Every year I like to offer a rundown of my holiday nightmare cases. Usually, these are the pups purchased in pet stores. With their…
…unrelenting coughs, watery eyes, sniffly noses, undescended testicles, whopping umbilical hernias, honking heart murmurs, popping knees, crunching hips, stunted sizes, abnormal dentition and full-on pneumonia…
…these pups make me cringe with their crises and get me hopping mad at the injustice perpetrated against them and their (typically) first-time puppy owners.
In case you’re wondering who in the heck would buy a sick pup, I’ve also got a short list of reasons why pups manage to make it home from the pet shops.
1-First-time pet owners (or those who haven’t had a pet in many years): This group of individuals is more likely to be unaware of how pets should be purchased or the benefits of adoption. They buy at pet shops thinking this is the way everyone does it, not knowing the risks they face.
2-The rescuers: This group sees a puppy in the window and wonders why he looks so sad. Sometimes he’s sick. Sometimes he’s just depressed. Either way, the puppy finds its way home with the “rescuer,” in spite of his potential illness.
A full 50% of my pet shop clients claim to fit into this category. Know what that means? More pet shops hawking defective wares knowing someone will take them home out of pity and misplaced good deed-ism. It’s an ugly and vicious circle. But I rarely have the heart to tell these owners how their “good deed” contributes to more suffering than they’re relieving.
3-The expediency experts: Last-minute shoppers tend to shop pet shops first. Why not? There’s one on every corner and the exact breed your kids are clamoring for is likely to be represented. Not there? The shop will find you one within 24 hours. Promise.
This year I’ve seen all the problems on my first list except the honking heart murmur. Lucky me. It seems heart murmurs are either killing them off earlier or falling out of fashion. I don’t know which alternative is worse.
The worst case is a pair of distemper pups—“mini” Schnauzers, “littermates.” But one of the pair is twice the size of the other and has significantly more fluid in her lungs. I suspect she’s not long for this world. But her owner still paid full price—some $800 for what was marketed as a “teacup Schnauzer varietal.” (Puh-lease.)
The majority of my clients only buy from pet shops only once, though I do have some kooky rescuers who insist on “saving” pet shop pets serially. You’d think they’d learn to save shelter pets instead but there’s no talking to some people.
Thankfully, however, the first time is usually enough for most. They’re so angry at the establishments for their treason and inhumanity that I’ve taken to downloading Better business Bureau and Florida Department of Agriculture forms so they can lodge their complaints immediately.
Despite my efforts, what I do affects the retail pet-purveying industry minimally. For all the ways there are to complain, there are far more channels through which to raise, transport and sell sick pets. I know this for sure because every year I see more and more of the same.
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A friend in PA, involved in working with the ASPCA, sent me a letter she'd received from one of her State Representatives to the effect that "commercial kennel" must have certain requirements in place in order to stay in business. If the ruling in HB 2525 is enforceable I can foresee it effectively curtailing the heavy puppy mill industry in that state. Wouldn't that be a blessing?
Ellie December 27th, 2008 09:42:34 AM
I thought I was doing the right thing by going to a breeder.. Picked Socks out of a whelping box at eight weeks of age.. He was one of two puppies left.. I chose him, as he was the little guy with the red hair, green eyes, and quiet demeanor.. The other guy was double his size, black, and very boisterous.. Took him to the vet the next day.. Checked out fine, but he wanted him to walk on hard surfaces to strengthen his legs.. Socks is now a 3 yo.. Still pretty quiet, walks with his feet turned out.. Gets bronchitis a couple of times a year.. Has allergies, and has a funky sounding arrhythmia.. Did I make the right choice? Of course I did.. Would never think of buying a dog at the pet store.. His vet bills still cost.. I just got a call from one of my staff members.. She got a puppy from a breeder a couple of months ago.. The dog was losing hair.. Dx. Mange Think I need to call her back.. It would be nice if she notifies the breeded of the Dx.. Need to put a reminder in.. I'm heading out for a mammogram.. For those that are behind on their yearly, or haven't consider it, it's not too late..
barri December 27th, 2008 09:56:05 AM
Barri, not all breeders are created equal. Unless your breeder is showing & doing genetic testing, the puppy you pick out could have just as many problems as a puppy mill pup. There's more to being a good breeder than raising dogs in your home. Anyone looking for a pure-bred puppy should always look to the breed's national club for breeder recommendations.
