Sick Border Collie Pup

[Owey]

Wow - who would have thought it was all so confusing????

I had actually written all this last night but I somehow managed to erase it in my over tired state and thought it better to go to sleep and try again the next day.

The good news is that Bailey is still on the road to recovery. We received the paperwork from the BCC NSW inc yesterday morning and Bailey had his blood sample taken yesterday afternoon, so all of that is underway. Now we just have to wait for the results.

Bailey has been eating and drinking more, becoming more mobile and he generally appears to be happier now (more like a puppy should be). We will be forwarding on the information for the testing to the Breeder so they can have their dogs tested as well as the pup that is still there. They can also follow up the other pup that was in the litter.

DeltaCharlie, I also feel/felt the same way about Breeders (even though I had never had any experiences with a Breeder). It was as if the owner had to have papers him/herself to be able to have a dog with papers, and I certainly ain't go no papers! :laugh:

As we are a young family, we weren't in a position to pay $1,200 for a puppy. The $500 we spent on Bailey was a bit of a stretch as well. Obviously that cost has now increased significantly, so for the uninitiated we thought we were doing the right thing at the time. In hindsight, I would have certainly done a bit more homework on the breed and any potential issues, but what's done is done, and we move on. We have 4 happy, helpful kids, who most of the time, are pretty well behaved (but we all have out moments), and all we wanted was to have a happy, healthy BC puppy to join us in our family. Hopefully this can still occur, and fingers crossed, it will with Bailey.

Thanks for all the encouragement, it means alot to all of us.

[BC Crazy]

I too have heard it is difficult to get a Border collie from a reg. breeder if you are a first timer.

I have owned BC's most of my life purely as pets. I presume breeders are just being careful with their precious puppies. From what I understand they almost always also have a waiting list varying in length. So 'pet owners' are usually on the bottom of this list. Not that it bothers me but does explain the sometimes long wait.

I have brought one girl I owned for ten years many years ago from a farmer. I was lucky, she was a great girl & very healthy.

Hope your puppy hasn't got anything sinister & can pull through this.

I would estimate that 70% of ANKC registered puppies go primarily as pets, even from the most prominent show kennels. In a show litter there is usually only one or two that go into the showring. If you can get sports homes for some of the rest that is great but by far most of them go as pets but to more experienced dog homes. So getting a pet Border is not at all difficult provided you are the right home to raise a Border and there happens to be a puppy to suit your situation available.

Gee dancinbc's, 70% of puppies go to pet homes. Well I never would of thought the percentage would of been anywhere near that. Thought more would go to other show homes & sport. That surprised me. I do understand that not ALL

puppies make the grade for the show ring & that was my main point I was trying to get out there. I am really glad I know about it now because I will be getting another BC or 2 or 4 :laugh: health permitting

[LizT]

Wow - who would have thought it was all so confusing????

I had actually written all this last night but I somehow managed to erase it in my over tired state and thought it better to go to sleep and try again the next day.

The good news is that Bailey is still on the road to recovery. We received the paperwork from the BCC NSW inc yesterday morning and Bailey had his blood sample taken yesterday afternoon, so all of that is underway. Now we just have to wait for the results.

Bailey has been eating and drinking more, becoming more mobile and he generally appears to be happier now (more like a puppy should be). We will be forwarding on the information for the testing to the Breeder so they can have their dogs tested as well as the pup that is still there. They can also follow up the other pup that was in the litter.

DeltaCharlie, I also feel/felt the same way about Breeders (even though I had never had any experiences with a Breeder). It was as if the owner had to have papers him/herself to be able to have a dog with papers, and I certainly ain't go no papers! :laugh:

As we are a young family, we weren't in a position to pay $1,200 for a puppy. The $500 we spent on Bailey was a bit of a stretch as well. Obviously that cost has now increased significantly, so for the uninitiated we thought we were doing the right thing at the time. In hindsight, I would have certainly done a bit more homework on the breed and any potential issues, but what's done is done, and we move on. We have 4 happy, helpful kids, who most of the time, are pretty well behaved (but we all have out moments), and all we wanted was to have a happy, healthy BC puppy to join us in our family. Hopefully this can still occur, and fingers crossed, it will with Bailey.

Thanks for all the encouragement, it means alot to all of us.

So glad to hear that puppy is on the improve. Fingers and paws crossed that the tests come back with good news for Bailey. Yes, we move on and do the best we can for the dogs we are responsible for. Bailey is lucky to have you and your family. :)

[BC Crazy]

Wow - who would have thought it was all so confusing????

