puppy / refund in the event of s/he did develop seizures in the first year, for example but, in reality, it is unlikely you would want to part with a puppy or dog even if they did become ill once they are a member of your family.

[daring_panda]

Thanks for your reply and advice! I thiught I would provide an update.

Despite everything, as we believed in the integrity of the breeder, we decided to proceed and have welcomed Nori into the family. She's now 4 months old and and we love her so much!

She's growing well and is a confident happy pup. The risk will always be in the back of our minds, but so far she's fit and healthy according to our vet.

[zeta1454]

That’s wonderful news and Nori looks adorable. Do keep in touch on the Forum with photos as she grows. It is always lovely to see the little pups as they mature

[mikegoodson1]

Great news, she looks adorable