9 Week Old Staffy Puppy Not Eating And Underweight

[tdierikx]

Thanks again to everyone! I contacted the vet that did the check again and got a bit more info. They told me that the puppy weighed 2.1kg at 7 weeks and that they did a physical examination and everything seemed fine.

Two days after we got the puppy at 8 weeks it was down to 1.9kg. Does a healthy puppy lose 200g in a week?

Once I started asking more questions the vet started saying that the info was confidential and they shouldn't have told me anything!

I've been asking questions with the other breeder and he isn't responding. This whole thing feels dodgy and as suggested I think I should run a mile!

I am going to report the breeder to dogs nsw and claim full costs (including $1,500 vet bill) from fair trading. I'm not sure how I'll go though.

The silver lining in all this though is that through this forum I have been contacted by a responsible breeder with a beautiful puppy that they are willing to let become part of our family!

A healthy stafford pup would be gaining more than 200g in a week... not losing it.

Wonderful news about the responsible breeder and the offer of a new puppy... DOL is a wonderful place, isn't it?

T.

[persephone]

Good update on a horrible situation , and I hope to see many photos of your new addition :) Welcome to the DOL family!

[Scottsmum]

Thanks again to everyone! I contacted the vet that did the check again and got a bit more info. They told me that the puppy weighed 2.1kg at 7 weeks and that they did a physical examination and everything seemed fine.

Two days after we got the puppy at 8 weeks it was down to 1.9kg. Does a healthy puppy lose 200g in a week?

Once I started asking more questions the vet started saying that the info was confidential and they shouldn't have told me anything!

I've been asking questions with the other breeder and he isn't responding. This whole thing feels dodgy and as suggested I think I should run a mile!

I am going to report the breeder to dogs nsw and claim full costs (including $1,500 vet bill) from fair trading. I'm not sure how I'll go though.

The silver lining in all this though is that through this forum I have been contacted by a responsible breeder with a beautiful puppy that they are willing to let become part of our family!

I'm not saying you should report the vet (I'm not saying your shouldn't either) but just to share some information with you:

Veterinarians are accountable to a veterinary registration board in the same way that doctors are accountable to a medical board. If you're not satisfied with the response, you can contact the veterinary registration board in your state or territory. Veterinary registration boards have the power to investigate professional complaints against veterinarians and impose disciplinary action if required. Any member of the public can contact his or her veterinary board to discuss the service they've received from a veterinarian.

*the link posted doesn't work* Try calling (03) 9620 7844 or visiting https://avbc.asn.au/

[tdierikx]

I'd definitely be querying the expertise of whoever signed off on a clear health check for little Beau... he clearly was NOT in perfect health when he was sold to you...

The issue he had was not something that would develop overnight either... he'd had that issue for some time - maybe even from birth...

Dodgy breeders are one thing, but dodgy vets are a whole different ballgame... a dodgy vet needs a massive kick in the arse!

T.

Edited September 11, 2016 by tdierikx

[Darby]

After threatening to report the breeder to dogs nsw and fair trading he finally came to the party and gave us back the money we paid for Beau. I'm still out of pocket $1,500 from the vet bill but I'm just happy to put this horrible experience behind me and move on.

Our family is now eagerly awaiting a beautiful red staffy puppy that is coming to us from a wonderful breeder on the apple Isle. While they do look great I wouldn't go near a blue staffy knowing what I know now!

[Scottsmum]

After threatening to report the breeder to dogs nsw and fair trading he finally came to the party and gave us back the money we paid for Beau. I'm still out of pocket $1,500 from the vet bill but I'm just happy to put this horrible experience behind me and move on.

Our family is now eagerly awaiting a beautiful red staffy puppy that is coming to us from a wonderful breeder on the apple Isle. While they do look great I wouldn't go near a blue staffy knowing what I know now!

Great to hear about the new pup, despite all the stress, sadness and heartache you've had to endure.

[Animal House]

Good to hear, but I'd still report the breeder for selling an unhealthy pup, and take him to fair trading for the vets bill, he needs to be held accountable, otherwise he could do the same thing to someone else.

I'm so happy you're getting a puppy from a good breeder, I love DOL, there's always good people on here.

[tdierikx]

A bittersweet victory of sorts... but you will also now be the proud new owners of a beautifully bred and divine little soul... congratulations!

Don't drop it there though... I'd be reporting the vet that signed off a health check on Beau, and going for either the breeder or vet for the extra costs you are out of pocket... or even go for both of them for same.

