Backyard breeding - the consequences

[AmyR440]

I have two stories to tell...yes two...I had two children, so we decided to buy them each a puppy. We wanted two close to the same age, so that the puppies could play together. We bought Layla first. Once we decided on getting boxers, we started looking everywhere for them. Let me tell you , it wasn't easy...they are not exactly easy to find in Illinois. We looked and looked and finally found a listing in the classifieds of a Chicago newspaper. They only wanted $450 for the pups, and I thought "wow, what a cheap price for a boxer". So off we went...little did we know, we would be ending up at a BYB. We didn't know any better at the time, and when we got there, he seemed nice enough. He had the puppies in a cage on his front porch, and instead of knowing that they should have a sire and dam on site, I thought that it was normal to have them in a pen by themselves, that meant that they had been weaned. He kept bragging on this one female boxer that he had, so we asked to see her. He went into a barn to get her, and brought her out to us. He wouldn't let us into the barn where he kept her. That should have told us something, as now looking back, I believe he had several litters of pups in there that he did not want us to see. Anyway, Layla looked so sad in her cage, and she was really small, I couldn't bear to leave her there, so we took her home. Before we left, he let us know that he fed the litter plenty of pork to fatten them up, so she should be full for the ride home. PORK, to a six week old puppy (yes, I know, much too young). We brought her home,and for five months everything was hunky dory. At five months old, she started looking skinny and her coat was dull, so I took her to the vet. The first vet I saw told me that boxers often go through a growth spurt at that age, and that was probably her problem. Well, after a week of her starting to look skinnier, and her coat looking extremely dull, I took her to see a different vet, who ran a urinalysis and blood sample on her. What came back horrified us and our vet. The puppy was in kidney failure, and there was nothing we could do. Her kidneys weren't formed right from the time she was born, so once she got so big, they just couldn't keep up and quit working. We were given three weeks at the most for her, and were told to make her as comfortable as possible. Two weeks later, we had her put down, as she had deteriorated to the point where she wouldn't eat or play, and she started to smell from the toxins in her blood, as her kidney's weren't functioning. I took a look at her papers later that night, and to my horror....the dam's first litter was registered in the AKC Stud book in 11/03. She would have had to have had a litter a couple of months before that for that litter to be registered in the stud book in 11/03. Layla was born in 04/04. This meant that the dam had a litter, and when she went back in to heat the next time, they bred her again, and she had Layla's litter. Which is probably the reason her kidneys did not form correctly, as they bred her in back to back heats. Which even I know you should never do, and I don't even breed. A definate lack of common sense on that BYB's part.

Story number 2: I was looking online and found an ad advertising "rare black boxers". (Yes, I know...no such thing...but I didn't know any better). I thought I found a steal for $750. I put the deposit down on him when he was three weeks old. Through the next four weeks, we proceeded to get pictures of him at least once or twice a week. He was a gift for my six year old son, so my son was taking these pictures to school to show his friends, he was so excited. We went and got him at seven weeks old (again, too young), he looked nothing like the bouncy puppy in the pictures, he was all skin and bones. I mean you could literally count his ribs. He was still nursing off of his mom. I again, felt sorry for him, and brought him home anyway, as we had Layla at this time, and we had fattened her up just fine, so I would do it for this puppy too. When we got him home, we couldn't get him to eat, or even drink water, and I resorted to giving him water through a baby syringe straight into his mouth. The next morning, my BF woke me up and told me I needed to come and look at the puppy. He was laying on his side, and his breathing was very labored. I called the vet, and took him right in (on a Sunday, mind you this is not inexpensive). The vet told me that the pup was too far gone, and that I needed to call her and get my money back, that by law she had to give me my money back as long as it was within 72 hrs. of the purchase. I went home and called the BYB. She was a vet tech for a local zoo, so she asks me if I had a needle and syringe, and suggests that I try to inject fluid straight into his veins to try and hydrate him. She was very snotty at first, but changed once I told her he had already been to the vet, and was told that she had to give my money back (which she did, that same week). I told her if she wanted, I could bring him back to her, which she said no, and that she was going to take the other puppy that was still there to the vet, as he was acting the same way Rocky did (which led me to believe that she knew he was sick, she just hoped to unload him onto us so that she didn't have to pay that vet bill. ) Come to find out, the pups had coccidia. The other pup got on antibiotics, while my six year old son got to bury his dog. The puppy survived until late in the afternoon, and when he passed, my BF dug the hole, and my son insisted on burying him himself, since "he was my dog, Daddy, I'll do it". I will never forget that sight as long as I live. That night, we went online and found Champ, and our wonderful breeder who has also given us Haylee and Twix. The moral to the story is...do your research. If something doesn't seem right, it's probably not.

