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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Poorly puppy

76 replies

Dillydalli · 30/05/2022 17:59

Hi, I bought a puppy last week and he's got kennel cough, I've not had him round any dogs yet.
The day I picked him up the breeder rang me before I set off to say he's started with a cough and shed managed to get a same day appointment for him so I waited to hear back from her, about an hour and half maybe 2 hours later she rang to say the vet had said it's just a simple cough and is okay, the vet had given him an injection with antibiotics and some antibiotics to take home. She rang me to say she wanted to treat him with her and I could get him in a week's time when he was better or if he got worse she could take him back to the vets. But she sent a photo and I just wanted him home so badly to bond with my older dog so I said I wanted to collect still and I'd medicate him so I picked him up that day.( I know it was stupid of me) She said he had been vaccinated for kennel cough and gave me evidence of that. But now I've had to take him to my vets and they say it's kennel cough and I have a vet bill to pay now, the breeder is saying she's not giving me any money towards it as she offered to keep him till he was better and that she knocked £50 off the price I paid for him as he wasn't 100% but he's now also given my other dog kennel cough too!
Would I be unreasonable to take her to small claims court or is it my fault for taking him anyway and she's within her rights not give me money?

OP posts:
Onemoresleeptogonow · 30/05/2022 18:02

Any decent breeder wouldn't have given you the option of collecting a poorly dpuppy.
Poor thing.

Badgirlgonegood · 30/05/2022 18:03

I don’t know the science but is it possible to get kennel cough with a vaccine?

Could the vaccination proof be fake?

Hate to say it but this is the risk you took because you were impatient.

Whitney168 · 30/05/2022 18:03

You can't really be serious? Sounds as if she did exactly the right thing, but you were determined to over-ride it. I hope your puppy is soon well again, and hope your older dog doesn't get hit too hard - but obviously it is your own fault, yes.

Original poster
Dillydalli · 30/05/2022 18:10

I know I feel really stupid now but as she said the vet said it was just a simple cough I believed her, maybe the vet did say that. I guess I'll never know.
I just think she should be liable for all the vet bills as she was going to pay them anyway.
So you don't think I'll be able to take her to small claims court then?
I know to some I might sound crazy but I just think it's a bit unfair

OP posts:
AngelinaFangelina · 30/05/2022 18:13

Badgirlgonegood · 30/05/2022 18:03

I don’t know the science but is it possible to get kennel cough with a vaccine?

Could the vaccination proof be fake?

Hate to say it but this is the risk you took because you were impatient.

It is possible to get kennel cough with a vaccine. There are several strains of kennel cough.

Onemoresleeptogonow · 30/05/2022 18:14

Considering you already have a ddog why were you in a hurry to bring a sick dpuppy into your home?

Switchin · 30/05/2022 18:14

YABU


  1. It takes time for the kennel cough vaccination to "kick in", it doesn't give immunity from the moment it goes into the body. This is true of every, single vaccination (think about the Covid vaccine, you can still get Covid in the couple of weeks afterwards even if it does cover you). So, just because there was proof of a vaccination doesn't mean it's not kennel cough.

  2. Kennel cough isn't caused by a specific virus or bacteria. A normal cough can develop into kennel cough - so the breeder and the breeder's vet weren't wrong when they said it's just a simple cough. The fact it developed into kennel cough isn't their fault.

  3. You ignored her recommendation and advice to leave the dog with her. Contractually, if you've paid and agreed to collect at that time/age then she has no real right to stop you taking the puppy - but she offered to keep them for your sake and for the puppy's sake. It would've cost her most and energy to do so, she didn't benefit in any way - you should've taken her up on the offer to keep the puppy with her until it recovered. You took the puppy against her offer - you don't get to demand she now pays money to you for your stupid decision!

  4. She gave you a discount - even though you'd refused her advice and her offer to keep the puppy.

  5. You shouldn't have let a sick animal around your pet. You didn't know what bacteria or virus the puppy had, how contagious it is or how bad it could become. You endangered your dog by socialising it with an animal that you knew had an infection - what did you expect?!

  6. Surely your dog should've been vaccinated against kennel cough? Did their vaccine not work?

You're entirely, completely and totally in the wrong. I'm sorry your pets are sick, I hope they get well soon and you learn from this to take better care of them.

Mamamia7962 · 30/05/2022 18:15

I think you're being unreasonable. You didn't want to wait so have really brought this on yourself, especially as your other dog hasn't been vaccinated against kennel cough.

comealongponds · 30/05/2022 18:16

YABU

You never should’ve brought home an ill puppy. The breeder was happy to look after him, you insisted on having him now, that’s your screw up, really not sure why you think you’re entitled to claim from the breeder for that!

SystemOverloadedNameChange · 30/05/2022 18:17

YABU. The breeder offered to keep and treat the puppy, you declined in your haste for him to bond with your other dog (which was bloody silly, who puts a sick dog with a possible infectious disease alongside another dog!). I presume your insurance won't cover as you purchased him with a pre-diagnosed problem. I'd just suck it up and pay in this instance, it was your mistake and the breeder offered a solution which you refused.

sonjadog · 30/05/2022 18:19

I am afraid I agree with the above poster. You chose to pick up the puppy knowing it had a cough, and you chose to introduce the puppy to your other dog rather than wait until the puppy was better. I think you just have to suck it up, I'm afraid. Having dogs can be expensive.