I had actually written all this last night but I somehow managed to erase it in my over tired state and thought it better to go to sleep and try again the next day.

The good news is that Bailey is still on the road to recovery. We received the paperwork from the BCC NSW inc yesterday morning and Bailey had his blood sample taken yesterday afternoon, so all of that is underway. Now we just have to wait for the results.

Bailey has been eating and drinking more, becoming more mobile and he generally appears to be happier now (more like a puppy should be). We will be forwarding on the information for the testing to the Breeder so they can have their dogs tested as well as the pup that is still there. They can also follow up the other pup that was in the litter.

DeltaCharlie, I also feel/felt the same way about Breeders (even though I had never had any experiences with a Breeder). It was as if the owner had to have papers him/herself to be able to have a dog with papers, and I certainly ain't go no papers! :laugh:

As we are a young family, we weren't in a position to pay $1,200 for a puppy. The $500 we spent on Bailey was a bit of a stretch as well. Obviously that cost has now increased significantly, so for the uninitiated we thought we were doing the right thing at the time. In hindsight, I would have certainly done a bit more homework on the breed and any potential issues, but what's done is done, and we move on. We have 4 happy, helpful kids, who most of the time, are pretty well behaved (but we all have out moments), and all we wanted was to have a happy, healthy BC puppy to join us in our family. Hopefully this can still occur, and fingers crossed, it will with Bailey.

Thanks for all the encouragement, it means alot to all of us.

Owey, great to hear Bailey seems to be picking up & is a lot happier, thats wonderful news & we are all very pleased to hear that. Hoping all goes well with the blood tests Poor little fella, will be

thinking of him & sending positive thought's his way.

Totally understand with a young family you just can't fork out $1,200 for a puppy, which as someone else has said I think sounds too much to me. I spent the same amount on one of mine as you spent on Bailey from a very reputable

reg. breeder but don't tell anybody OK I was very lucky as my boy is very special, Sonny hasn't got a perfect bite but he doesn't know that :p

Edited June 28, 2012 by BC Crazy

[LizT]

This arrangement can no longer be done and consequently all dogs cost the same to breed and register and their end price is the same more or less. Some might offer cheaper for limited, most don't since all relevant expenses didn't factor if they were Limited or Main Reg.

All puppies have always cost the same to breed and raise. The registration papers currently cost $29 for main and $22 for limit so if a puppy was sold less the cost of the papers that would be the only saving. I have never understood why papers could cost hundreds more when the registration fee was such a tiny fraction of the puppy price. I think a lot of people who previously bought without papers were shonked by unregistered breeders who were not able to register the puppy anyway. The difference now is that you get limit papers to prove that the puppy is indeed the one you thought you bought. So that is my final word on this as we are getting off topic a bit about Owey's sick puppy.

Owey, I hope the blood sample got away and that the puppy is hanging in there while you wait for the result. Did the "breeder" get the parents and siblings tested at the same time?

Did restrictions exist in the past for the amount of litters a bitch could produce in a given time frame as does now? Could be a factor if it did. Breeders may have produced "Pet Only" litters that went under the Radar of the registration body. Could be one of the reasons Limited came into being.

[mr.mister]

I've been stalking this thread with interest.

I'm so sorry for all you've gone through Owey.

I really hope that it isn't TNS and that little Bailey pulls through.

Regarding the cost of a pup from a good ANKC breeder, as far as I know the cost should be $900 - $1000. $1200 sounds a little steep to me but I'm sure it's not unheard of, I certainly know that the colour breeders will charge upwards of $1800 for a 'rare' colour.

Edited June 28, 2012 by mr.mister

[Angel3]

Hi Owey,

After reading all the comments on here I was just wondering if it was his heart... OR he has endured a very bad fright at the breeders house & "thought" something hit him as this is why he didn't want to use his back legs to stand on? Also you say he is moving around now in short bursts, this behaviour can come from a "noise/fright" he might have endured & the breeder is not telling you. I have experienced this 1st hand myself with BC, Observe closely if he moves in sudden bursts when there is a sudden noise whether it comes from voice or environment & if so then it could be. Hope this helps (thinking) to you all.

