[starrwalker]

We recentlly bought a English Mastiff puppy ( 9 days ago)
And we are having problems with her - she is peeing very often ( every 5-10 min when awake )- no I take that back I was just watching her outside and she tried to pee 6xs in the past 10 minutes. She is also vomiting and is drinking lots of water -
I had suspected a urinary tract infection so we took her to the vet-

... and this is what they said - (summary) Sierra does have a very dilute urine,she has some indications of infection and inflammation in her urine,Her urine revealed many white blood cells,Transitional cells,bacteria and epithelial cells. The cause of her condition is unclear at this time possibilities include urinary tract infection ( however urine is very a-typical for this) kidney infection ,Letospriosis ( which is potentially transmissible to humans ) or some type of endocrine disease.
They put her on antibiotics to see if that would help.And recommend further diagnostic testing.
My dilemma is that I am now emotionally attached to this puppy however the breeder gave me a 30 day health guarantee ( for price of puppy not vet bills) should I wait and see or is my vet missing something or take her back ?

[labman]

What a tough decision. In another thread today I said the logical thing to do was to return the puppy, but we aren't creatures of logic. I recently was reading in a book by a dog expert how we are hard wired to nurture our own young and how it transfers to puppies.

I wish many of those offended by my negative response to their little breeding adventures could read your thread and see the misery breeding done wrong causes.

I don't like the sound of this, and too many times people post questions on a sick new puppy and a few days and many dollars later it is dead. As tough as it is, give the puppy back. It will hurt even more in a few days or a week if it dies.

[lindsayminar]

I think that if you have the money to pay the bills and for her care then keep her. Also if when you got her she had these infections then I bet the other mastiff puppies have infections. But I know that I personally would keep her. The dog that I recently adopted had kennel cough, a secondary infection, worms, and she was emaciated. But I loved her, so she went on antibiotics and is doing great now. If you love her then you'll find a way.


But I also agree with what labman says, I am deffinately a illogical creature.

[RubyPitbull]

Obviously, it is going to come down to you making your own decision.

I had the same problems as lindsay (and more health issues) with an adopted dog from a shelter. I made a lifetime commitment to her the day I adopted her and I spent the money to get her healthy. Frankly, I wouldn't have done it if I had purchased a puppy through a breeder. Your puppy is the product of an irresponsible breeder. Shelters have a tough time with keeping the environment free from parasites, kennel cough, viruses,. No matter what they do, it is hard to control an unknown quantity. But, puppies purchased from a responsible breeder should not be experiencing anything more than worms. I know you spent a lot of money for your dog. I know you are attached. But, it is important to let the breeder know that she has not done the right thing by her dogs and she should be paying a vet to get the puppies healthy, not you. She should be responsible for the vets bills over and above the normal health checks and shots. If I were in your shoes, I would give the dog back, get my money back, and let her know that you are open to repurchasing her if she can give you a guarantee in writing that that she is free from any genetic defects. The possible endocrine problem is a defect and can shorten the life of the dog. If she is willing to give you something in writing and agrees to be responsible for all past and future medical bills for a genetic issue, then it would make sense to keep the dog. If she is not willing, she is a person who is only concerned about making money off her genetically defective dogs and you would be better off staying away from her. These irresponsible breeders count on people like you to become attached to a puppy and take on the major financial commitment that they themselves are not willing to make. Here is a link to the AKC Mastiff page. You can also check to see if your breeder is AKC approved. By the way, there are plenty of wonderful Mastiffs that are "thrown away every year". There are a number of rescue groups that handle them. You would be saving a life if you chose to adopt. American Kennel Club - Mastiff

[katieperez]

I myself am an illogical creature also. Your situation seems like a no brainer. Sick puppy? Return it. But it's not that easy. I completely understand how difficult it is to deal with the thought of not having her. I would let the breeder know exactly what's going on if you haven't already. The other pups need to be checked out. English mastiffs typically have very small litters, so it shouldn't be a problem getting up with the new owners to also let them know about your pup. I had a female Doberman that contracted parvo, and the vets gave her a good prognosis. After 10 total days in the hospital, she passed away. I was given false hope and despite my best efforts, it was out of my hands. A lot of my money was spent (over $1200.00) to no avail and I ended up heartbroken. If I had known she was too far gone, I'd have put her down instead of letting her suffer for as long as she did. It doesn't sound like your situation is nearly as drastic as mine was, but I chose to try and save the pup. I think this is a decision left up to your heart to make. If you decide to return the pup, I would simply get a refund instead of swapping pups. It's very possible that the littermates will also be unhealthy. You will not be a bad person for returning her. You could be potentially saving a lot of money and heartache. On the other end of the spectrum, if you keep her, she could get well and live a long healthy happy life as part of your family. This truly is a difficult decision to make and I hope the best for you and puppy. If nothing else, you at least have a bit more time to see if she comes around before the 30 days expires.

[froggy7]

Legally, get a certification from your vet that the puppy was not fit for sale, and check your state laws. Many states have laws that specify legal remedies (beyond the health guarantee the breeder gave) for people sold sick animals, but not having that certification within a specified time (9 days may be too late) means that you can't take advantage of the remedies. That may buy you some time to see if the puppy gets better without losing your legal rights.

Whether you should give the puppy back is difficult. I'd ask to talk to the vet (when you get that certification!) about what he thinks the puppy's most likely prognosis is going to be. If this is going to cause life-long difficulties, then you may want to give the puppy back. And one thing to seriously consider is that this dog is peeing a lot. Is that going to change? If not, are you willing to deal with a non-housebroken dog for the rest of her life, or are you going to eventually resent the dog? Sure, it's not her fault, but that may not matter to you the five hundredth time you are cleaning up a puddle.