Puppy needing surgery - would you pay?

[Kijaji]

Our current situation is we have a 12 week old puppy who has a grade 4 heart murmur (picked up at 8 week vaccinations, was checked at birth and everything was fine), he’s awaiting further tests but worse case scenario it could cost us £5K to operate, if you had the money would you do it for a puppy you’ve only had 5 weeks but mostly everyone’s attached too and loves?

The thing is, a heart murmur isn’t a diagnosis. There are many different causes of heart murmurs. The cause of the heart murmur in your DD’s dog is likely to be different to that in the OP’s puppy. So the treatment options are likely to be different too.

Nope. It either lives or dies.

Certainly not being ripped of £5k on the word of a vet for something that may clear up or may not be cured. They might be highly trained professionals but they are money printers.

Yes if the op was necessary I'd pay up as I'd feel responsible. You take on a dog, you take on whatever care, operations, medication, training etc it needs no matter how difficult or costly imo.

Firstly contact the breeder, and I would get a second opinion from a specialist. I’ve had 2 dogs with heart murmurs, it’s serious stuff. And it doesn’t just stop after an operation. It’s medication, scans etc
With a heart murmur that severe, I would from experience think the signs would be pretty clear. Breathlessness, coughing, racing heart, stomach breathing etc
It’s not a nice thing to watch, and it is a horrible ending which is why I put mine to sleep when it was on the line that medication wasn’t working anymore.
The vet likened it to climbing a mountain when you’ve got the flu.
which says it all.

For a young dog, that you’ve just got I would pay. I don’t think there any other option really. You no doubt love it already.
What other reasonable options are there ?
You have my sympathy as it’s a terrible position to be in.

No, it’s a fact. Different vets get their vaccines from different companies. All my dogs are rescues and every time I’ve adopted one I’ve had to restart the vaccine course due to my vet refusing to stock the brand of vaccine that the rescue use.

This is really sad. I picked up my puppy in the summer and yes she had not had her first vaccinations due to not all vets carrying the same brand of vaccines and courses needing to start over. However, she was insured by the breeder for a month, had been checked by a vet and the breeder would take her back if anything happened. She was also not 7 weeks old. Personally having taken a puppy on in these circumstances I wouldn’t see another option but to pay for the poor things operation.

How about I did because I’m not stupid.

Yup.. I’d pay the 5k and love him for the rest of his precious life. He was a tiny baby when he came to you far too little. Poor little thing. How can you not??

Yes this is what I’ve heard and can be fairly common in puppies too.

Yes I’m a vet, I understand how it works. But it’s really not that hard to track down a vet that carries the same brand. I’d also be happy to buy a different brand in if you paid for the full box. If the breeder uses something like nobivac, there WILL be a practice nearby that carries it.

Each area needs different vaccines? What? Are you in the UK?

I do have the financial means to pay for any treatment, but it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t think carefully about committing to paying the huge sum of money quoted by this vet.

Anyway, my comment to you wasn't about the ethics of whether to treat - it was about your tone and the implication that the OP is stupid.

If it were me, the pup would have gone back for a refund.

Why is this a question? What's the alternative?

Your post states 'if you had the money' so this isn't even a difficult question.

Obviously any decent person would pay for lifesaving treatment for their puppy if they had access to the money. If you wouldn't then you shouldn't have bought a dog in the first place.

An ethical dilemma would be "my adult dog needs life saving surgery but my circumstances have wildly changed since we bought him and insurance won't cover it. If I take out a loan to pay then I will struggle to pay for necessities for my children" or something similar.

I got a puppy recently and asked the breeder not to vaccinate as I know vets can be funny about mixing brands of lepto. However he still had a vet check before coming to me.

he came with 4 weeks insurance. I’d also purchased insurance myself. The breeder paperwork also stated he could go back for a refund within either the first 2 or 4 weeks (can’t remember) if any issues found.

but yes. If necessary I’d have found the money

If I could afford it, and if the surgery is likely to fix the problem (ie he won't have to keep going to the vet throughout his life for expensive and traumatic treatments) I would pay. If not, I'd set up a BackABuddy. He deserves a chance at life.

Also, please in future consider adopting rather than supporting breeders. If you go to all the pounds and animal shelters and see the many, many, abandoned and unwanted, dumped animals, it would change your mind about the ethics of breeding and supporting breeders.

All these people berating the OP for buying a 7 week old puppy, are you in the UK? 8 weeks is very much the norm in the UK.
At least the OP cared enough to take pup to the vet within a few days.
OP, what prognosis has the vet given for post surgery? Can you afford 5K?
I'm sorry you, and pup, are facing this.
If prognosis is good I'd pay, based on the assumption puppy can then have a good life. If it's not a "cure all" I'd have puppy euthanised for his sake.

8 weeks isn’t the norm it’s the legal minimum.

I feel sympathy if your insurance won’t cover, and breeder refuses, and you can’t afford it. However, you chose to bring this new life into your home and have a moral responsibility. I suspect you’ll have the puppy put to sleep, whatever anyone here says. I wouldn’t, is all I can say.

Yes, I know that.

Well, as pp said: 7 weeks?? That’s incredibly early!!

Yes, I would pay. If the vet was confident that the operation would be successful and the longterm prospects were good (especially quality of life).

Have you spoken with the breeder? My grandmother (well, more like that entire side of family) used to breed dogs until the early 90ies. And she would have absolutely wanted you to return the puppy if you weren’t going to pay for the operation. She‘d probably explicitly put that in the purchase agreement nowadays, tbh…

(But reputable breeders insist on fairly strict contractual agreements anyhow ime. Neutering, vaccines and first right of first refusal if the new owner can’t keep the dog etc…)