Need some Advice about puppy

Beeper · Puppy Post'er (I'm gonna be one BAD dog someday!)

Need some Advice about puppy

Dallasgoldens · MAD DOG!

you might try calling you vet, and see what they say about it, even see if they breeder will let you take the pup to your own vet, before you make you chocie. I would take the pup, it's still the same pup, just need a little more tlc. hope it all works out

Pitsanddobes · Post-a-Holic - Give this person a rabies shot!

He may grow out of it he may not and yes he may need more care then most as he gets older. I guess really it al boils down to are you willing to take him on and love him as he is and with all the problems he may have later on? I would also consider what will be his fate if someone like you with lots of love and tlc to give does not take him? Perhaps she will find no one else and may even have him PTS. Or someone gets him and he has problems later and they have him PTS. This may be something that he can live with but many people opt to PTS rather then work it out. It is a hard decision but you already love him as far as I can tell.

puttin510 · ~Grand Champion~ Gold Medal Poster!

Well now, I can only tell you what I know of in general about murmurs. My son has one, not a bad one but just enough to where he has had to start meds for it. His heart dr has the same thing and he is around 60 or older not sure. From what I understand many people have murmurs and don't even know it.. I would have a chat with the breeder, ask what rate of the murmur is 1-4, 1 being not bad at all 4 being very bad. Then ask your vet what he thinks and what may occur in the future. Then you decide what you will do.

Beeper · Puppy Post'er (I'm gonna be one BAD dog someday!)

Thanks for all of the advice. I e-mailed the breeder to ask her to go into more detail about what her vet the severity of the murmur. I wish I could take him to my vet but the pup is 6 hrs away from me. I just dont know what to do. Like I said before I've been waiting for so long to find another chihuahua to be a playmate for Beeper. I am worried that Beeper will put too much pressure on the little guy because Beeper loves to play. I guess I have to wait and see what the breeder wants to do.

Ansy · Site Admin

Kudos to the breeder for being honest with you about that!! A bad breeder would have sold you the dog anyway and not mentioned the murmer. I think I'd take the pup and do the best I could with him. He's still the 'perfect' pup you've been looking for, he just has a little defect. Besides, enough love might just fill that hole in his heart.

Keep us updated. I always like hearing how stories like this play out. If you choose not to take the pup, don't beat yourself up over it. We won't think any less of you. You gotta do what's best for your situation.

oasis05 · Moderator

Ok, i take back what i said in chat....hehe.....take the pup if you can afford extra care in case he needs it. I had a heart murmur when i was little and it went away. His may too and if not, it may never cause him trouble. I'd do it

protodog · Forum Moderator

I had a heart murmur when I was little, too. Do you think the breeder would let you talk to her vet directly? Doing so might give you a clearer picture of how minor or severe the murmur is because the information you'll be getting will be firsthand and won't have the telephone-game effect. If you can talk directly to the vet, you might have an easier time making your decision.

Beeper · Puppy Post'er (I'm gonna be one BAD dog someday!)

Well I recieved another e-mail from the breeder and it made me a little more uneasy about this situation. She told me the vet told her it was probably nothing. She went on to tell me that she's taking the pup back on next Wednesday to have him checked again and if the vet doesnt hear anything then she wants me to take the pup to my vet for a second opinion. This is all fine but then she goes on to tell me that the vet she took the pup too was a vet clinic that has several vets. So she doesnt always see the same vet and the vet she saw today was young and probably didnt have much experience with heart murmurs because they are in a small town. This is where I start feeling a little more nervous. Do you guys think it would be wrong if I asked her to take him to a different vet maybe in bigger city? I have relatives that own dogs and live 50 min from the breeder so I was thinking about asking her to take the pup to their vet and I'd pay the office visit. I dont know if this would be too much to ask of her. This might sound sellfish but I cant see paying as much as a I am for him with a defect even though I want him so bad. I guess I'll have to wait until next wednesday to see what the vet hears. It is going to be a very long week! Thanks again and I'll keep you all updated. Here is the dogster page I made for him ... http://www.dogster.com/?127427 - Kristen

I made the link clickable. --protodog
-- Edited by Beeper at 00:00, 2005-03-31

-- Edited by protodog at 00:22, 2005-03-31

Dallasgoldens · MAD DOG!

if your relitives are that close i would deff, ask them to take the pup to a vet they trusted. I think it is resonable to ask the breeder this, as you will be putting out a great deal of money for ths dog. plus you know you can trust your relitives to tell you everything.

daisysmom76 · 6:04 AM, 03/31/05

sorry to be the party pooper, but I would not take the dog. Dog cardiologists, I am sure, are very expensive. You could be paying huge bucks down the line and still end up losing your dog or having one that is disabled. I would pass. I know you had your heart set on this dog and its a hard decision to make.

ltlgto · 10:43 AM, 03/31/05

Beeper, that is a tough decision to make. I can tell you that we have a 7 month old Toy Poodle, "Elvis", that was diagnosed with a heart murmur when he went for his initial puppy check and vacs at 6 weeks old. They are graded from 1 to 6 (6 being the worst). He was graded as a 6. We had our vet do an ECG on him a couple weeks later, and they sent the results to a cardiologist who reviewed them. He said it was probably Pulmonic Stenosis. Any further testing at the cardiologist would be $900 up front. If necessary, corrective heart surgery would be in the thousands.

Since we are the breeder and owned both the sire and dam, we decided to keep him. If he ever went to another home, he would go for free, and the new owner would be fully aware of his condition. He has since been checked and downgraded to a 5. We don't know how long he will be with us. He could lead a full and unaffected life. He is very active, and pants some times when he over does it. Other than that, you wouldn't know it.

When discovered upon initial puppy check-up, they would generally be determined as congenital (they were born with it). Without full testing, it may or may not be hereditary. Things do happen to dogs just like humans, and problems can arise with no apparent hereditary factor. The breeder should have some concern for this.

You should definitely not have to pay the same price as you would a healthier pup. Depending on what type of murmur it is, they can die from it before a year. Best of luck in making your decision. I know it's not an easy one.

Kittys Mom · ~Best In Show~ Senior Board Member!

I agree w/ Itlgto. I would tell them I will take the pup, if you want a pet, and not for breeding. I would not pay them for the dog at all. I have heard of perfectly healthy looking dogs just dropping suddenly dead from heart problems. They do heart testing in Labs now. Since the problem is already established, it really makes no difference what any vet says, you simply do not know what will happen, or when. If you are emotionally stable enough to handle the possibility of the dog dying on you, then take it anyway, for free. If you think you will be all distraught, and spend lots of money trying to cure the beastie, after you get it, then you MUST find a healthier animal. Don't be foolish w/money on dogs. There have to be rescues and pounds just stuffed with those little guys. Don't buy yourself a white elephant.

Beeper · Puppy Post'er (I'm gonna be one BAD dog someday!)

Well I talked to my vet this afternoon and she told me that if it was her she would not get this puppy because we really do not know the extent of this heart murmur. I was so hoping that she was going to tell me that it was pretty common in chi pups and they grow out of it but that is not what she told me. She went into depths of the side effects and the expenses. Its like the more people I talk to the more I hear you should just find another pup. I know in my head that this is the smart thing to do but my heart is telling me that I cant just give up on this pup. If she were to give me the pup I'd take it in a heart beat but other than that I dont know. Its so tough....Thanks again for all of your input and I'll keep you all updated.

-Kristen