Backyard breeding - the consequences

[jagersmom]

Sorry it's a long one:

I made the mistake of choosing a backyard breeder to purchase Jager, my now 5 month old white baby from. I hope someone can learn from my experience to choose a professional breeder over saving a couple of bucks. In the end I could have spent the $1500 to purchase a dog from a professional. 4 weeks ago I went to a breeders home to meet my new puppy. When I got there he told me to wait at the door so he could let the dogs outside. So then he came and got me and I went back to where there were 4 dog crates and a whelping box. Jager and his brother were inside the whelping box (at 15 weeks old!!). That is where they had been since they were born. There father was in a crate in the same room. The mother had been let outside where I could not see her. This should have been my first clue. Then he told me that these puppies had not had any shots nor any worm treatments (at 15 weeks!!!). That should have been my second clue. Then he said that under no circumstances should I feed him puppy food because it would cause him to grow to fast and then he would have problems with his joints because boxers are known for that (third clue). I had never heard of this but I was like ok. Then right before I was getting ready to leave he said to me, that someone who had bought another pup from the litter had called him and said that the puppy was believed to have lyme disease (not a confirmed diagnosis, just the symptoms). That should have been my last and final clue.
I took Jager the next day to get his first set of shots. Within 10 days, Jager started to develop the symptoms of lyme disease. Test came back negative. To make a long story short, after over $1000 in medical bills we finally found out that he has hypertrohpic osteodystrophy. The vet at Cornell University believe the possibly genetic disease was set off by the injection of the shots. They are not 100% sure but it is possible. I believe that the breeder knew about this and didn't say anything. I think that the mother may have possibly had it and that is why I wasn't allowed to see her because if I would have seen her I probably would have seen the knobby joints. I think that is why he told me to make sure not to give him puppy food because of the large amount of crude protein that is in the food, which causes puppies to grow. I think that the other puppy that he told me about had it as well.
I am happy that I have Jager. I love him to death. I am mad because this guy didn't tell me and then would not answer any of my phone calls or return my messages. I am mad because my dog had to suffer through 14 days of agony because no one could figure out what was wrong with him. I am mad because now Jager is not going to know what it is like to be a playful puppy because he can't even sit up or go to the bathroom by himself. He can't stand or walk. He has to be held up to go to the bathroom. His tail never wags and I would give any thing to see that. He was in so much pain he couldn't be happy. He is now so doped up on Fentanol patches and tramadol that he just sleeps all the time. What I wouldn't do to put my hands around that guy's neck. I'm thinking about taking that 2 hour drive back up to his house and confronting him with this. I have learned my lesson to NEVER again purchase from a back-yard breeder!!!