Fading puppy syndrome?

[cranberry130]

@blackgold00 Sadly, many genetic disorders can manifest later in life. There is always the risk of losing a dog, but genetic testing greatly reduces the risk of it.

 

[nauma]

@cranberry130 This is all you need here, OP

 

[blackgold00]

@nauma Thank you so much

 

[blackgold00]

@cranberry130 Thank you so much for your response. I agree there are numerous red flags here; I was quite taken aback when the breeder told me this on a FaceTime call a few days ago and have been processing it for the past few days as I formulate my response. She has not taken the initiative to provide any information or reassurance to me. In response to your points:

1. My first dog is a mixed breed (also maltipoo) and hasn’t had any major health issues, but I’m not an expert on breeds or breeders so idk.
2. That’s what I saw as well after googling. She didn’t specify when the puppy passed away, but was still referring to him as being alive @ 3 weeks old.
3. She said she took the deceased puppy to the vet after he passed. According to her he appeared lethargic one evening and had passed by morning. No mention of taking the mother or my puppy to vet (claims mom is up to date on all vaccines etc).
4. I haven’t met her because I live out of state (2 hour plane ride from the breeder)

All of these other questions are excellent points that I will ask her to confirm. I don’t know how many times the mom has been bred, but I do know she is almost 5 years old and most recently has been bred 1-2x per year. She sells the puppies for $3k each. There are no other current puppies available (the other two most recent litters, from different moms, were born in January and already sold). I have no idea what the mom and dad are up to date on. She does include a one year health guarantee but I don’t want to get a puppy that will pass away. I received the attached medical record with my first dog (this is the blank version; breeder name redacted)

https://preview.redd.it/s4t2ewhn2f1...bp&s=a814fb6fa3bcf0c4cf3594a09e09f1fb31f5f0f3

 

[cranberry130]

@blackgold00 To be clear, it’s the absolute bare minimum for any dog owner to keep their dog up to date on vaccines.

An ethical and reputable breeder may be completing the following testing (up to and including, but not limited to):

-OFA certification

-X-rays for luxating patellas(this is common in poodles and therefore poodle mixes)

-Ophthalmology/Eye examination

-Full urinalysis and blood panels

-Breed specific testing for common and genetic disorders

-And so much more.

On top of that, AKC dogs will have a full lineage, so you’ll know if any disorders turn up later down the road.

There is so much that goes into breeding actually healthy dogs. I’m sure this woman thinks she’s a capable breeder, but quite frankly, she’s not. I hope your current dog remains healthy and lives a long life, but I mean this so seriously, run.

Good breeders aren’t breeding for money. They’re breeding for betterment of the breed. A puppy that is $3000 should include all of this testing on them/their parents and that testing should date back at least a generation.

To me, it sounds like your breeder is in it for the money. Bad news.

Go to the Poodle club of America website and the Maltese club of America website. Look up reputable breeders and you’ll see all of the care and testing they do for their dogs and puppies.

 

[andrew742]

@blackgold00 Ethical breeders also should give you a lifetime health guarantee for genetic issues. A one year health guarantee is a red flag. If your puppy has hip dysplasia (or a similar genetic condition that an ethical breeder would health test for), it's very unlikely to manifest before one year of age.

 

[cranberry130]

@andrew742 That’s not true. The testing for genetic conditions means breeders are doing their best to eliminate the genetic condition from their line, but it cannot ever be guaranteed. In my experience a 1-2 year health guarantee is very normal.

 

[andrew742]

@cranberry130 Ethical breeders test for these conditions though and only breed dogs with proper conformation and proper hips to increase the chances of producing structurally sound dogs. Backyard breeders don't even test for things like hip scores the majority of the time.

On the health guarantee, every ethical breeder I have health with has had a lifelong health guarantee. Hip dysplasia often doesn't present until later in life, and they stand by their guarantee if it ever were to arise.