Heartbroken

[GoalieMum]

Havent stopped crying since I took my puppy to the vets this morning. She is an 8 week old Westie, picked her up on Saturday. Already have a one year old Westie and they get on great.
Took her for her first set of jabs this morning and the vet discovered a very loud heart murmur on both sides of her heart. He said that without a scan he could not be sure but being the loudness that it was it indicated serious problems. He said puppies do get them and grow out of them but they are normally the quiet ones. He said that she should be returned to the breeder.
I have spoken to the breeder who has since spoken to her own vet who checked the puppies before they left and her breeder is saying that she didnot have this murmur a week ago.
The breeder has offered to take her back but I just can't imagine not having her, I love her already. She was the smallest of the litter and is still tiny.
We researched loads before deciding on this breeder and her set up is great, she is a well established reputable breeder. And this happens. My kids are going to be devasted. I do have the option to keep her but my vet thinks it could be very costly and her life expectancy will not be great.
I don't know what to do.

If the congenital heart defect Was not detected by a vet and the insurance paperwork was filled out by the vets (not by the breeder via the kennel club) in my experience they Will pay out. If you phone the insurance co and explain the situation they can let you know one way or the other.

Yes Whitney - these things do happen, but you don't park them off to unsuspecting families.

Palm!

So sorry to read your post.

I had a thought on this this morning. My concern would be future insurance. How likely is it that this condition will now be non insurable when you move off the 4 week free plan? I had a dog with congenital heart failure (and lost him to it) at an older age and my little boy now has the same but is a smaller dog so its chronic rather than acute as it was in my larger previous boy. Having insurance already meant we could make choices over his treatment and were able to give him a comfortable last few months, our little boy will be on medication for life and will require future scans etc. Without the insurance all of this is expensive and may put you in a position later down the line, when you are even more attached, where you have to make a financial decision over treatment rather than an emotional one. I think that would be incredibly difficult.

I agree that these things happen but the responsibility lies with the breeder and the vet who passed the puppy as fit. I don't believe for a minute that if the puppy was actually checked by a vet a heart murmer this severe wouldn't have been detected. So I would A, be questioning whether the puppies were ever actually checked at all, and if so, would be looking to report to whatever body it is the vet is regulated by. If he is passing KC registered puppies as fit and free from congenital problems then he is not fit to be doing so.

Agree entirely with wannabe , either the vet is incompetent or they were not checked at all and that would make me wonder what else could be wrong and I wouldn't trust the breeder at all . Sad as it is I think I'd give the pup back before you get anymore attached .

*Yes Whitney - these things do happen, but you don't park them off to unsuspecting families.

100% agree, if the breeder knew mrslaughan - but by all accounts they were vet checked and the issues weren't raised by the breeder's vet.

I also 100% agree that the breeder is the best person to sort the issues, and the OP should not put their family through the heartache or expense. It sounds as if the breeder agrees too, as they are happy to refund.

I am just cynical Whitney - the puppy was noticeably smaller that should raise alarm bells.
There is KC assured breeder within the breed I am associated with who is breeding from and continued to breed from a line that produces epilepsy (3 in one litter alone) - I don't know how she gets away with it, but she does. So either they weren't vet checked , they were and the breeder lied, or the vet in incompetent .......
I suspect she wants to get the puppy back and hush it up, which is why the breed club which she belongs too (they often have there own health register) and the KC should be let know.

To be honest, there isn't really all that much either the KC or the breed clubs can do (particularly if breeder is not a member of the individual breed clubs, not all are). The assured breeder you speak of, there is at least some redress and I hope the owners have ensured that they have fed back to the KC. As above, no shame in getting surprise issues, the shame is in not supporting buyers and in your horrendous example above, repeating it.

I never deny that there are bad breeders around, as there are good and bad in all walks of life - but in fairness this breeder is not necessarily appearing to be one, and I suppose I am a positive person who gives the benefit of the doubt. If the breeder were denying and not wanting to support, I would be right with you and baying for their blood, but don't discount that the breeder may be equally distraught (and also worried about the rest of the litter and possibly years of their own breeding line).

Re. whether the breeder lied, I've known breeders have their pups health checked with a clean bill of health and then have problems identified when buyer goes to their vet. It happens - pup can be under stress and things are more noticeable. This is why any reputable breeder will ask their buyers to have a vet check soon after getting the pup.

In the case of the reproductive organs of this pup, in fairness I think that is so rare that no-one is likely to routinely check for it.

Anyway - suppose none of this is helping GoalieMum really. Hope you have managed to sort a difficult situation, GM. x