This page is an attempt to help you, the prospective buyer, prepare for the purchase of a puppy.  This information will, hopefully, help you establish a better working relationship with your veterinarian and your breeder.   It is my hope that this information will help prevent misunderstandings or disappointment after the purchase of a puppy.  

If you are considering the purchase of a puppy or dog and you do not have a veterinarian that you trust and are comfortable with, you should resolve this deficiency before finishing your hunt for a puppy.  Most reputable breeders will offer a health guarantee on their puppies, but one of their requirements will often be that you have your veterinarian do a "well-puppy" exam within 48-72 hours of purchase.  The reason for this exam is to assure (and have an agreement between) all parties that the purchased puppy was healthy at the time the buyer took possession of the dog.  

Due to the common breeder requirement of an immediate veterinarian exam, you will need to have a veterinarian picked out before you purchase your puppy.   Be sure and notify your chosen veterinarian that you will be purchasing a puppy shortly and that you will need to have that puppy examined within a couple of days of purchase.   Remember that, just like a human infant, your new puppy is going to need regular, high-quality health care for disease prevention and to assure that the puppy is growing and developing as he should.   In addition to the well-puppy exam that your breeder is likely to require, your new puppy is also going to need to visit your veterinarian for its final puppy shots, a rabies vaccination and to get started on its heartworm, flea and tick preventative medication. 

If you are unsure of how to find a veterinarian, ask a number of friends, neighbors and family members for their recommendations.  You can also check the phone book and call specific clinics and ask for client references.   If possible, ask one or two veterinary techs and/or the receptionist who they would recommend other than their current boss.   You can also check with groomers in your area.  Most groomers will have information on area vet clinics that their clients use.  I would also highly recommend contacting the local kennel club for references.   Obviously, if you live close to your breeder, you can also ask which veterinarians your breeder recommends.

As you begin your search for a veterinarian, there are several important considerations.   The first of these is the clinic location.  Be sure that the veterinary clinic you choose is within a reasonable distance in case of an emergency.  Along these same lines, find out if the clinic you are thinking of using offers emergency after-hours care.  Personally, I hate having to use an "emergency only" clinic if one of my dogs has an emergency health care issue.   These clinics and vets have no history with me, my pets or my pet's on-going medical issues, so I'm often uncomfortable with having my animals treated in this type of clinic.  

Another consideration regarding "emergency only" clinics is that they often charge 3-6 times (or more!) what a normal veterinarian would charge for the same service.   Emergency clinics usually require full payment at the time of service too.  This can place a heavy burden on those with a tight budget and/or those with a fixed income if their pet is seriously injured or ill.  While a private vet will often take payments for expensive emergency treatment if the owner is an established client, owners going to an emergency clinic could be faced with having to make a life and death decision based on finances!  

Of course, the up-side of emergency clinics is that they are fully staffed throughout the night.  Many other facilities will only have a vet that will come in for your dog's "emergency" care.  Vet clinics that do not usually have night-time staff will usually only have someone come in to check on your dog every 3-4 hours after the "emergency" is treated.   Or the animal may go all night without being checked if the vet doesn't feel the animal's condition is life-threatening.   This area of care is something you should check into before deciding on a vet clinic.  If you have a strong opinion on whether your dog will be left alone after an emergency or when critically ill, you should be aware of your veterinary clinic's regular practices for these situations.

 Personally, I prefer to use a clinic that offers emergency after-hours services for my pets.  Then, if my normal vet feels that my pet's emergency situation requires 24 hour observation or care, I can choose to make use of the emergency clinic for that situation.   I also like to use a clinic that offers after-hours care because I feel that these clinics many times offer better options for pet care.  One of the reasons I feel this way is due to the fact that clinics offering after-hours services often have numerous veterinarians.  More than one veterinarian means that, in unusual or difficult cases, I can get the input of more than one vet at the same time and at the same place.  While this may not entirely eliminate the need for further consultation or outside evaluation, it can reduce the frequency that additional veterinary input is needed.

Other information that you need to investigate when looking for a veterinarian will include:

•  Expertise/Specialty - if you live in a reasonably large city, you will likely be able to find a veterinarian that specializes in treating small animals.

• Experience - your chosen veterinarian should have a number of years practicing in a public clinic that regularly deals with canine patients.

• Education - you will want to be assured that the veterinarian you choose is a graduate of a well-known, highly-regarded veterinary college.

After speaking with friends and relatives and doing preliminary research on veterinarians in your area, you will probably be left with 2 or 3 possible veterinary choices.  At this point you will want to schedule a visit with the different clinics to inspect their facilities, talk with the staff and to meet the vet or vets in person.  While you are visiting each clinic, check out the atmosphere in the waiting room and with the staff.  Does the clinic appear organized and clean?  Are the animals quiet and reasonably well-behaved or are they unduly frightened or out of control?  Does the staff appear knowledgeable, capable and caring?