Oh & fogot to say, run your finger gently along his spine & make sure you can feel everything is in the right place (no slipped disks that is). Or the spine is the same all the way.best of luck with the tns results.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Angel3

[Owey]

Hi Owey,

After reading all the comments on here I was just wondering if it was his heart... OR he has endured a very bad fright at the breeders house & "thought" something hit him as this is why he didn't want to use his back legs to stand on? Also you say he is moving around now in short bursts, this behaviour can come from a "noise/fright" he might have endured & the breeder is not telling you. I have experienced this 1st hand myself with BC, Observe closely if he moves in sudden bursts when there is a sudden noise whether it comes from voice or environment & if so then it could be. Hope this helps (thinking) to you all.

Oh & fogot to say, run your finger gently along his spine & make sure you can feel everything is in the right place (no slipped disks that is). Or the spine is the same all the way.best of luck with the tns results.

Hi Angel

I will try what you suggested for his spine, but just from the way he had acted previous to his hind legs giving way, I doubt there is an issue there. He was quite active, running about with the kids. He isn't jumpy with loud noises, and with 4 young kids, there are plenty of loud noises. The moving in short bursts have given way to a longer times on his feet and I think it was just a muscle fatigue thing.

Thanks for the advice. :D

[DeltaCharlie]

There are plenty of working BC people who do the right thing and we know they breed for something different to many ANKC breeder. I am so sick of the US and THEM attitude by people on both sides of this fence.

I really hope that the above comment was not directed at me as I would be highly offended by the implication that I was trying to cause a debate on here. Working BCs had not even been mentioned until your post so not sure what the point is you were trying to make or what you are even trying to achieve by that comment.

Yes, we have working line BCs. That is our personal preference and we are entitled to that. Just like some people prefer show lines, some prefer kelpies and some prefer great danes.

Yes, we breed working line BCs. We are ANKC registered breeders and are also registered with the NSW Sheepdog Workers and Australian Working Border Collie Registry. We DNA test all our dogs for CEA, CL and TNS and we hip and elbow score all of our breeding dogs.

The reason behind my disclaimer at the bottom of my post was to make it clear that I was not trying to have a go at registered breeders for not taking a chance on me when I wanted a BC as my first dog, as we now make that same decision and recognise that our dogs are not suited for pet homes. That has nothing to do with them being working vs show lines, it is to do with the fact that the lines we are using have been selectively bred for generations to be extremely high drive and as such would not make suitable pets. That is no different to a breeder of high drive working Malanois not allowing their dogs to go into a pet home. So yes, we are breeding for a very different purpose than most ANKC breeders. Not because our dogs are working lines but because they are incredibly high drive and require a fulltime job to do. If my life did not revolve around performance sports then I would not touch any of our dogs with a barge pole. As much as I love them to bits and they are exactly what we are after, they are not the dog for everyone and would no doubt send most people stark raving mad!!!

As far as the actual point of this thread goes, I originally posted so that it would be easier to keep track of and remember to check. I tend to find threads I want to watch but then never remember to keep checking back, by posting then I can go back through my posts and it helps me remember the ones I found interesting. I've tried the 'watch topic' thing but never seem to get the notifications to work.

I am actually really interested to hear how this young man goes, especially if it does turn out to be TNS. I don't have any experience with the disease as it is something we are very careful to avoid in our lines, but I know that it does exist in a percentage of Australian BCs. In all honesty I wouldn't know the first signs to look for so am rather interested in seeing how this thread develops. I am really hoping that it was simply a minor illness, and that being so small it has affected him more than it would have an adult. It is always so scary when our babies get sick, especially the young ones as they can go downhill so quickly. Fingers crossed that the blood tests come back normal. As you were having blood drawn anyway, are they testing for any other diseases or just TNS?

[Owey]

As Bailey's "mum" I would like to take the time to thank everyone who has posted on this thread for your love and support. He has bounced back tremendously and his currently bounding around the back yard with the children. We have chickens and guinea pigs that share the yard with him so the kids are teaching him how to be social but not too social. We have had him tested for TNS and are awaiting the results. In the meantime he is taking his meds and resting lots.

Our children lost their Grandfather 12 weeks ago and we thought that this pup would go a little towards healing their pain....little did we know the angst that was to follow. I am very proud of how they have handled this stressful time, with love, patience and understanding beyond their years. Seeing their pain, and dealing with Bailey's discomfort has been extremely difficult for us as parents but your support and suggestions have been heartwarming.

Thankyou xo

[persephone]

Angel3 ..