[Brynn1508]

Well I am a very new member to BW. And all of this information is quite scary, because there are too many similarities to my current baby girl.
We went to get Bradlee the end of July last year. She was a surprise birthday gift for my husband. I located the breeder on a puppy finder website online. So I was thinking great the breeder is close, she was 800 (not too bad), and she was 9 wks (old enough to leave mom). Well we went on a Tuesday to make sure she was the one. The breeder told us the parents where in Louisiana. The litter had been shipped a couple days earlier. (BIG RED FLAG- but I did not know any better) She was in a pen with another brindle girl. Both were adorable but she was glued to me and my husband. She sold herself. I talked to the breeder left 200 and we would pay the rest on Friday when we came to pick her up. Requested all the right info. Everything seemed ok. I scheduled a vet appt for first thing sat and my husband picked her up on Friday.
When my husband got home he was beaming but said it broke his heart to leave the sister. Then he went on to tell me the sister wasn't feeling well when he picked up Bradlee, but the breeder had taken them both to the vet and it was just a little cold and Bradlee was in good health. Neither of us have ever had a puppy so all my knowledge came from multiple puppy/boxer books i had been reading in prep. I was prepared for her to be scared in the new place, go on the floor, and cry all night long the first night. Well Bradlee did not cry. She slept in her bed quiet. When we got to the vet the next day, the vet immediately said something is not right. She is a puppy and should be more energetic. Bradlee was very lethargic. The vet found an upper respiratory infection. Fast forward to today we have spent over $2000 grand in vet trips. She is 11 months old. Nothing major but Bradlee has a heart murmur, ear infections from allegories (we think- but cannot identify what is causing them) and well need an EKG every year.

But we adore her and we did invest in pet insurance early. Thank goodness... I just hope this was a couple flukes...

[EricaG]

I got Sascha from a friend of a friend who wanted to see her dog have a litter of puppies...I actually did some research before I bought her, and knew about the health testing that should have been done on the parents. I asked the lady if she had done any of them, and she said no, both parents have always been healthy! Well, i figured I didn't really know anything about dogs, and she was breeding them, so she must know what she's talking about right?! We picked out our puppy and brought her home when she was 8 weeks old. I had read that you should schedule a vet appointment for the day you get your new puppy, and I did that. The vet told us that she had a heart murmur, and if he were us, he would give her back. How could we give her back? She'd been ours since she was 3 weeks old. we were already in love. So three regular vet appointments, and 1 veterinary cardiologist appointment($500 just for that one visit) all we knew was she hada murmur, and there was nothing we could do. A few weeks later she got a hystiocytoma on her forehead - and then several more. Next came the demodex mange. Then vaginitis(which she still has at 15 months - even antibiotics wont clear it up), infections on her lips, allergies(we can't find a bed that she isn't allergic to -she has to sleep on a pile of fleece blankets), and weight problems. We recently had to remove a growth from her elbow, and spent $1000+ on an emergency vet stay when she had pancreatitis. We took her to the vet for her annual exam and the vet told us she was concerned because she could feel Saschas lymph nodes through her skin. She didn't know if it was because they were enlarged or just because Sascha is so skinny...either way - not good. She also gave us another round of antibiotics to try and clear up the vaginitis, and some infected pustules that have popped up on her lips, neck and chest.
I know that all of these problems are not genetic, and that if we had bought a dog from a reputable breeder, there is a chance that we would be in the same boat, but I can't help but believe that Saschas health problems have to do with where we got her. I believe this to be true particularly with her heart murmur, d-mange, and all of her many infections(a result of her compromised immune system, which no amount of dietary improvements have been able to help)
We love Sascha, and we couldn't ask for a sweeter, smarter, more loveable pet. But her health problems have cost us so much - both monetarily and mentally. I am always worried about her health, and I am so afraid of what we are going to run into as she gets older.