Jessica December 27th, 2008 11:16:41 AM
And then there are the "Internet breeders." Though by no means all those who sell pets online are of questionable quality, a great many are. i've seen horrible examples of Internet breeders. they have *almost* the same rate of problems as those I see from pet shops.
Dr. Patty Khuly December 27th, 2008 11:19:26 AM
Shortly after the death of Andee, their Pomeranian, my parents got a teacup Yorkie. Mom said she'd done her research and was fully aware that "teacup" Yorkies do not exist except as runts or purposely bred medical disasters, she wanted one anyway. The breeder sent the pup, at age 8wks, to them via the airline. They've had the tiny thing just a few weeks. They say they are prepared for the medical disaster they have named Missy. I sent them a long list of local and national Yorkie rescue groups hoping that they'd rescue a non-pup. The reason Mom didn't pursue that route? They didn't want a dog with medical problems. WTF?!
PaulaO December 27th, 2008 01:00:25 PM
Heather over at Raised By Wolves wrote a great article about buying pet store puppies where she says she thinks the "rescuer" type of purchaser may be as or more common now than the ignorant buyer. I agree with her assessment that this is an "emotionally dishonest, guilty cover for an underlying see - want -buy impulse."
Let's face it - even the most sorry looking specimen in a pet store doesn't ever need "rescuing". Eventually, if it gets sick enough the pet store will have it euthanized but otherwise as it gets older they'll just mark down the price until the puppy sells. There is NO WAY a pet store will ever send a pup to a shelter or abandon it on the street - they have too much money tied up in it.
But pet stores absolutely know that many people who come in and see the puppies feel sorry for them, in fact this is what they count on.
Barb December 27th, 2008 01:14:42 PM
It's the I want it now mentality. I agree completely with Heather, folks now use the " but I saved him!" excuse to excuse themselves from purchasing a misery puppy.
I had some one call two days before Christmas. They had made arrangements for an internet puppy bit fortunately the hubby worked with a mastiff breeder who read him the riot act so they cancelled it. But he was angry 'cause he wanted a puppy NOW to surprise his two teenage boy with on Christmas. He wanted to know why he should have to pay a high price for a pet quality pup from a reputable source, they should have been heavily discounted in his opinion etc...
I explained about the money going into health and genetic screening for well bred puppies, what OFA, PennHip and CERF were etc... What a good breeders contract entails. And went through my spiel about making the search and wait for the right puppy an exciting family project. The wife got it, but I have the feeling dad hung up and went online or to the paper to start making calls.
Maybe not, sometimes I find out later that something did sink in.
JenniferJ December 27th, 2008 03:54:33 PM
thank you for this subject
And then there are the "Internet breeders." Though by no means all those who sell pets online are of questionable quality, a great many are. i've seen horrible examples of Internet breeders. they have *almost* the same rate of problems as those I see from pet shops.
العقاري www.al3qary.com
www.al3qary.com December 27th, 2008 04:37:24 PM
Unfortunately, adopting from a shelter doesn't always bring you health either.
We discovered that Goodman's Ehrlichiosis is worse than we thought, with the Ehrlichia entering his bone barrow, so now we added Prednisone on top of his doxycycline (which he has been taking for more than a month now).
Sigh.
Goodman still isn't showing any clinical signs, so are keeping are hope.
But it is very disheartning.
He has come such a long way since I got him, evident from his pictures (later ones are on the buttom):
http://picasaweb.google.com/shosh.forbes/Goodman#
To the shelter's credit, the only reason we found out that Goodman is sick is the pre-op blood test I test I opeted for before his neuter (which is going to wait at the moment).
Xslf December 27th, 2008 05:02:18 PM
Xslf, nothing guarantees a healthy dog.
But shelters don't intentionally create puppies for profit while keeping their parents in misery. And the good shelters vet the dog first and tell you honestly what they do know about its health. That doesn't mean they discover everything about the animal's health, unfortunately, and you can wind up with a sick pet.
Still a world of difference from getting a sick pup from a puppy mill outlet where you paid too much and your money went to support keeping other animals in misery, rather than going to support giving other animals another chance.