Original poster
Dillydalli · 30/05/2022 18:19

My dog has never been vaccinated for kennel cough as it's not covered in his yearly booster and he's never been to the kennels so never needed to have it.
I guess you're right I should have quarantined the new puppy.
But it just doesn't sit right with me I think she's lying. I suppose you could argue regardless of whether she's lying she still offered to keep him till he was better but I just wanted him so badly he's so cute!
My older dog is not great to be honest and I feel so guilty he's 13 and I'm worried he won't recover from this. And then the puppy is doing his head in trying to get him to play I just feel I've made a massive mistake but shes now not responding to me as I told her I wanted more money and was considering court so I can't even ask to return him and ask for my money back which any breeder should do

OP posts:
potteringinmysocks · 30/05/2022 18:20

YABVU

You knew the dog had a cough. The breeder offered to treat her and keep her until it was better. You impatiently took her with the cough. The vet may very well have thought it was a simple cough initially. They haven't lied to you. They've been extremely open and honest with you. If you'd been patient and left it with the breeder your older dog wouldn't have a cough now.

Kennel cough vaccination doesn't fully prevent getting it. It makes it less likely and if they do get it can make symptoms less. The same as most vaccines. It's just part of having a dog.

You're mad at yourself and trying to project because you know I'm hindsight you should have waited until the dog was well before collecting it.

myammus · 30/05/2022 18:21

there should be an intelligence test before people are allowed to buy animals

mrsfoof · 30/05/2022 18:21

myammus · 30/05/2022 18:21

there should be an intelligence test before people are allowed to buy animals

This Confused

AngelinaFangelina · 30/05/2022 18:21

Dillydalli · 30/05/2022 18:19

My dog has never been vaccinated for kennel cough as it's not covered in his yearly booster and he's never been to the kennels so never needed to have it.
I guess you're right I should have quarantined the new puppy.
But it just doesn't sit right with me I think she's lying. I suppose you could argue regardless of whether she's lying she still offered to keep him till he was better but I just wanted him so badly he's so cute!
My older dog is not great to be honest and I feel so guilty he's 13 and I'm worried he won't recover from this. And then the puppy is doing his head in trying to get him to play I just feel I've made a massive mistake but shes now not responding to me as I told her I wanted more money and was considering court so I can't even ask to return him and ask for my money back which any breeder should do

Fucking hell, is this a wind up?!

Cervinia · 30/05/2022 18:22

14 votes
100% YABU

potteringinmysocks · 30/05/2022 18:23

Dillydalli · 30/05/2022 18:19

My dog has never been vaccinated for kennel cough as it's not covered in his yearly booster and he's never been to the kennels so never needed to have it.
I guess you're right I should have quarantined the new puppy.
But it just doesn't sit right with me I think she's lying. I suppose you could argue regardless of whether she's lying she still offered to keep him till he was better but I just wanted him so badly he's so cute!
My older dog is not great to be honest and I feel so guilty he's 13 and I'm worried he won't recover from this. And then the puppy is doing his head in trying to get him to play I just feel I've made a massive mistake but shes now not responding to me as I told her I wanted more money and was considering court so I can't even ask to return him and ask for my money back which any breeder should do

Never been to the kennels so never needed to have it?!!! Do you know anything about dogs?!! Kennel cough isn't exclusively caught in kennels! It's very contagious and is easily picked up from things like communal water bowls (like the ones outside cafes and pubs), from having a good bum sniff or play with another dog while out on a walk. It's pure luck your dog hasn't had it before.

BiteyShark · 30/05/2022 18:24

Kennel cough vaccine does not guarantee never catching it. Think of it like the flu vaccine when you can still catch flu as there are so many variants and the vaccine only covers a few.

You can pick up KC very very easily. Despite it having the name of kennel in it you can pick it up from anywhere.

You made the decision to take a poorly puppy and then introduce them to your elderly dog so I would say you are at fault here. If you found out they were unwell after you had collected the puppy that's a different matter but you were warned by the breeder.

LemonPalmTree · 30/05/2022 18:24

Dillydalli · 30/05/2022 18:19

My dog has never been vaccinated for kennel cough as it's not covered in his yearly booster and he's never been to the kennels so never needed to have it.
I guess you're right I should have quarantined the new puppy.
But it just doesn't sit right with me I think she's lying. I suppose you could argue regardless of whether she's lying she still offered to keep him till he was better but I just wanted him so badly he's so cute!
My older dog is not great to be honest and I feel so guilty he's 13 and I'm worried he won't recover from this. And then the puppy is doing his head in trying to get him to play I just feel I've made a massive mistake but shes now not responding to me as I told her I wanted more money and was considering court so I can't even ask to return him and ask for my money back which any breeder should do

I’m sure you could approach the breeder and ask her to have him back if you think you did the wrong thing getting him. If she’s an adult and wants the best for the puppy I expect she would have him back - I do think that expecting her to cover vets bills isn’t realistic though you chose to bring him home

Switchin · 30/05/2022 18:25

mrsfoof · 30/05/2022 18:21

This Confused

Show quote history

Couldn't agree more. This OP is demonstrating a lack of basic understanding on science, the law, business...

potteringinmysocks · 30/05/2022 18:26

And you decided to get a lively excitable baby puppy when you have an old 13 year old dog. Of course your old dog isn't going to be happy! It's way past the age of wanting a young playmate! You're just making me angry now at your sheer stupidity and the lack of personal responsibility you're taking for your ridiculous selfish choices.

Oysterbabe · 30/05/2022 18:27

On what possible grounds do you think you could make a claim against her?

FOJN · 30/05/2022 18:28

You do not sound responsible enough to own pets. I feel for both dogs. You made a massive mistake and you continue to make them.

Vikinga · 30/05/2022 18:37

Crikey you're very silly