Sticky situation, need advice & need to vent - VERY LONG, sorry

[Cheryl & Matey & Checkers]

Thanks in advance for reading this and for offering any advice or tips on how I should handle this situation. We have a 2 1/2 year old ALD that we adopted from a wonderful breeder and had a terrific experience. Matey has a great disposition and passed his CGC at 1 1/2. Our family decided to add to our pack and get a puppy. The price of a ALD was a bit high for us, and we also loved the personality of the Goldendoodle (which was also about $1000 less) and decided upon this breed. I did my research (but not nearly to same the degree as with the ALD) and thought that I found a reputable breeder. I filled out the application, we spoke on the phone (she is not local) and I had believed that this was all good so I put a deposit on a puppy that was a standard F1B with and estimated adult size of 60lbs (the perfect playmate for the ALD who’s best friend weighs in at 100lbs). From the beginning I told the breeder that I would not be able to get the puppy until it was almost 12 weeks old because I was taking a few weeks off (even though I work from home) to put all my attention to making sure that the introduction to our home went smoothly and comfortably for the puppy. I had asked for updated photos and the puppies weight on 2 occasions but the breeder did not give me either, only an excuse about the lack of photos. I was beginning to feel uneasy about the breeder but then a friend said that because our previous breeder was so great at communicating and providing information that it would be unfair to compare the breeders. The day before he was to be shipped the breeder called and said that one of his paws was shaved by the vet because he had a little scab and the vet wanted to make sure that it was nothing more. When he arrived he not only had the paw shaved but was growing out his fur from his two front leg being shaved as well. He was tiny too, much much smaller than I had expected for 12 weeks old. When I brought him to the vet 2 days later he was found to have coccidia. He was treated and brought back with another stool sample which then came back for round worms, hook worms and giardia. The vet had also asked me at the first appointment what had happened to the fur on his front legs, she felt that it appeared that he had been given an IV treatment. I called the breeder and was told that the puppies had gotten into bubble gum and it had to be cut out. (I wondered why she hadn’t told me this when she informed me about the shaved paw?) I also updated her on the puppy’s health again and she insinuated that this must have come from our home. I asked the vet about this and was told that because of the short time of him being with us it was not possible that he got any of this here, and my other dog was and always has been very healthy. At a 4 month vet check he weighed in at only 12lbs. The vet said that he would perhaps get to 35lb at the very most. I emailed the breeder with a few photos and asked her about the other puppies in the litter. She replied that a puppy she kept from the litter was on the small side also. I emailed back asking how much she weighed and received no response. In the meantime our puppy has had great difficulty holding his urine and is always thirsty. I spoke to the vet about it and were monitoring it. When he went in to get neutered at 5 ½ months I asked for blood and urine tests because I didn’t feel that he should still be having accidents in his crate at night and sometimes during the day. At night he is in for 6 hours and often wakes me to let him out or let me know that he has already wet the crate. During the day he was only in for less than 3 hours. Well the urine test came back positive for a UTI and the vet said that he had probably had it for a while. He went on antibiotics for 2 weeks and they wanted to retest in 2 weeks after he finished the meds. Well he is still wetting the crate occasionally and will be retested early next week. I think that something is just not right. The upside of all of this is that we love this little guy and our ALD loves him as well. He is part of our family. The breeder recently sent out an email to the families from the litter (I could not see the other names though) asking for updates and photos. I do not want to provide them for I think that perhaps this breeder may also be a broker. My puppy seems to have many issues that would be similar to a mill puppy. I would love to talk to other people who have adopted puppies from the same litter to get information on their health etc but am hesitant to post on the doodle sites. I have seen her in the breeder area of another site. I just want more information so I can make sure that my puppy is as healthy as can be. We thought that we would be getting a puppy that would develop into healthy 60lb adult. We paid $1600 for him and have spent many more hundreds so far. If there was a hereditary problem with the litter I just want to know so we can get him the treatment he needs and deserves. We love the little guy and want him to be a healthy mini sized (he is only 21 lbs at 6+ months) adult. Thanks so much for letting me vent and any advice that you might have.

[Carol Brand]

So I'm the poodle breeder that checks in every once in a while.

I am concerned about the leaking of urine and I am worried that your puppy may have Juvenile Renal Disease (JRD). This condition leads to dysplastic kidneys and it is fatal. Puppies usually die by the time they are 2 yrs old.

This disorder is seen in Standard Poodles and also recently in Goldens. I know of at least one Doodle breeder who has seen JRD in multigenerational Goldendoodles.

Here is some information about it. Please note that Susan died a few years ago so please don't try to contact her personally:

http://www.vetprof.com/clientinfo/poodlerenal.html

[Cheryl & Matey & Checkers]

Carol, thank you so much for this information. I am going to call my vet tomorrow and make an appointment for Checkers. I need to have this little guy tested.