If you have all your facts and paper trail for what happened, you should have a clear cut case for the CTTT to rule upon.

T.

[persephone]

After threatening to report the breeder to dogs nsw and fair trading he finally came to the party and gave us back the money we paid for Beau. I'm still out of pocket $1,500 from the vet bill but I'm just happy to put this horrible experience behind me and move on.

Our family is now eagerly awaiting a beautiful red staffy puppy that is coming to us from a wonderful breeder on the apple Isle. While they do look great I wouldn't go near a blue staffy knowing what I know now!

That breeder still needs his name given to the authorities ! Even if there are no steps taken - they will be aware of his way of doing things .

[juice]

I know you want to move on , but you could be saving some poor other family the heartache if it happens again . You are out of pocket for a lot of money and I think the vet and breeder should be reported . It's then up to the governing bodies to do something .

I'm so glad you are getting s new pup . You deserve it .

[Darby]

I'll have a think about it. I would really hate for anyone to have to go through what we did.

I did tell the breeder though that I would report him and claim full costs if he didn't give me the money we paid for Beau back and while it took a while and he should have taken responsibility from the start he did end up doing what I asked so I'm not sure how I would feel about reporting him now.

I'm also unsure what to do about the vet. I don't know what's normal but It sounds like these vets only do a very basic physical examination and don't check blood, urine etc for any abnormalities. They saw beau at 7 weeks which was only 1 week after I saw him first at 6 weeks and while he was definitely one of the smaller puppies the difference between him and the other pups wasn't as noticeable at that stage.

What does seem a bit fishy though is that the vet called the breeder right away to say that I was asking questions and then started acting cagey like they were trying to hide something

[OSoSwift]

Vets cannot/should not share client information regarding any animal they have seen unless the client has given permission for the information to be shared.

That is quite normal.

If you don't mind me asking what was little Beau's final diagnosis/s if you got any?

You have been through the wringer and treated unfairly. I am very sorry you have been put through this debarkle. This is the ultimate heartbreak situation when obtaining a new family member and is so very unfair.

The breeder has repaid the purchase price as he should, however I still think you should notify the relevant registry. Obtain copies of all vet work/reports and all notes pertaining to this puppy.

Very occassionally "shit happens" especially when you are dealing with live animals. It is how the breeder responds to those moments that defines a quality - or not - breeder.

I am not saying a breeder should throw money at the purchaser and refund vet fees as soon as they are contacted, however some empathy, support and help goes a long way.

Ultimately what you do is up to you and how you feel. I always believe that if I can stop someone else going through what I just did then it is worth it. However not every9ne can put themselves through that and that is okay as well.

I hope we get lots of updates and photos of your new baby and I know your new baby will go a long way towards repairing you and your families hearts.

I really feel for what you have been through.

[BullBreedBoy]

What a horrible story. Unfortunately all to common over here on the West Coast. We see far too many critically ill Blue Staffy pups at our rescue who have been irresponsibly bred for colour. It's a very sad state of affairs as we find often the owners are well meaning people who were genuinely ignorant to the perils of back yard and irresponsible breeders.

I feel very sorry for you, and sorry you have encountered such a jerk of a breeder. We are most certainly NOT all like that.

Enjoy your new pup when he/she arrives, bull breed puppies are very, very special.

[cara&lockie]

i am so terribly sorry about what happened with Beau. (im actually sitting here in tears, as im typing this). im so glad that he is at peace and not suffering anymore, although, i do highly commend your efforts and know that you did everything you could for this little baby!!

you say you are awaiting a new pup from the apple isle, is that tasmania? if so, i live in tasmania and i am more than happy to drive where ever your pup is located if you havent met the breeders, to ensure they are reputable and check out the pups for you. i would also take my dog trainer (who only owns staffordshire bull terriers and liases with alot of the staffy breeders here in tasmania.) i can even run the name by her and ask her opinion for you if you like. you can email me if you like [email protected] where i can give you my number.

hope you and your family are okay. xxx

cara

[cara&lockie]

i forgot to add, i really do think you need to report this breeder and even the vet! - someone else could suffer greatly as could another puppy.

[Darby]

I've had a think about it and I would hate for this to happen to anyone else if there was something I could do to stop it so it does seem like the right thing to do is to report the breeder. A part of me just feels that I've made a commitment to him to take a certain course of action and that I should stick by. Obviously I am a little more ethical than the breeder is!

