I am looking into adopting a puppy with a malformed front left paw. The breeder so far seems to be ethical although I have not been able to visit her home yet. She is "giving" the dog to me under condition that I sign a contract to have her spayed as soon as she is old enough, and if at any time I cannot take care of her, I must return her to the breeder to be re-homed. I am reimbursing her for veterinary expenses such as vaccinations.
This is what the breeder has told me about the puppy - she is the runt of a 10 pup litter with 7 surviving. There were many difficulties in the birth of this litter. The dog is from champion lines (I will research this to make sure) and is capable of being AKC registered. The breeder is of the opinion that she simply did not have enough room in the womb to grow, and as a result she has the defect as well as the extremely small size.
A question for Chihuahua breeders: Is this common in large litters, or should I watch out for other defects as well?
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I agree with you that the breeder "seems to be ethical", based on the questions she has asked and the conditions she is setting. However, I would be very concerned about future health problems with this pup. I would say that it is very likely that she will have issues. I would absolutely recommend a comprehensive evaluation by a vet. Make sure you explain the entire situation to the vet so they can check for many common health issues.
I would also ask the breeder these types of questions:
- is she a member of the Chihuahua Club of America? If she says yes then check here to be sure: http://www.chihuahuaclubofamerica.com/al...
- how many litters has the dam had before this one?
- how many pups in each of those litters?
- how many deaths/deformities?
- how big/small were those pups?
- have the dam or sire had any medical issues?
- have any of the offspring had medical issues?
- ask to see the medical history of the dam and the sire
- ask to see medical evaluation documentation for prior offspring
- ask for a list of people who have bought/adopted prior offspring, especially any that were extra small or have deformities. Then call some of the owners on the list and ask them about their experiences with medical or other issues with their dogs.
If the breeder seems defensive or guarded about answering any of the questions or can't produce thorough documentation on the dam/sire or pups, then those are big red flags.
If the dam has a history of large litters (more than 5 pups) then another red flag - a breeder more concerned about making money than about the health of the dam or the offspring.
Also, lookup other breeders in your area from the Chihuahua Club of America site and ask them their opinion of this breeder. Explain the situation to them and ask their advice.
If you still want the pup after all of this, then at least you are going into the relationship with eyes wide open. I'd advise doing some soul searching to be sure that you are willing to love and care for the dog no matter what happens in the future.
Good luck and God bless,
Gregg Dickson
http://www.chihuahuafanatics.com/...
Source(s):
http://www.chihuahuaclubofamerica.com/...
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