Remember to choose a veterinarian that you are comfortable with and that you can talk to.  A vet that will take the time to answer your questions and address your concerns (without a high-handed "because I'm the vet and I said so" attitude) is worth their weight in gold.  Another important area of concern when choosing a veterinarian is whether or not a vet is willing to refer clients to "specialty" vets or clinics.  You don't want a vet that will "make up" a diagnosis if he can't find the true cause of a problem.  (This is often seen with skin issues - "It must be an allergy.").  You also don't want to choose a vet that refuses to consider alternative or new treatments (holistic care/new vaccine protocols).

While you are at each clinic, be sure to inquire and check out any additional services, such as grooming and boarding, that are available through the veterinary clinic.  If you like what you see and hear at one of the clinics you visit, let the vet know that you will be making an appointment to bring in your new puppy as soon as you pick him up. 

Your puppy's first trip to the vet clinic should be fairly simple.  The vet will likely ask that you bring in a stool sample (to check for worms - see Collecting a Stool Sample below), the puppy's health/shot record and any other relevant information supplied by the breeder.  He will ask you questions about your pet's eating and exercise habits.   He will take the puppy's temperature, pulse and respiratory rate and will check the following areas for the specified problems/issues:

• Heart - abnormal heart sounds.

• Lungs - congestion.

• Skin and coat - signs of dryness/irritation or parasites. 

• Nose - abnormal discharge.

• Ears - abnormal discharge, odor or parasites.

• Eyes - signs of injury, infection or defects.

• Mouth - proper development and correct alignment of teeth and correct color and formation of soft tissue.

• Abdomen - tumors or internal organ irregularities.

• Rectum - signs of internal parasite infection.

• Legs/Feet - abnormal growth/structure/development.

Once your vet has finished his exam, if there are no issues or problems that need to be addressed, then you will need to discuss and schedule any immunizations that your puppy is lacking or will need a t a later date.   This is also a good time to ask about flea, tick and heartworm preventative as well as spaying or neutering.

Your veterinarian will often ask that you bring a fresh fecal sample to your dog's veterinary appointment.  Even if you are not asked to do so, it's often a good idea to take one anyway.  Bringing a stool sample to each appointment may save you an extra trip or two if your vet should decide he needs one and can't get one in the office.  

A fecal sample can be as little as a small, fingernail-sized segment, or you may bring a "log" or other larger portion of a complete stool.  Sometimes having a larger portion can be helpful, but a small amount is all that is usually necessary.  Remember that the sample must be fresh - picked up within 10-15 minutes of elimination and either refrigerated or taken immediately to the vet's.  

You can pick up and store/transport your dog's stool sample in any type of plastic sandwich Baggie.  To retrieve the stool sample, turn the Baggie inside out over your hand.  Using the Baggie like a rubber glove, simply pick up a portion of a fresh stool (or the entire stool).   Once you have the stool sample in your Baggie "glove", use the other hand to pull the top of the Baggie down and over the sample.  This will turn the Baggie right-side out and will enclose the stool sample.   Twist tie the Baggie closed (or Ziplock if you used a fancy bag).   Voila, you have a fresh, sanitary, easily portable stool sample for your vet!  (This technique can be used to clean up after your dog on walks too). 

 

At this point, I'm afraid that I have to address a couple of areas of concern that relate to the relationships between you, your breeder, your veterinarian and your dog.   I, and many other breeders, have faced problems with new owners due to the actions/statements of certain veterinarians.  Many of these situations are a direct result of the fact that most veterinarians are "general" practitioners and not species, or more importantly, breed specialists.  

A good breeder will be a breed specialist and will have first-hand knowledge of certain products, foods, treatments and care that work best for their dogs.  Veterinarians, on the other hand, usually have a general level of knowledge regarding all types of dogs, from Chihuahuas to Great Danes, and they may have a tendency to treat all dogs, regardless of size or breed, in the same manner.   Unfortunately, trying to feed/treat/care for a toy dog in the same manner that you do a giant dog is not always the correct course of action. 