I doubt they will do anything about it now he has given me my money back but I guess at least he will be conscious of his actions in the future.

The vets didn't really ever give us a definitive diagnosis with Beau but it was obvious he was suffering from a range of problems. The ultra sound and xray didn't show anything definitive but his blood tests did indicate that he may have had a tumor somewhere. His urine tests also showed some abnormalities so they think there was something wrong with his kidneys. He also seemed to have some problem with his digestive system. As someone suggested above it seems that some puppies are just made "wrongly" and unfortunately this seems to be all too common in blue staffys which are bred irresponsibly for their colour.

I really appreciate your offer Cara of going and checking out the breeder but it really won't be necessary. She has been absolutely amazing and I have complete confidence in her. Dealing with her has been such a contrast to our previous experience and she has assured us that she will always be there for anything we need into the future. I just can't thank her enough!

While we still miss Beau my family just can't wait until our new pup arrives. I've (hopefully) attached a photo that the breeder sent us of our beautiful new boy - Ronan

[cara&lockie]

I've had a think about it and I would hate for this to happen to anyone else if there was something I could do to stop it so it does seem like the right thing to do is to report the breeder. A part of me just feels that I've made a commitment to him to take a certain course of action and that I should stick by. Obviously I am a little more ethical than the breeder is!

I doubt they will do anything about it now he has given me my money back but I guess at least he will be conscious of his actions in the future.

The vets didn't really ever give us a definitive diagnosis with Beau but it was obvious he was suffering from a range of problems. The ultra sound and xray didn't show anything definitive but his blood tests did indicate that he may have had a tumor somewhere. His urine tests also showed some abnormalities so they think there was something wrong with his kidneys. He also seemed to have some problem with his digestive system. As someone suggested above it seems that some puppies are just made "wrongly" and unfortunately this seems to be all too common in blue staffys which are bred irresponsibly for their colour.

I really appreciate your offer Cara of going and checking out the breeder but it really won't be necessary. She has been absolutely amazing and I have complete confidence in her. Dealing with her has been such a contrast to our previous experience and she has assured us that she will always be there for anything we need into the future. I just can't thank her enough!

While we still miss Beau my family just can't wait until our new pup arrives. I've (hopefully) attached a photo that the breeder sent us of our beautiful new boy - Ronan

thats absolutely no problems at all! i hope this beautiful baby gives you many years of joy. unfortunately some breeders these days breed for a desired colour, with very little attention being on soundness, type, temperament and health. which i think might have been the case for little beau. please do not hesitate to ask if you need anything at all from down here in tassie!

goodluck with your new pup!!

cheers

[Willem]

What a roller coaster of a day!

Our puppy was a little better this morning and seemed a bit brighter and even ate a little bit.

The results of the blood test done on Saturday then came back with high calcium and phosphate levels, low chloride and also anaemic. The vets said that this could be an indication of a tumour.

The vets also tested his urine and his glucose levels were high and his urine had a low concentration which apparently might also indicate a kidney problem.

They were also worried about his spine and back legs. He looks a little hunched over sometimes. We just thought this was because he was a bit skinny. They also think the muscles around his back legs are under developed and weak.

The vets suggested that they keep him in and put him on a drip as he was quite dehydrated and said that the next course of action is to do an ultrasound and an X-ray.

They did another run of tests this afternoon and his kidneys now appear normal but his calcium and phosphate are still high.

He has now also eaten a bit more at the vets and seems quite a bit happier. I think being on the drip has helped him.

The vets are also now wondering if the black poo and loss of appetite might have been due to worms and associated damage to his digestive lining. The breeder did worm him before we got him and the vets gave him another dose on Saturday

I've contacted the breeder and he isn't being helpful at all. He told me that the puppy was fine when we got him a week ago and that he is our responsibility. He said if the vets can't fix him to put him down and he will give me $1,000 back. I really hope it doesn't come to that and it's really not about money but this probably won't even cover my vet bill let alone the $1,800 we paid for him.

I've spoken to dogs NSW and they've said if it is a pre existing condition the breeder is responsible and we can lodge a complaint.

This really isn't working out as we planned. I now understand all the comments about buying through a reputable breeder and feel really stupid that i didn't research things better.

...was the puppy vaccinated against Leptospirosis via a C6 or C7 shot?

[persephone]

:) How alert looking is the handsome Ronan!! :)

[tdierikx]

OMG! How stunning is Ronan?

T.