[cooper'smom]

After losing his ("our" as far as I am concerned!) 9 year old boxer Brandi to cancer, my dad decided he was ready for another dog. My dad is in his 70s and these boxers are his BEST FRIENDS! He was crushed when we had to put Brandi down. So, we were watching in the paper and finally found an ad for boxer pups a couple of hours away for $600. Against the advice of my cousin- whose in-laws are boxer breeders, we went to see them. We just didn't want the hassle of waiting, interviewing, etc... with a proper breeder. That was a bad decision.

We picked Baxter out of the litter because of his white flashes (my dad's favorites). The mom was on site and we actually asked to drive to the daughter's house to see the dad. They were both great looking dogs! Baxter was only 5 weeks old at the time so, even though we didn't want to, we offered to come back in 5 weeks to pick him up. The woman told us that it wasn't necessary and that we could take him that day. We were so excited that we accepted. I wish we had been more patient!

Baxter was so small... we got him home and the problems started... he would projectile vomit all throughout the day. The vet said that he had intestinal worms and put him on medication to clear it. This problem went on and on forever! He was losing weight and just not healthy in general. Baxter did turn out to be on the small side... his back is kind of arched and his tongue hangs out of his mouth a mile. We could all care less about the way he looks- we love him no matter what- but this probably has to do with the way he was bred. He is in better health now but still throws up more often than my boxer. I tried to get my dad to switch him from the vet recommended food to California Natural or Wellness... but he is stubborn.

So, my dad now says that he will never get another boxer from a byb OR take a puppy away at 5 weeks old- way too young!

[photomama24]

We had a horrible experience with a BYB. We bought my baby girl Cairo from a pet store...yes... I didn't know any better.

She seemed perfect...she ran..played..and tons of energy. I found BW..and then I saw that she wasn't up to standards by the terms of looks. So I chalked it up to not knowing any better...but I was so in love with her...that it didn't matter.

Fast forward 6 wks later. Cairo had a cough. She went to the groomer and they thought it was kennal cough. Cairo was almost 5 months... up to date on her shots...and spoiled to death.

I noticed she didn't play like she used too..she was more reserved. I chalked it up to the kennal cough...and hoped the antibotics will kick in soon and I would hae my baby girl back.

Well the cough didn't go away...a week later she was worse. Since then..3 days later (I kid you not...) she stopped eating... started to throw up..and her belly started to REALLY swell. She had diarreha(sp?) as well.

Took her BACK to the vet... they said they heard a murmur...but they would do an x-ray...to see more. Her poor heart was VERY enlarged. It was bigger than my husband's fist. She had fluid in her belly...even diarreha was there. The right side of her heart was failing. At 15 weeks she had cardiomyopathy...so severe that the specialist said he only see's this with dogs that are much older than her.

So my baby was dying. They put her on diuretics to help keep the fluid out of her tummy so she would be comfortable. The fluid was so bad that the doctor said it feels like someone is sitting on her. It was bad. It advanced so quickly it seemed. The meds didn't help..she kept fluid in her abdomen.

She was a fighter. She only had enough energy to go outside to pee frequently. We still say she did that so she wouldn't make my husband freak.

We lost Cairo just a few days later. My heart is completely broken...and I think of her every single day.

~A

[brianloki]

Originally Posted by Shanz

I regret my decision where I got her from, but I do not regret getting her. Ive been researching Breeders for when I do decide to get another one.

