Puppy with impetigo?

[TerfWarz]

We picked up our 8 week puppy yesterday, from a licensed breeder etc. She has many bumps and sores on her belly and back legs which we didn't really notice until we got home and she's also very dirty around her nether regions.

She's having her vet check tomorrow, but is there anything we need to do in the mean time? Google suggests it's impetigo, she keeps trying to nibble her back legs where the sores are.

Thank you.

[Bubble2bubble]

Poor little thing :(

I would say suggest taking photos of her condition and then reporting the breeder through all the usual channels, backed up with your vet reports from tomorrow.

Do you have vaccination paperwork?

Impetigo in humans is highly infectious - hopefully someone with more knowledge can comment, but if that is what it is she will need antibiotics. Is there a vet you could see today?

[villainousbroodmare]

Give her a bath. Likely needs an antibiotic. Very common; doesn't sound like this breeder has very high standards but equally, don't overreact.

[tabulahrasa]

Licenced? By who?

[Bubble2bubble]

Presume council licensed?

[tabulahrasa]

Well that’s why I was asking, because council licensed more often means it’s a puppy farm... not many other reasons to be breeding that many litters a year.

[TerfWarz]

I hadn't appreciated that's what a licensed breeder would be. I feel quite sad at the thought. The mother and puppies were in their house and seemed well socialised, I guess that's not the mental image I get from thinking of a puppy farm.

Thank you for your help, the breeder has been in touch and given some advice too.

[Nesssie]

Council licensed does not mean puppy farm. Quite the opposite. The council ensures that the breeder follows the current welfare laws such as only 3 litters per bitch, a year between pregnancies, ensures the puppies leave vaccinated, chipped and with the current paperwork etc.
However it may be worth passing this on to the councils licensing team as they can perform a spot inspection to ensure that everything is being done as it is suppose to.

[TerfWarz]

Thank you. I certainly have received the puppy chipped, vaccinated, insured and have copies of her father's paperwork (she is a cross). She seems otherwise well in herself and is lovely.

[Wolfiefan]

A cross breed from a licensed breeder. Puppy farmed.
Councils only licenses those breeders who breed a lot of puppies.

[tabulahrasa]

Um... puppy farms aren’t all illegal operations you know. Many of them are licensed and completely legal.

Licenses are only needed when you’re breeding 5 or more litters a year.

So mostly, being council licensed is not a plus point.

However, in theory they should be adhering to welfare rules that should mean things like a puppy arriving with an untreated skin condition shouldn’t happen...

[Wolfiefan]

Too many people think if they aren't buying a pup from the back of a van of out of a warehouse/farm full of dogs in crates then it can't be a puppy farm. Something awful like nearly 8/10 pups bought in the UK are from puppy mills.

[Bubble2bubble]

Op I'm sure you're delighted with your new puppy and it's not what you want to hear, but pups raised in a nice family home are not handed over with a skin condition and needing a bath :(

[Floralnomad]

Totally agree with pp , this puppy has not been raised in a house , it’s more likely been in a dirty cage and only put in the house for showing to potential buyers .

[Nesssie]

Actually the number of litters rule is guidance. Technically anyone in the business of breeding for profit (ie not hobbyists) needs a license, and in my district we say this is regardless of the number of litters. It’s allows us more control over the breeders and the conditions the puppies are raised in.
Not all crossbreed breeders are puppy farms
It’s a plus to be council licensed as they have to have a vet inspection and are subject to strict conditions.

[Nesssie]

How is puppy btw?

[tabulahrasa]

“Technically anyone in the business of breeding for profit (ie not hobbyists) needs a license”

I’m aware... still not a plus point in a breeder.

[Wolfiefan]

Business
Profit
Hmm. Greeders. People best avoided.
Decent breeders breed only when they want the next generation or a dog to do a specific job.

[Nesssie]

Never said I agree with breeders! But unfortunately where there is demand there will always be people breeding. Families want puppies as pets, so people will keep breeding them. Not everyone wants a working dog or show breed.
However if they are council licensed they should be adhering to certain standards to improve the welfare of bitches and puppies.

[Wolfiefan]

Why can't a pet owner go to a decent breeder? Be that a show breeder or a working dog breeder.
There is NO excuse for buying from puppy mills and condemning the parents to a miserable existence.

[Nesssie]

Because not everyone wants a pedigree. Crossbreeds (particularly doodles) are the fashion now.
I’ve not once said I agree with puppy mills, but not all crossbreed breeders are puppy farms. Unfortunately breeding is a legitimate ‘job’ now and many people do it in their homes - they are not breeding pedigree or working dogs, just dogs for pets. They aren’t puppy farms. And the puppies and parents are usually fine.
If the op saw the parents, had the correct paperwork and is still receiving advice from the breeder who is council licensed it doesn’t sound as though they are puppy farm, just an under performing breeder.

Of course the ethics and morals of breeding, however nice the set up, is another issue...

[Wolfiefan]

FFS. Anyone who buys any dog as a fashion item truly doesn't deserve to have one.
No. This is a puppy farm. I have never seen or heard of a decent breeder who deliberately cross breeds.
No breeder should be in it for profit. Breeding dogs isn't a job.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Crossbreeds (particularly doodles) are the fashion now.

It's a living breathing creature not a quickly obtained, cheaply produced and easily discarded over priced designer handbag.

Op has been caught out not doing her homework and bought a designer cross from a puppy farm, no reputable or even amateur breeder would let an ill dirty pup leave their premises.

Op, out of interest what did the breeder advise? I wouldn't listen to a word of advice from your "breeder". You really only have two choices now, return the pup for a refund before you get too attached (and pup will probably become "industrial waste") or get the pup to a vet ASAP who can advise you correctly and get the pup as comfortable as possible as quickly as possible. Hope your "breeder" provided complementary 4 week insurance but also find out if you can continue this without the puppy's skin condition becoming a pre existing exception to any future policy.

[UndomesticHousewife]

I got my cross from a breeder except the crossed litter was accidental. I didn’t know they were quite well known breeders until after, I wasn’t after a particular breed or cross I heard that there was a litter and went to look.
Not too much care went into that litter I don’t think, my pup came to me not vaccinated not wormed and had ear mites (so obviously got from another dog there) I was quite surprised to find out that they were proper breeders. But regardless I’m so thankful I went to see them as I love him so much.

[tabulahrasa]

“However if they are council licensed they should be adhering to certain standards to improve the welfare of bitches and puppies.”

The issue is that the standards aren’t good enough...

Yearly back to back litters is not breeding with the welfare of bitches in mind, there’s no recovery time there at all.

Also, no-one breeding an occasional litter is going to get a license, so that’s 5 litters a year... minimum, with 5 litters, if you bred back to back and managed to space them out evenly through the year (and bitches seasons don’t work like that) they still overlap and there is no way 5 bitches 2 with litters can physically be in a home getting the attention they need.

So at best you’ve got 5 overbred bitches shut away in rooms alone or in sheds or outhouses bringing up unsocialised puppies.

The reality is more likely to be more than that and at least slightly neglected... legal welfare standards are set well below what the average pet owner would consider acceptable if they actually saw them.

[Wolfiefan]

Tabula I couldn't agree more. The issue is people aren't prepared to wait and do actual research. Too many want their cute puppy NOW. They don't honestly care about what goes on behind the scenes. To many try to justify it. My dog is lovely or I rescued him.
I wouldn't buy from a puppy farmer. Honestly? I would rather not have a dog. I waited over two years to make sure I knew where my girl was coming from. The breeder won't be licenced. That's because she's bred fewer than 5 litters. Not in a year. In well over 20.