Your Questions About Labrador Dog Breeders

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Well, he doesn’t seem like a reputable breeder. Have any of these dogs ever won any championships? Does he take the parents to the vet before breeding and have them OFA certified and such?

As far as which is best for you, take an online breed quiz…

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I personally would never buy a Border Collie if the breeder only did conformation. When I am choosing a BC, it also has to be a pup that comes from proven working parents/lines. I’m okay with conformation, but not if they can’t do what they were originally bred for.

There are huge Border Collie wars over if they should be bred for conformation or based on their working abiltiy. There are some of us that do a balancing act between both worlds but we have to be very careful what we say around some people.

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Rats are great pets,they honestly are pretty much small dogs,I promise,they act like little dogs,I will link you to vids so you can show them my rat,and what domestic rats are really like (I just got another one,but she is still young)

http://www.youtube.com/user/PowWowCowGirl

good luck!

Add as a personal note to your parents,my mom was hesitant to let me get a rat when I was younger,but she LOVES them now,both of mine are kept in her room!

ADD: that looks like an excellent cage for them

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She’s a hermaphrodite. Allow the vet to remove both the extraneous male parts and also to spay her. She doesn’t need to be at risk of any possibility of passing on such a horrible genetic defect.
Consult with your vet and have all the necessary surgery done in consideration for her health.
And please, in future, don’t patronize backyard breeders that would breed such a heinous defect. Only support responsible breeders.
Here are some suggested questions one can use to determine if a breeder is truly responsible:

1. Is she an AKC registered breeder of good standing and an active member of her breed Parent Club?

2. Are there AKC Champions listed on the pedigree, showing that the breeder spends her time & money to prove the quality of her breeding stock through competition?

3. Are all the animals kept in clean, comfortable, healthy, loving circumstances?

4. Did the breeder conduct extensive interviews with you and every member of your family?

5. Have the sire & dam received all available health clearances, (eg. OFA Hip & Eye, Thyroid testing, THESE VARY FOR EACH BREED)

6. Is she willing to honestly discuss any possible genetic defects that may exist in her line?

7. Does she have a Sales Contract?

8. Does the contract contain a clause stipulating that you spay or neuter the puppy before it reaches a certain
age?

9. Does the contract contain a clause stating that if at any time in the puppy’s life, you can no longer care for it, it must be returned to the breeder? (This ensures that no animal bred by this breeder will ever end up in a shelter).

10. Will the breeder maintain contact with you for the life of the puppy to answer questions and help in general?

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Elizabeth…

I am so sad to hear that you had to put down your lab for having contracted distemper. One does not usually do that…however, distemper, if survived (current veterinary treatment or more accurately, an archaic lack of it makes survival rare) would likely have found your dog afflicted with either a life-long physical issue, a neurological issue or both.

There is a treatment that has actually been around since the late 80′s that has provided some exceptional results — in the 90 percentile range for survival that the veterinary community at large has been unwilling to embrace for whatever reason. There is no danger to the dog in the early stages (within the first 5 to 6 days) who receives the NDV-Induced serum (Newcastle Disease Vaccine). During this limited window of time, a vet’s standard techniques are not even able to confirm a diagnosis until the death of the poor animal. Why this option is not more widely known about let alone available from veterinary professionals to pet owners is disheartening. I’ve included some information about this treatment in the second source link below. Very few vets across the country even offer it. You have to contact Ed Bond with Kind Hearts in Action via e-mail in New York to locate a source veterinarian who may be near you.

Before I ever learned about this treatment, I found such a survivor who I rescued from euthanasia at a pound long after her exposure to and rare survival of this disease. We have been dealing with its aftermath on a daily basis for 9 years now — she is now 12+. Neither of us regret the very special time we have been able to enjoy her beloved life and adjustment to limited ability, but she is now beginning to display other latent effects of neurological damage.

That being said, it is unlikely that your puppy has been exposed to it in your household…

Unlike Parvovirus which can remain infectious for months, the distemper virus can live for only a few hours at room temperature, but in shady areas, it may live for weeks. The virus can survive freezing and thawing in a dark environment.

Certainly something is causing your puppy some distress…it could even be a slight cold or an allergic response to something he hasn’t been acclimated to, but I would still want my vet to examine him even if he were not displaying any issues, as a basic practice to get a read on his overall health and condition.

Again…panicking about the possibility of distemper is not going to be productive for you or your puppy, although I can understand your fear after what you have gone through. Just get a well-puppy check by your vet, ask about the sneezing and runny nose he has been displaying, and see what your vet will recommend.

Good luck to you both! He will be fine!