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Sick Puppy


Fergilicious
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Hi, Just looking for some advice. I have put a deposit on a small breed puppy from a breeder on the Dogzonline puppy pages. I sent them an email saying that I was going to get a friend to collect and pay for the puppy as I was wary about bank transfers as we live 5000ks from where the puppy is. She sent back an email saying that was fine. Then she has just sent an email asking can she call me to discuss the puppy. So I get a call from her saying she thinks the puppy is unwell and she would like to hold him for a few extra days oh and by the way he only has one testicle. Now Ive only googled what implications this brings with it and Im feeling uneasy about purchasing the puppy now as it sounds like it could lead to further problems down the line. Any advice on what you would do in this situation? This puppy by the way is costing us $1750 so Im not paying peanuts for him and Im feeling like his health isnt 100%

Thanks

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Two of my pet dogs had only one descended testicle.

Provided you intend to desex the puppy, the only complication is that the desexing operation will be more akin to desexing a bitch has they have to find the other testicle.

Holding off shipping an unwell pup is a wise move.

What breed are we talking about? It's certainly not a cheap pup!

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He only has one testicle or one is undescended? Big difference!

Bottom line is though, if you're not comfortable you don't have to go ahead, having said that sometimes testicles come and go, you'll hear a million stories on here of testicles missing, appearing and doing the whole cycle again and again. Sick and stress would be a contributor as well.

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Agree that an undescended testicle is not a big deal if you intend on desexing anyway. Puppies have sensitive stomachs and get upset eating something they shouldn't (eg possum poo...looking at my boys now!) - so I would want to know if it was something simple like that or something more serious. I certainly wouldn't fly a pup that even had a mildly upset tummy even if they were otherwise bright and well. Above all it's your decision of course. And I know puppy prices can seem very high but my pups don't go cheaply either and there is no way I will break even. It's one reason many folk only breed when they want a pup for themselves.

Edited by The Spotted Devil
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The puppy is a Yorkie. Im not sure if she means he only has 1 or only 1 has descended. I was told "he only has 1 testicle,Im just putting it out there"which made me feel uneasy like it was a throw away line. like saying oh the brand new mercedes you're buying only has 3 wheels. I have had pedigree dogs before and never had any trouble with the sellers but after our phone call tonight Ive just been left with an uneasy feeling.

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we live 5000ks from where the puppy is.

And the breeder has picked the sick puppy with only one testicle for you.

Not good.

Personally, if it's not a rescue - I want to meet the bitch that's having the puppies, and the breeder, and have them pick the puppy that is maybe not the "prettiest" but is healthy and has all the right bits in the right places and is friendly with me.

Very hard to do that from 5000km away.

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One testicle is no biggie for a pet nor is the breeder wanting to hold onto the pup for an extra couple of days if they think they are unwell. Pups do get sick, it is very often nothing but flying 5000 kilometres wouldn't be ideal while unwell. Kudo's to the breeder for informing you. If you are uneasy then call the breeder and talk!

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It's a hard one we spent $2000 on our toy poodle pup, $1800 + flight from QLD, ended up having neither testicle descended he was desexed at 6 months without any issues, he also has an overly sensitive stomach and will vomit if he's fed anything different to his usual food.

One thing I did notice (don't know if the undescended testicles played a part) he was cocking his leg by 12 weeks old and starting to mark stuff around the house, something I've never had in my boys before.

Sounds like the breeder is at least being honest but i would go with your gut instinct.

Edited to add: the difference in our boys castration to an ordinary one the wound was much like a female Spey and was a little more expensive.

Edited by Rascalmyshadow
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It depends what unwell actually means. You have no way of knowing if its a minor tummy upset or something more serious. Have you been given any more info ? Is puppy going to the vet ?

Has your friend visited the place & seen how your puppy is raised before you committed to buy?

Sometimes on tiny breeds the testicles can be more difficult to feel & may drop a week or 2 later than on some dogs.

When you have your puppy desexed the vet will charge you more to find it. If it can be felt close by its a minor issue but if the vet has to find it its not such a small job.

I bred a kitten once with an undescended testicle & the vet couldn't find it. A most unusual occurrence & it turned out the testicle hadn't actually developed. The kitten ended up with 13 stitches instead of none :eek: Despite my alarm the kitten was fine & not in any distress but it did cost me 4 times the normal charge & that was at a special breeder rate so in the event of anything like this you would be up for a huge bill.

The breeder has been honest with you & it may be that they are just being cautious & its not a big deal but consider it all before you part with that amount of money. Difficult situation especially if no one has visited in person. Best of luck.

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For a pet an undescended testicle isn't of much importance as others have said, but "unwell", I would want to know a lot more about this. That said, it is a good thing the breeder is holding on to the pup - a bad breeder would send the pup off regardless than probably blame you for making the puppy sick

Talk to the breeder, ask any question you feel you need to ask - this is a life-long commitment you are making and they should care at least as much about your pup as you do!

Good on you for thinking before you buy and good luck with the pup :)

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What is the diagnosis?

I would be talking with the breeder, and asking for a vet report to be emailed - so you can see both the current illness, and the vet's opinion of the testicles. Undescended testicle - if that's what it is - is no big deal - unless the dog is meant for stud/show.