Lis December 27th, 2008 05:20:12 PM
Lis- Obviosly. And I don't regret for a moment getting Goodman.
I guess I was just venting a little, that's all. The timing of all this (less than 6 months after my dear Julie died, and that was having her for only a short while) just makes this all the more difficult.
Xslf December 27th, 2008 05:28:11 PM
My brother got a goldendoodle from an internet breeder, and she is a great dog, and in perfect health.. He was reading an ad for another doodle, as a rescue from a breeder that took him back, as he was difficult to train.. Cody has major issues with his hips, and ended up very sick with Lyme disease,.. The vet cleared up the Lyme, and my brother doesn't let the hips bother him, and Cody's favorite thing is fetch, so he's strengthing the muscles, and ligaments.. A couple of months with the trainer cured the training problem.. Cody is a nice guy.. Socks on the other hand isn't.. He bit Cody.. Cody bit him back, and Socks need three sutures in his chest.. They aren't allowed to hang out together..
barri December 27th, 2008 06:46:23 PM
Barri, it's great your brother's puppy mill dog has turned out well so far. That's nice.
Her parents are still living in a dog version of hell, though, and her health is pure dumb luck, because her breeder isn't "wasting" money on testing for hereditary conditions, or screening the breeding dogs for temperament--or anything at all except the ability to produce large litters every single heat.
And, sorry to ask, but how old is she? Is the book really writ yet, on her health?
Lis December 27th, 2008 08:40:07 PM
Lis.. Madison is a 3 yo.. No, we still don't know what is to come, and might not.. Her temperment is unbelievable.. She's well mannered, and a pleasure to be around.. My brother met her parents after driving five hours to choose her.. She was bred on an Amish farm.. The breeder had a couple of pups to choose from.. To be honest, I'm not sure the breeder made much money off her.. She was $600.. and she was vet checked, had her first immunizations, dewormed twice.. I don't think the breeder of Socks made much either..He was vet checked, immunized, dewormed, and started on Nutro max dog food which is a decent commercial dog food.. I don't know the answers.. I chose a newborn puppy, as I needed a young small pup that my elderly parents could handle, as I drop him off in the a.m., and retrieve him on the way home.. I was going to the local shelters for weeks looking, and all the dogs were too big.. My last three dogs were from NSAL, and had long healthy lives.. Can someone please give me a hint on how to make paragraghs.. Thanks..
barri December 27th, 2008 09:36:51 PM
We made the mistake of buying from a greed breeder and ended up spending about 15k on a leg: http://lifewithdogs.blogspot.com/2006/10/ms-treatment-and-then-there-were-three.html
We learned our lesson, but not until it was too late and we were emotionally invested.
Neil December 28th, 2008 12:45:38 AM
Hey Doc, my favorite blogger ever. Since you're very aware of the dog population at large, I'm curious what you think about the accuracy of this chart:
Sources from Which Dogs and Cats Were Acquired:
------Source-------Dogs------Cats
Friend/Relative------34------40
Breeder*-------------29------4
Newspaper/*
Private Party--------20------11
Stray-----------------18------32
Animal Shelter*-----17------18
Puppy/kitten
from own pet--------16------12
Pet Store*------------8------5
Gift--------------------7------2
Other-----------------5------5
Veterinarian---------1------4
===================
Total --------------155------133
Respondents could name more than one source.
Therefore the percentage totals amount to more than 100.
* Some forethought and planning usually went into the acquisition of the pet.
Source: American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, Inc (APPMA). 2000. National pet owners survey.
http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/hsp/soa_ii_chap02.pdf
The thing that amazes me is that so few cats come from breeders. If you read that chapter in that PDF I linked, you'll just LOVE the role Vets play in keeping pets in homes. Hint: People who take their pet to the vet just once more than halve their risk of abandonment.... and it gets better the more times the pets go to the Vet.
So what do you think? Do those numbers seem reasonable?
Christopher December 28th, 2008 12:46:22 AM
Christopher: Thanks for the stats. It seems like a terrifically small sample size for such a huge pet market. 155 respondents? The APPMA can do better than that!