Thursday he slept all day, we thought he was tired after a big week. Thursday night we noticed he had a slight limp in his hind left leg. Friday morning, he was not weight bearing on either hind legs and we took him to the vet first thing. He didn't appear to be in pain or discomfort. The vet was concerned with his inconsistent symptoms; high temperatures (40 +), generally lethargic, not much appetite, inability to correct the his rear limbs when put into bent position

he seemed to be quiet lethargic again only being able to stand on his hind legs for more than a few seconds at the most. He had a follow up appointment with the vet this morning (Saturday). There wasn't any improvement, in fact he seemed to be a little worse with his temp still over 40. They decided to change medication to Clindamycin thinking that he may have a Neospora infection (Neosporosis??). Well today he just laid in his bed, groaning and whining all day, poor little champ,

These descriptions of fever, a limp , the discomfort/pain response of his groaning, etc. doesn't sound to me as if it was in response to a scare....

Good idea , to check the spine for irregularities . :)

Owey .. I really think we need cute Bailey photos now !! :) :) Good to hear that your kids are reacting well, and having fun.

[dancinbcs]

This arrangement can no longer be done and consequently all dogs cost the same to breed and register and their end price is the same more or less. Some might offer cheaper for limited, most don't since all relevant expenses didn't factor if they were Limited or Main Reg.

All puppies have always cost the same to breed and raise. The registration papers currently cost $29 for main and $22 for limit so if a puppy was sold less the cost of the papers that would be the only saving. I have never understood why papers could cost hundreds more when the registration fee was such a tiny fraction of the puppy price. I think a lot of people who previously bought without papers were shonked by unregistered breeders who were not able to register the puppy anyway. The difference now is that you get limit papers to prove that the puppy is indeed the one you thought you bought. So that is my final word on this as we are getting off topic a bit about Owey's sick puppy.

Owey, I hope the blood sample got away and that the puppy is hanging in there while you wait for the result. Did the "breeder" get the parents and siblings tested at the same time?

Did restrictions exist in the past for the amount of litters a bitch could produce in a given time frame as does now? Could be a factor if it did. Breeders may have produced "Pet Only" litters that went under the Radar of the registration body. Could be one of the reasons Limited came into being.

Maybe in some breeds but not that I was ever aware of in Borders. They are such a demanding breed to have as puppies that most breeders would go insane if they had to raise more than 3 litters a year. There was one NSW breeder that had 10 litters a year but they had a lot of dogs to breed from. A lot of their dogs were also sold at the saleyards so who knows what papers they provided with them.

The limit register came in when there was no other way to stop puppies being being exported. Most overseas KCs required an export pedigree to register progeny in their country and the BC breeders were some of the main ones asking for a way to stop them being issued. People would come with a family to buy a bitch puppy as a pet with papers and pay the going rate of about $500 at the time but they were fronts for dealers buying for puppy farms in Asia. The puppy would then be onsold to the dealer for several thousand and the first the breeder knew about it was the puppy would be exported for breeding to an Asian puppy farm. Puppies on limit register cannot be issued with an export pedigree so that fixed the problem until a few countries decided they didn't need the papers.

Owey, I am glad to hear that the test has been organised and that at least for now Bailey is improving. I hope that continues and that we are all wrong about the TNS but the symptoms certainly fit a classic description even though a lot of dogs only have some of those symptoms.

At present a well bred registered puppy from fully health tested parents in NSW should cost $900 - $1000 from the very best breeders. $500 would barely cover the direct outgoing costs of breeding and raising a healthy puppy, let alone anything for the breeder's 8 weeks of hard work and something towards keeping the mum. Most Border show bitches have 1-3 litters in a lifetime of approx 5-7 puppies per litter and the show breeders usually keep at least one per litter. To break even with the cost of producing the litters and keeping the bitch for her lifetime you would need to sell approx 80 puppies from her so it is never going to happen. If things go wrong with a litter you can be $2000-$3000 out of pocket on that litter alone with no live puppies or maybe just one so $1000 is money well spent on a healthy puppy.

[dancinbcs]

As Bailey's "mum" I would like to take the time to thank everyone who has posted on this thread for your love and support. He has bounced back tremendously and his currently bounding around the back yard with the children. We have chickens and guinea pigs that share the yard with him so the kids are teaching him how to be social but not too social. We have had him tested for TNS and are awaiting the results. In the meantime he is taking his meds and resting lots.

Our children lost their Grandfather 12 weeks ago and we thought that this pup would go a little towards healing their pain....little did we know the angst that was to follow. I am very proud of how they have handled this stressful time, with love, patience and understanding beyond their years. Seeing their pain, and dealing with Bailey's discomfort has been extremely difficult for us as parents but your support and suggestions have been heartwarming.