The breeder at least told you - and that's a very good thing!! :)

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If a breeder has any suspicion that the pup isnt quite right she is doing absolutely the right thing by holding onto the pup until she is sure its O.K. to travel or if its something that will require a vet etc .Far as Im concerned in this regard its all good.

Small breed pups often don't have their testicles where they should be at 7 or 8 weeks so its not like its something the breeder should have known to inform you of when the puppy was younger. If the breeder was told you would be desexing the pup they will be surprised if you now say you would prefer to not have the pup and there is still a chance that the second testicle will come down anyway at this age - unless its something that the breeder commonly sees because its in her lines.

If you prefer not to have a pup with a testicle problem you can now say thanks anyway but because it has a testicle missing I would prefer not to take it but the breeder has informed you - could have sent it home and said nothing and they have held the pup to be sure its good to go when it goes. All sounds pretty good to me.

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Firstly, if you feel uneasy then I'd be letting the breeder know that. I agree with others that it's good they've been upfront, however feeling uncomfortable is a red flag you shouldn't ignore.

Can I suggest you arrange with the breeder for the pup to be taken to an independent vet for a health assessment, prior to going any further. You could then speak with the vet directly, and have some confidence in your decision.

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we live 5000ks from where the puppy is.

And the breeder has picked the sick puppy with only one testicle for you.

Not good.

Personally, if it's not a rescue - I want to meet the bitch that's having the puppies, and the breeder, and have them pick the puppy that is maybe not the "prettiest" but is healthy and has all the right bits in the right places and is friendly with me.

Very hard to do that from 5000km away.

We bought our pup sight unseen, had seen lots of results of his parents being shown, asked people who had met them what they were like and away we went.

I think as long as you are sure your breeder is reputable, aligns with your views and you've both been clear about what you want from a pup and can expect from a pup from these parents/lines/breeder there is no problem with buying a pup blind.

We are in VIC and he came from SA, so perhaps we could have visited but I didn't feel the need to spend the money and time when I know I am not best equipped to pick the best pup for me.

I have to say as well knowing a few of his littermates, Gus's breeder could not have picked better for us. If left up to me I would have picked whichever pup I cuddled first, but having someone impartial who knows how you live and knows the pups was invaluable and I would trust her to pick for us again. The other pups in the litter have met their perfect matches too, one couple run and hike and are very very active, so they wanted the more spirited pup and I can tell you they got her. Even at 8 weeks she is the first one out of the pen and doing laps of the yard in the videos we were sent, whereas Gus was the people-puppy and usually one of the first to give in and get in the puppy nap pile.

To say she picked the sick one is a bit rough too, pups get sick lots, sometimes you could just be unlucky and yours could get the bug! :)

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had seen lots of results of his parents being shown,

asked people who had met them what they were like and away we went.

This is good - you got information from people you knew and trusted who were not the breeder. And you met some of the other dogs they had bred.

I have put a deposit on a small breed puppy from a breeder on the Dogzonline puppy pages.

I've seen people posting in here - horror stories of the pup they got this way. Not so much with yorkies. But with a certain breed of "rare blue" that don't meet the breed standard but still register with ANKC and advertise here.

So I guess we need more information before we can provide reliable advice. It's up to the Opening Poster to decide if they have enough information. Maybe ringing a local yorkie breeder or club if there is one, and asking an opinion?

We don't have enough information about this breeder to know if they are reputable or not. There is another ongoing thread in here - about a breeder who may or may not have been listed with DOL (probably not by the tone of it), that looks like the breeder is saying "I told you the puppy was sick, you took it anyway - no refund". Really?

So I can't predict which way this one would go but at 5000km distant - it's really hard to fix.

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had seen lots of results of his parents being shown,

asked people who had met them what they were like and away we went.

This is good - you got information from people you knew and trusted who were not the breeder. And you met some of the other dogs they had bred.

Nope! We didn't meet one. We just asked around, best contact was the club secretary to be honest! She was able to give some really good insights. :)

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I could be wrong but I thought the testicules could take till the puppy is 6 months old to drop. My male golden retriever puppy Axel is 17 weeks old and his testicules have just dropped. I wouldn't woory about the testicule so much specially if his just a pet not for breeding. My main concern would be why is he unwell and what has caused him to be unwell, We all know puppies get into everything and eat what there not suppose to eat. If its something more then that I would like to know before taking the puppy.

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Thanks everyone for your replys. After sleeping on it I contacted my vet this morning and they said without seeing the pup its probably best to pass and wait for the right pup to come along. I tried to call the breeder this morning and couldnt get through so have sent an email telling her we have decided to forgo the pup and have asked for our deposit back. She has said that was fine so am awaiting a refund.

There are a few more Yorkies for sale so will contact a couple more and hopefully have better luck next time. Unfortunately the lady we got our first pup from no longer breeds Yorkies but we got her from Perth and we are in FNQ and we couldnt have been happier with our puppy and the breeder. Will post an update when we finally have a new family member.

You have all been very helpful. Much appreciated when I was so upset last night.

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