Max was shipped to California at 10 weeks of age from a breeder in Missouri. His loving owner, Ed, had been looking for a Boston Terrier and fell in love with Max the moment he saw his photo online. He did not feel the need to visit the kennel where Max was born because he was so reassured by the emails and telephone conversations he and the breeder had exchanged. She seemed to provide all the right answers to Ed’s questions. Max’s health was guaranteed. Any problems and Max could be returned, no questions asked.
Other than the extra noise associated with Max’s breathing (not uncommon in smoosh-faced breeds), Ed thought he had a normal puppy on his hands. It was only as Max’s body grew in relation to his narrowed windpipe that he developed labored breathing, and he eventually needed to utilize almost every ounce of energy struggling simply to breathe.
When I examined Max, I found out that he had a severely narrowed windpipe, a condition known as a “hypoplastic trachea”– imagine yourself trying to breathe through a straw. Ed was devastated by the news that we had no way to fix this problem. With his own heart breaking, he held his sweet little Max tightly as I injected the euthanasia solution.
Chloe, an eleven-month-old Cocker Spaniel, was born with defective kidneys. Joe and Cindy first laid eyes on Chloe when they happened to pass through a shopping center pet store on their way to the movie theatre. They never made it to the movies that afternoon. They bought a puppy instead. They simply could not resist the charms of the little blonde puppy with the big brown eyes.
Joe and Cindy noticed that Chloe drank lots of water, and she could never be fully house trained. A few months later, when she began vomiting and refusing her food, kidney failure was diagnosed. Ultrasound revealed that Chloe had a birth defect called renal dysplasia; both kidneys were small and malformed.
The once vigorous playful puppy gradually became profoundly weak and lethargic. Unfortunately, we had no reasonable way of creating long-term improvement for Chloe. Heartbroken, Joe and Cindy gently stroked and loved their little girl as I ended her life.
In telling these two heart-wrenching stories involving my patients and clients, my intent is not to put a damper on your day. Rather, my hope is that these stories will provide concrete examples — a wake up call, if you will — of the heartache that can result from purchasing a damaged pup from an unsavory breeder — damage that can be physical, as was the case with Max and Chloe, or behavioral.
Whether you are adopting from a shelter, rescue organization, or breeder, please make sure that a veterinarian has evaluated your prospective pup before you meet him. Learn what the veterinarian actually reported (best to see the medical record with your own two eyes). Don’t be seduced by the classified ad that says, “vet-checked.” This says nothing about the vet’s actual findings. If it’s not possible to have the dog vetted in advance of adoption, schedule an exam as soon as possible, preferably on your way home from picking up your new pup and before you’ve fallen hopelessly in love.
And to learn how to find a reputable breeder for your new four-legged family member, please read “A veterinarian’s guide to finding a great breeder and avoiding puppy-milling scum.”
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