Tell me am I wrong

[happychappy]

I have to beagles, one girl and one boy
They have been together for over 2 years and no puppies. So oh well never mind. Anyway last week she was a bit odd. Cuddly (more than usual), nipples a little bit bigger than usual male not sitting on her as usual. A bit less greedy than usual. I thought she might be pregnant. A neighbour who breeds looked and said probably very early though. So off I go to the vet who reckons she sick with a very serious urine infection, needs scans and blood tests. I have never been to this vet (new to the area). Whats more he thinks her infection is something beginning with P and means she will have to be spay.
I am gutted but also very shocked didn't expect that especially before Christmas.
He gave her some antibiotics.
She doesn't have a temperature and is just a bit cuddly. Not very sick. She doesn't want to go out because its cold, she doesn't like the cold (never has done).
She was fine all weekend and fine today. I'm supposed to go back but I don't believe him.
A. because no temperature or trouble peeing
B. She's only put a little weight on
C. She's more or less the same as usual just a little odd.

Am I wrong not to take her back to vet and think her was a money grabbing little git. He wanted my card details almost immediately and the five minutes I was in there he racked up a bill of over £200.

Thank you are for your 'advice'. I have taken her back but to the other vet. She had a blood test and all was well. She's fine just doesn't like the cold. However I do take exception to being called a neglectful owner. This year I have spent thousands on my dogs in terms of new kenneling, vets bills and transferring then from another country. I have had male dogs all my life and know my dogs. My family walk them 3 times a day. Yes they are both KC registered (in fact the male is of an 6 generation pedigree of which his parents, grandparents and great grandparents won best of show internationally and nationally(not UK)). Our dogs are family pets and are loved. In the country I have lived for last 6 years (no longer) I have a very good friend who is a vet (who was holiday so not possible to talk to) and has advised me well but also told me many stories of unscrupulous buggers. Our bitch was given to us because the local hunter was going to kill her because she hadn't produced pups and was no good for hunting. We haven't got her spay because we have people we trust who would take our puppies and give them great lives.

I hope this answers your questions.

I hope this answers your questions

Not really.. your original question was 'Am I wrong' to which my answer would be yes! You came across as caring more about the money than having your bitch checked again by the vet. But, you have done the right thing and had her looked at by another vet and I'm delighted she is well.

Regardless of how many champions in his pedigree your dog has, you didn't mention if he has had health testing done, as you were given the bitch you probably have no papers, or have had her tested. I'm glad you have 8 or 10 (average litter size but could be 12!) friends to take your puppies, and that you are prepared as breeder to take any back for whatever reason.

I would seriously suggest you spay your bitch and direct your 10 friends to rescue, that would be 10 lives saved :)

We have papers for all the dogs. What testing do you mean. Our friend is a vet and has always done these for us when they need to be done. They are regularly wormed and and defleaed and tick treatments. They live with my family and therefore have to be safe for the family. 8-10 is the average but it can often be smaller. They would use the pups not as family pets but as working dogs so therefore older dogs are impossible to train to do the work required.

The money was not the issue, though money is tight for us at the moment having spent 3000 bringing them into the country. It was the manner of the vet and fact he was so sure with only a cursory look. And I didn't like the way he was with her. He was so dis attached. I really didn't like him

Further if he was a doctor with no question I would have got another opinion. Because he is a 'vet' and has that title I felt a little intimidated from questioning his judgement. Never again I have learnt that lesson. I am currently looking for another practice with a good local reputation.

I don't understand what your issue is with the vet...he suspected Pyometra so wanted to do a blood test and ultrasound, and she would need to be spayed if the tests came back positive, all of which would cost money.

Which bit are you objecting to? Would you rather he didn't run tests if he suspects a life threatening condition? Were you expecting it to be free? For what it's worth £200 for a blood test, ultrasound and spaying is a bargain - it costs me £500+ a pop for my cat to get an ultrasound and tests.

Beagles should be hip scored before they're bred, also tested for Multifocal Retinal Dysplasia and DNA tested for Factor VII deficiency, Musladin-Leuke Syndrome and Pyruvate kinase deficiency

I was objecting to the way he treated her. She wasnt even on the examining board before he said that was what the problem was. and he never said suspected he was certain. as I say. Another vet is and was the solution.

happychappy I said that if you fail to get the dog adequate treatment, it would be neglectful. Glad the second opinion worked out for you.

I'm glad she's ok

Tbh, I think I can guess what you mean about the first vet's manner - I have (rarely) come across one or two GPs who are like that. Its more their manner - disconnected, disengaged, perhaps impatient - than anything they do, but that all counts.

Good you found another one, and also good you know what to keep an eye out for for the future.

He annoyed me, he was so clinical. My instincts with people are usually extremely good and I took a huge dislike to him for no reason. This is very rare for me but has never been proven wrong. But if I had said that to start with I couldn't evidence it in anyway in order. I was giving the facts. Anyhow, baby girl had a lovely walk with Dh today and son (who is v(not)sick) and was full of the joys of spring. So alls well that ends well .

I know what you mean. I used to have a vet who I am pretty sure was cynical: prescribing for profit and a bit dismissive about the actual pet. Now I have a vet that is much much better.

Very glad you spoke to someone you could trust and that it is all sorted.

I've had a bad experience with a vet too. He was from a company that does emergency weekend cover, and he really didn't seem to know or care about animals.
I'm glad your dog is ok. I hope you find a vet you are comfortable with.

The tests to which people are referring are genetic tests to ensure your dogs are clear of any known hereditary diseases that would be passed onto pups if they are affected/carriers. Common tests include: hip and elbow x-rays to check for dysplasia, eye tests for hereditary eye conditions that can cause blindness etc. Tests required vary from breed to breed and you should contact the breed club for current recommendations regarding the tests and known conditions in your breed.

Quite frankly, the fact that you don't know this already suggests that you lack the knowledge and commitment required to breed responsibly.

And just because your dogs don't show any evidence of having such conditions does not mean they are not carriers...and breeding from carriers will cause pups to be affected.

Furthermore, 6 generation pedigrees, regardless of how many champions there are in them, is nothing more than names on a piece of paper. Breeding a champion to a champion is as likely to produce a litter of average pups as it is a litter of future champions. You have to know the individual dogs in the pedigrees to know which traits you want to come through in pups and pick suitable breeding dogs to try to ensure that you improve on what had gone before in terms of health and temperament. Which is why good, reputable and responsible breeders spend years learning about their breed before embarking on breeding. Because they have the inprovement of their breed as a whole at heart. They also don't just breed from the 2 dogs under their own roof. Good breeders also assume responsibility for pups they produce for their entire lifetime, taking them back at any stage if needs be.

What you are proposing has a name. It's called back yard breeding. And it's a big contributor to the huge numbers of dogs put to sleep on shelters every year because people want to breed litters just because they can and with no regard for what might happen to that pup once the cash is in their pocket.