[Holly~Fourpawsdoodles]

Carol

Thank you for posting the link - the puppy in question did have blood work done and I believe a urine analysis as well - would they have checked the BUN levels at that time? Or does a accurate diagnosis require surgery to take a sliver of the kidney -

Thanks for any and all information
Holly

[Cheryl & Matey & Checkers]

Hello Holly,

I received your voicemail and thought that it would be better to communicate by email. You said that you had left many messages and email. I work from my home for a large company and it is of the utmost importance that both my computer and phone networks are always functional. I also keep records of incoming phone calls and emails. I have not received either calls or emails from you since you last email in which you sent the fax number for your vet which was received 10/20/09.

I have done what you asked and sent the records to your vet. I have also spoken to him about Checkers and his illnesses. The giardia, coccidia, roundworms and hookworms that he came here with have all been treated and are now in the past. However, it is a concern from all that the enamel on his teeth is soft, most often indicating that he was a very sick young puppy. Wouldn't you wonder his history before you adopted him if this was a puppy that you received - especially if you received him with both front legs shaved symmetrically? What do you think you would say if your vet asked why they were shaved and said it appeared that it was from the administration of IV therapy? Wouldn't you wonder why at 7+ months old he still only weighs 23 lbs when he was sold as a Standard F1B? I know that you said size is hard to predict and I can understand that however you are advertising another litter with Sweet Pea and Boomer to have Standard F1B puppies. Why is Checkers at 23 lbs? He will never even see 30lb - not even half the size of a Standard F1B.

When I called you and asked about his legs you said that you forgot to tell me that he had gotten into bubblegum. We all know how puppies can be mischevious, but he would have had the gum on his face as well. When we spoke last month on the telephone it was not a constructive conversation, you kept speaking over me and not allowing me to finish what I was saying. You also became defensive. Please Holly, I am only asking that you be honest with me about what really happened.

[Holly~Fourpawsdoodles]

Cheryl

I sent at least 5 - 10 emails that very same day with all of the contact information for each puppy out of Checker's litter - apparently your company's email program does have some type of glitch. I can not fathom why you would only get the email with the vet's info and none of the others. I also sent a email and called this weekend and received a conformation by email that the email did go through - if you would like me to post this I can. I did go to my vet's office to look over Checker's health records and we discussed at length would could be the problem and how to fix it. We also went over all of the records from Checker's litter and verified that he had never had an IV - as I stated previously he did get gum on his legs (he did not eat the gum (gum is poisonous - he only got it on his arms and a smidgen on his belly) and I did call to tell you that he would arrive with a paw that had no hair due to my vet plucking it out when he felt a scab - he wanted to make sure there was not a skin issue before he filled out the health certificate. We did discuss the worms/parasites and he did verify that he had a clear fecal - as you stated the worms did not show up in Checkers fecal until his 2nd vet visit. Unfourtuly puppies do get worms and I do my very best to worm every 2 weeks - however as we know Checkers stayed with us longer than usual and I apparently did not reworm him after his littermates left. He should have been wormed again and I apologized for this several times.

I have been 100% up front about the whole situation - as far as the size I have talked to Sweet Pea's breeder to ask about the size of her parents and I found out they are both under 50 pounds. Puppies are very much like children - they come in all sizes, you can have a very tall child and a very short child in the very same family and the same holds true for weight.

Did you not contact the families to verify that all of the puppies are smaller than I had estimated?

Apparently honesty is not the only thing you seek - as I have stated the facts time and time again - what is it I can personally do fix the situation as it now stands? If you would like to return Checkers I would have no issues with that at all - I simply want to do what is best for all.

Holly

[Julie B.]

The breeder where I got my dog and my son's goldendoodle had trouble with giardia. That is why I didn't go back to her for my second dog. Having had to get rid of it with my dogs I know what an invasive parasite it is. I asked my current breeder about it and she said she medicates her entire kennel and the puppies for it on a regular basis. I think that may be the only way to prevent it since it is found in so many sources. Once one dog has it and is eliminating the sacs in their poop it becomes a real nightmare to get rid of it. I guess these sacs can live as long as 3-4 months on the grass! After spending over $100 at the vet for fecal testing and medicine I found a source online for one of the medications, metranidazole. It is an antibiotic that is used for tropical fish and you can buy it online for a lot less than at the vet that's for sure. Here is the link to read about giardia and to see where to get the meds.
http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/beaglehealth_giardiasis.htm

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The giardia cysts can live on the grass a lot longer than that! They over-winter...meaning frost doesn't kill it. You are so right, it's a real nightmare!