Thankyou xo

Oh, Bailey's "mum", what a difficult time this has been for all of you and the children. I pray that Bailey does not have TNS and gets to grow up with your kids as they have endured quite enough to deal with so far.

I also hope that this thread helps others to know about health testing and avoid the type of heartbreak you are going through now.

[JulesP]

I really hope that Bailey has something less nasty than TNS. Glad to hear he is feeling a bit better now.

[Mystiqview]

This BTW is in no way a dig at ANKC breeders :) We are breeders ourselves and under no circumstances will our dogs ever be sold to pet homes as they are just not suited to them. Not even an active home. But ours are bred for a very different purpose to most ANKC dogs and we are the exception rather than the rule when it comes to this.

DC.

My response was in response to your earlier comment before I posted. I have nothing against working BC breeders. Most responsible working BC breeders AND ANKC breeders now do test.

I thought my comment was in support of those working people who did do the right thing. Not the other way around.

I said there are plenty of working BC breeders who do the right thing and many ANKC ones who do as well. (As compared to ANY breeder who doesn't). If I said working BC people breed for something different.. that is plain truth - we do breed for different things. Different show breeders breed for different things just like different working people breed for different things. It is neither correct or wrong.

It was no dig at you or anyone and I think you took the comment out of context and too personally.

It is in comparison to ANY breeder registered or not who DOES NOT DO THE RIGHT THING!!!!

The DNA test is open to all, it is a pity more do not opt to take it on board.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Mystiqview

[monster]

Hi, I had just come across this post firstly I own and breed reg Cavaliers and we have also owned and shown Border Collies my daughter has a 12 mth desexed male he was purchased from a reg breeder and had full health checked tests in my opinion anyone can pick up what they call CHEAP PUPS, NO PAPERS ETC and the old saying saving money? until something minor or unlucky as in this case happens and then it becomes an extremly EXPENSIVE ordeal. I wouyld like to wish this boy well and have a happy and healthy outcome. The MAIN reason I also wanted to post was to comment on how I found all the border collie people who so kindly offered this woman their experince and knowledge in a kind and caring manner never once being judgemental how easy can that be so I just wanted to say a big thankyou BORDER COLLIE REG OWNER BREEDERS BE IT SHOW OR PET this kind response does not happen very often people like this lady are very rudely dismissed by some breed type owners.

[LizT]

This arrangement can no longer be done and consequently all dogs cost the same to breed and register and their end price is the same more or less. Some might offer cheaper for limited, most don't since all relevant expenses didn't factor if they were Limited or Main Reg.

All puppies have always cost the same to breed and raise. The registration papers currently cost $29 for main and $22 for limit so if a puppy was sold less the cost of the papers that would be the only saving. I have never understood why papers could cost hundreds more when the registration fee was such a tiny fraction of the puppy price. I think a lot of people who previously bought without papers were shonked by unregistered breeders who were not able to register the puppy anyway. The difference now is that you get limit papers to prove that the puppy is indeed the one you thought you bought. So that is my final word on this as we are getting off topic a bit about Owey's sick puppy.

Owey, I hope the blood sample got away and that the puppy is hanging in there while you wait for the result. Did the "breeder" get the parents and siblings tested at the same time?

Did restrictions exist in the past for the amount of litters a bitch could produce in a given time frame as does now? Could be a factor if it did. Breeders may have produced "Pet Only" litters that went under the Radar of the registration body. Could be one of the reasons Limited came into being.

Maybe in some breeds but not that I was ever aware of in Borders. They are such a demanding breed to have as puppies that most breeders would go insane if they had to raise more than 3 litters a year. There was one NSW breeder that had 10 litters a year but they had a lot of dogs to breed from. A lot of their dogs were also sold at the saleyards so who knows what papers they provided with them.

The limit register came in when there was no other way to stop puppies being being exported. Most overseas KCs required an export pedigree to register progeny in their country and the BC breeders were some of the main ones asking for a way to stop them being issued. People would come with a family to buy a bitch puppy as a pet with papers and pay the going rate of about $500 at the time but they were fronts for dealers buying for puppy farms in Asia. The puppy would then be onsold to the dealer for several thousand and the first the breeder knew about it was the puppy would be exported for breeding to an Asian puppy farm. Puppies on limit register cannot be issued with an export pedigree so that fixed the problem until a few countries decided they didn't need the papers.

