Health issues about puppies have come to my attention and I do want you to understand some of these issues.
I will not sell knowingly an unhealthy puppy. Each litter goes to the vet for a health exam, to get their tails docked and their dew claws removed. I do NOT perform this.
When the puppies are 2 1/2 to 3 weeks old, I take them back to the vet to be checked for parasites. At this visit, they are examined again, checked for parasites and if needed, they are treated by the vet.
When the mother weans her puppies, I start them on solid food and they are introduced to water also.
They received their first set of shots when they are weaned and not dependent on their mother. These shots are also given by the vet. A shot record is given to the new puppy owner which is issued by the vet. That way your vet can continue where mine left off. If your vet has any questions, he or she can call my vet to discuss whatever is in question.
Another issue has been brought up about little things:
When the puppies leave our home, they can come in contact with so many different things. Our puppies don't leave here if we know that there is a problem, unless the buyer wishes to take on the responsibility. If a pup or the entire litter have come down with something suddenly and I have taken the pup or pups to the vet where he has treated them, I will inform you of the situation so your vet is aware of it. Your vet can contact my vet for details. Keep in mind that when a stool sample is taken by the vet and the results are negative, the next stool sample may show positive of worms or parasites. Occasionally, vets may not find parasites but will do their best to treat a pup.
Ear mites are treatable, if the pup happens to get them, remember, dog and puppies aren't the only ones that can get ear mites. Your cat or even the friendly neighbors animals as well as horses can get them.
Common treatables that should not be considered awful that your pup might have gotten or picked up and these should not be left untreated:
Coccidia
Kennel Cough- common cold
Ear mites
Diarrhea
Worms - hook, round, tape & etc.
Giardia
Parasites of any kind
These are all common and treatable. These are not considered serious unless you neglect to have it treated.
Sometimes parasites may or may not show up easily. We do our best to keep out puppies in a clean environment. Our puppy's living areas are cleaned several times a day with bleach water to kill whatever parasites, we can that might be around that want to invade our puppies.
Many breeders keep their puppies in cages, boxes and in the dirt and you can't imagine what the vets find in those puppies when they leave their litter mates.
We do our best to raise healthy puppies. Once in a great while, we may have a parasite to show up before or after the pup leaves for their new home and we didn't know it. Please don't condemn us or our vet. We are doing the best we can to prevent any health issues.
Shots:
Look at how many breeders give their puppies their shots and some don't even do that. How do you know for sure that is what they really gave them? Our vet does that, and you get a vet issued shot record when you get a pup from us.
I know it is more expensive to have "shots" done at my veterinarian, but it is a way that you can ensure that the vaccine is of good quality, stored properly and given correctly.
I have seen other breeders that gave all their own shots to their dog and puppies. One of the puppies came down with a disease that is generally prevented by vaccination – called Parvovirus. This brought the issues of pet owners giving their own shots to my attention.
These are not popular thoughts but none-the-less, you can be guarantee that they are honest.
What do I think of owners that want to give their own vaccines?
On one hand, I understand that they are probably doing it to save money. I understand this, I do.
But I don't agree. I think that there are times to cut corners and times not to cut corners and health care is not one of them. If a pet owner can't afford to give their pet shots – they probably can't afford that pet. They probably shouldn't have that pet.
There are several reasons that veterinarians don't recommend that owners/breeders give their own shots to their pets.
Here is a vet's thoughts on this:
One nurse wanted me to sell her shots that she could give to her dogs and cats at home. Giving shots to a person is different than giving shots to a dog. I have seen a few pet owners bitten by their pets at home when giving vaccines. This is liability that I don't want to even consider. I would NEVER give vaccines to an owner and expect them to give them at home. It is also important that the vaccine be given by the proper route. Some vaccines are to be given intramuscularly, some subcutaneously or intranasal. In cats, there are recommendations on where each vaccine is given on the body.
I actually saw one client give a vaccine (demonstrating how effective they are), entered the skin and came out on the other side of the skin – giving the vaccine on TOP of the skin. The vaccine was wasted - the pet did not effectively get the vaccine.
It is important that the vaccines be stored properly (at the proper temperature) for them to be effective. Most veterinarians feel they can guarantee what they do and how they store them but cannot make assumptions about how pet stores and/or owners store the vaccines.
If a pet is boarded, most boarding facilities will not honor home-vaccines. They cannot fully determine if the right vaccines were given at the right interval.
Consider the same thing in human medicine. Human hospitals and doctors don't distribute flu shots to owners to give themselves or each other at home. Pediatricians don't give parents vaccines to give to their children at home (even to doctors and nurses).
As with any medication or vaccination, there is always the possibility of an allergic reaction. Veterinarians are equipped to deal with this situation and most pet owners are not.
Becareful when you are searching for your puppy. These are issues you should be concerned about. Think about it carefully.
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