That's how I feel about Loki. He's been a pretty perfect dog thus far, though. No allergies, active, social (with people and other dogs...he even likes cats), smart, and always curious. He's been perfectly healthy except for a brief outbreak of mange, which popped up about a few days after I had to kennel him for three days, which makes me believe that the stress and fear of being at the kennel and stuck in a cage shut down his immune system rather than the mange being solely the result of poor breeding.

But yeah, when I do inevitably get a second dog someday, I intend to find a quality and reputable breeder. Aside from that, I intend to get a Staffordshire Bull Terrier as my next dog, and due to the potential aggression issues of the breed, getting one from a responsible breeder is very important to me.

[kmorales]

Well... I did get Zoey from a BYB but I didnt know at the time, so far shes 4 months old and I have been lucky as well. But I am preparing myself for when something does go wrong because I feel one of these days something is gonna happen. Like I said.. shes only 4 months and it doesnt mean shes be lucky all her life. Im just hoping this one time, she has nothing to serious wrong with her

Anyways, I wanted to post my sisters pup. My sister bought a bichon frise from a pet store called Pet Land. It was AKC registered and she payed about$1K for it. It was a cute little girl, about 8 weeks. She was up to date with vaccinations and she even had one of those chips on her. My sister brought her home, and the little pup was coughing already! I asked her how she could bring home a pup like this... already coughing!!... anyways.. my sister ended having to go out of town the next day so me and my mom took her in... she was not playful, didnt eat.. and had diahrrea (sp?) my mom took her to the vet and they said it might be distemper... but she had her vacs?? Anyways.. this continued on and the store refused to pay for her vet bills.. like in the contract.. only her meds.. vet bill in total came out to about $300 for 2 visits. Anyways.. the dog died about a week later.. and my sister was heartbroken, especially when her kids were asking where the dog was.. she doesnt want to get anymore dogs.. so she doesnt have to deal with this again. The vet recommened to all of us that we should never buy a dog from any petstore. We now know why. Petland gave us a refund on the dog back, even after the manager kept saying there was no way that dog could be sick, and we should take her to theyre recommended vet... whom I think is a horrible vet. anyways.. they claimed to have done an autopsy and say she died of parvo, but who knows.

[WAT]

Just to add to my BYB experience regarding Blaze we lost him at the age of 6 to a stomach tumor. I don't know if it was from poor breeding or not but I just thought I would add this......

[HarleyBear]

I didnt buy Harley from a BYB, but I knew he was one the moment I saw him. Physically, he is everything I tried to avoid like the plague, yet here we are..over $1000 later to repair his severely stenotic nares, a unilat cryptorchid neuter, anemia stemming from flea and tapeworm infestation and the future of a 'slight" hip dysplasia. His previous owner and my husband's employee couldnt keep him anymore since she was moving out of state and his next step was the shelter..

[luvmydiesel]

Originally Posted by gmacleod

BOXR_LUVR_05: This won't be of any help to you now, but perhaps it is information that you might like to share with other Americans stationed in Germany (might save them a bit of heartbreak down the road). Your particular story is one we've heard several times before on BW...

Responsible German breeders won't sell their puppies to American military personnel. The reason is simple - they care about their dogs, and too many of their pups have been abandoned when people return to the US. Sooo - we keep getting threads here on BW about people who had to get their puppies from Poland, or Hungary instead. Those are the European capitals of puppy milling. Sad to say, but the problem is actually so large that not only does puppy milling make up a substantial portion of those countries' GDP, but there is legislation in place in several western European countries (Germany included) to keep prevent those pups being brought into the country/sold. That is why you had to buy your pup out the back of a car. A good German vet isn't "too expensive" - they would have told you what you were buying.

What can you do? You can make sure that it's well known - spread the word - and perhaps prevent the next military family making the same mistake and putting money into the pockets of the puppy mills. It just fuels demand, and condemns the next unfortunate generation. If you wonder at all what those are like, take a look at this site: www.prisonersofgreed.org

You are very right! I lived in Germany for 7 years (military) The German pounds won't even let Americans adopt their pets. See if the Stars and Stripes can put something in their paper so that other people looking for a dog can be aware of this kind of horrible thing.