No, I don't really trust those numbers but it's perhaps not too far from reality. In my area the pet shop purchase would be higher and the shelter adoption would be lower.
Moreover, if just one percent of all owners got their pet from a veterinarian I wouldn't have so many kittens sitting in cages at work. That one's kind of bogus, IMO.
Dr. Patty Khuly December 28th, 2008 08:44:28 AM
Barri, Hate to tell you , but the Amish are notorious for running puppymills. Even if they took you into their house and said that the pups were raised inside, just this litter, with love, etc, they probably had a huge mill out back somewhere. There are a few that we know of that pose as loving families, rescuers, etc, but have hundreds of dogs in cages in the back.
Tara B. December 28th, 2008 08:56:07 AM
Barri, the easiest way to make paragraphs is to use the Firefox browser rather than Internet Explorer.
The Amish are notorious for running puppy mills where the breeding dogs are kept in horrendous conditions. "Vet checked" isn't "appropriately health screened," not at all. But driving there to pick up an eight-week-old pup (and taking one that's currently healthy, not a sickly one out of pity), does maximize your chances of a good outcome from that bad situation.
Lis December 28th, 2008 09:40:49 AM
Thanks a lot guys for informing me regarding the puppy mills, and breeders.. I get asked all the time ... I think next time I'm looking for a puppy, will go with a rescue.. I've been keeping an eye out, and there seem to be plenty.. Socks is not ready to share yet
barri December 28th, 2008 09:51:59 AM
The APPMA data are percentages, not individuals. As Christopher said, respondents could check more than one box, thus the totals are over 100 percent.
kabbage December 28th, 2008 11:18:45 AM
I'm actually kind of amazed that there are more studies like this considering how invested in that kind of data so many groups are (the AKC would want to know, the shelter community would want to know, the pet stores would want to know)... perhaps they have their own studies but they are just not published.
Buuuut... Dr. K.... did you see the bit later in the PDF about causes for pet relinquishment to shelters? To qoute my own blog post about the subject from a while ago:
"And how about this for mind blowing, if you visit a vet with your dog AT LEAST ONCE, you decrease your chance of abandoning your pet by 86%. Take your pet to the vet at least once per year and halve your remaining chance. Twice or more per year, halve that chance again!"
Vets are MAAAAGIC!
Christopher December 28th, 2008 04:29:35 PM
Re Christopher:
"f you visit a vet with your dog AT LEAST ONCE, you decrease your chance of abandoning your pet by 86%. Take your pet to the vet at least once per year and halve your remaining chance. Twice or more per year, halve that chance again!"
I don't doubt the correlation, just the causation. Sadly, there are lots of pet "owners" who don't take their pets to the vet at all. The ones who do are more committed. Thus, it may be that taking your pet to the vet is a sign of what kind of "owner" you are -- not that vets have magic potion against pet abandonment. Although, I bet most wish they did.
Stefani December 28th, 2008 09:17:32 PM
I can only speak from my personal experience, but most of my dog owning friends have purchased dogs from breeders or rescues. They have a very particular breed of dog in mind, based on the characteristics of the dog (size, energy level, barking, etc).
I only have one friend who got her cat from a breeder - a Maine Coon. The rest were from shelters. While different breeds of cats do vary in size, coat, energy level, the size difference between the largest and smallest cat is a lot less than the largest and smallest dog. Same goes for energy level - I have a high energy cat which means he likes to play fetch for 20 minutes in the evening - but I don't have to take him on a 5 mile run. Most of the time the person had an idea of what gender and type of purrsonality they were looking for, but even that didn't always play out. Cause cats pick you, you don't pick them.
2CatMom December 28th, 2008 11:08:34 PM
Sorry for mis-reading your stats, Christopher. Just wondering what the total sample size was. I don't disbelieve them but I'm willing to bet they don't hold up in my part of the country. In South Florida we have more pet shops per capita than anywhere else in the US except Arizona (according to HSUS). I see a new pet shop puppy at twice the rate of shelter/rescue adoptions.
In my clientele things are also very skewed by socioeconomics: pet shop purchasers tend to be less monied and they're more likely to be immigrants (this being SoFla my practice is more than 50% Hispanic).
And I agree with Stefani on causation vs. correlation. But vets ARE magic. ;-)
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