Owey, I am glad to hear that the test has been organised and that at least for now Bailey is improving. I hope that continues and that we are all wrong about the TNS but the symptoms certainly fit a classic description even though a lot of dogs only have some of those symptoms.

At present a well bred registered puppy from fully health tested parents in NSW should cost $900 - $1000 from the very best breeders. $500 would barely cover the direct outgoing costs of breeding and raising a healthy puppy, let alone anything for the breeder's 8 weeks of hard work and something towards keeping the mum. Most Border show bitches have 1-3 litters in a lifetime of approx 5-7 puppies per litter and the show breeders usually keep at least one per litter. To break even with the cost of producing the litters and keeping the bitch for her lifetime you would need to sell approx 80 puppies from her so it is never going to happen. If things go wrong with a litter you can be $2000-$3000 out of pocket on that litter alone with no live puppies or maybe just one so $1000 is money well spent on a healthy puppy.

I wasn't thinking of Border Collies exclusively...just a general thought about the old cheaper "unpapered" purebred dogs and 'why' they might have been cheaper because 'yes' it will cost the same to raise papered or unpapered LR or MR, UNLESS, some were litters that should not have happened?? Anyway...moving on..

So really hoping Bailey is over whatever nasties got him and it doesn't turn out to be anything that causes him further health worries.

Also, must add that I know many people who have Border Collies as family pets that do no organised sports or activities other than the usual fun family stuff. :) Nice to see, as yes, I've seen plenty of BC and BC mixes whose outcomes were not so happy. My sister had a neighbour with two that were in a backyard, rarely played with or interacted with that just barked all day.

[LizT]

Hi, I had just come across this post firstly I own and breed reg Cavaliers and we have also owned and shown Border Collies my daughter has a 12 mth desexed male he was purchased from a reg breeder and had full health checked tests in my opinion anyone can pick up what they call CHEAP PUPS, NO PAPERS ETC and the old saying saving money? until something minor or unlucky as in this case happens and then it becomes an extremly EXPENSIVE ordeal. I wouyld like to wish this boy well and have a happy and healthy outcome. The MAIN reason I also wanted to post was to comment on how I found all the border collie people who so kindly offered this woman their experince and knowledge in a kind and caring manner never once being judgemental how easy can that be so I just wanted to say a big thankyou BORDER COLLIE REG OWNER BREEDERS BE IT SHOW OR PET this kind response does not happen very often people like this lady are very rudely dismissed by some breed type owners.

And also to add...you can buy a puppy from a registered breeder that has done all the testing etc etc. and that puppy is not immune from illness either. Okay, it's not likely to have the genetic problems that untested parents might pass on but that doesn't mean there isn't some nasties out there that can strike at anytime. You cannot guarantee that it wont, but you should be there as a responsible breeder for your puppy buyer, but does that mean you pick up the vet bills? Each situation is unique. Luck (or misfortune)does have a part to play in it too.

[JulesP]

And also to add...you can buy a puppy from a registered breeder that has done all the testing etc etc. and that puppy is not immune from illness either. Okay, it's not likely to have the genetic problems that untested parents might pass on but that doesn't mean there isn't some nasties out there that can strike at anytime. You cannot guarantee that it wont, but you should be there as a responsible breeder for your puppy buyer, but does that mean you pick up the vet bills? Each situation is unique. Luck (or misfortune)does have a part to play in it too.

Yep currently have 2 purebred pets with chronic illness. One breeder offered no support at all to me. I didn't expect money but a 'how is your dog, hope you are ok' would have been nice. Buying from a registered breeder is no guarantee they are going to give a shit. Bit bitter, sorry.

[LizT]

And also to add...you can buy a puppy from a registered breeder that has done all the testing etc etc. and that puppy is not immune from illness either. Okay, it's not likely to have the genetic problems that untested parents might pass on but that doesn't mean there isn't some nasties out there that can strike at anytime. You cannot guarantee that it wont, but you should be there as a responsible breeder for your puppy buyer, but does that mean you pick up the vet bills? Each situation is unique. Luck (or misfortune)does have a part to play in it too.

Yep currently have 2 purebred pets with chronic illness. One breeder offered no support at all to me. I didn't expect money but a 'how is your dog, hope you are ok' would have been nice. Buying from a registered breeder is no guarantee they are going to give a shit. Bit bitter, sorry.

Sometimes all people need is a bit of tea and sympathy and knowing that you actually give a shit about a puppy you breed and how it's doing, sick or not. Some people react rather rudely to bad news as if you are about to sue them and go into complete denial.