While some vets are very open-minded and do not get incredibly uptight about a breeder instructing their puppy buyers to feed a certain type of dog food or to use certain products, there are a number of vets that feel a breeder has no right to influence the decisions a pet owner makes regarding the care/health of their animal.  This type of veterinarian feels that breeders who continuously offer advice to puppy/dog owners are practicing veterinary medicine without a license.  These vets many times tell owners that breeders have no formal training, so their opinions should not be considered as valuable as their own advice.   This type of vet often puts himself in competition with the breeder for the respect and loyalty of the dog owner.   This type of vet may disparage the breeder's animal husbandry practices and will often make the puppy/dog owner feel guilty about listening to their breeder's advice.   This type of vet may also pressure dog owners into switching brands of dog food or into having treatments or procedures that a breeder has specifically advised against.  New owners should be aware that this type of fanatical, professional jealousy does occur with some veterinarians.  This is a serious issue for dog owners as this behavior can lead to serious conflicts and can actually create health problems for your dog or may even put your dog's life at risk.   

Another situation that can cause problems when new owners visit their veterinarians is that due to an overwhelming number of puppy-mill and back-yard breeders, many veterinarians view all "breeders" as poorly-informed, money-hungry producers of diseased and defective animals.   Because veterinarians see a large number of poor-quality, diseased and defective puppies that were sold to unsuspecting buyers by unscrupulous "breeders", a vet may automatically assume that your puppy came from a run-of-the-mill breeder.  This assumption, along with the above mentioned fact that few veterinarians are breed specialists, can lead some vets to jump to wrong conclusions about your puppy 's health status, development or need for medical care.  The assumption by a veterinarian that a puppy came from a "bad" breeder may unduly influence the vet's evaluation of the puppy that is being examined.   Incorrect assumptions about where or how a puppy was raised can influence said dog's treatment and could lead to inappropriate care.

Please understand that I am not saying that all breeders are perfect or that we know more than veterinarians.  Nor am I saying that all vets act in the way I have described.  I am also not suggesting that a new owner should listen to their breeder and disregard their veterinarian's advice.  I am merely pointing out that the types of problems described above have been known to occur (as detailed below) and that I believe new owners should be aware that these types of problems could influence their dog's medical care.   I also believe owners should remember that veterinarians are just people, and like the rest of us, are not perfect and do not know everything there is to know about every subject.  I hope everyone that reads this article can understand that this information is not being presented to undermine the veterinarian/client relationship, but to encourage owners to be more aware and informed of the choices available for their dog's care.  By pointing out problems and issues that have been faced by others, it's my hope that future problems can be avoided or minimized.

Let me also say here that I deeply respect veterinarians for their commitment to the welfare of animals and that I truly believe most vets have only the well-being of their client's dogs in mind.  I do not mean to imply that you shouldn’t listen to your veterinarian or ignore his advice.  You should ALWAYS listen to your veterinarian, but I believe that when possible, you should also check with your breeder and other available resources about any health concerns that arise about your new puppy.  I think it is imperative that owners realize that THEY are in charge of their animals care and that as the person in charge, it is up to them to decide what is and is not appropriate for their animal.  This means that owners must use all of their available resources (their breeder, their veterinarian, the internet, books, etc.) to determine the appropriate course of action/treatment/care for their animal.  This means for day-to-day issues AND in times of crisis. 

I would recommend that, when possible, owners always do some outside research before jumping off the deep end into expensive or prolonged medical care for their dog.   Remember, veterinarians make their money by selling their services.  If your dog isn't sick, the vet isn’t making money!  Again, I don’t mean that you should not listen to your vet.  Nor do I wish to imply that your veterinarian would purposely prolong your dog’s treatment or treat your dog unnecessarily.  However, there is usually more than one opinion on how to treat canine illness, disease and injury.  Finding out about different options is the smart and sensible thing to do.

To help illustrate the reasons I have written this article, I would like to relate some situations between new owners, breeders and veterinarians that I have had to deal with or that friends of mine have had to address.  These are all situations that I was personally involved with or in which I knew at least one of the involved parties.   

1. I sold a 10-week-old puppy to an older gentleman several years ago.  He called me back 2 days later very upset.  His vet had told him the dog’s tail had not been docked and would require a very painful and expensive surgery to fix.  This vet had told my puppy buyer that I was a "puppy mill" and not a reputable breeder because I had not followed the breed standard and docked the dog's tail.  I had to explain, and then prove, that his vet did NOT know what he was talking about.  The pup’s tail HAD been docked.  It was “show” length, not a stub as this vet believed was correct.  I offered pictures of show dogs from magazines and actual shows to convince the gentleman that his vet was incorrect and that the pup’s tail WAS the correct length.  I did, of course, offer these same pictures to the attending veterinarian as an aid in furthering his education about Cocker Spaniels.  Luckily the veterinarian was stopped before he did an unnecessary $300.00 tail amputation!
   

2. A number of years ago I sold a young puppy to an elderly couple.  Two days later the gentleman called yelling and threatening me because his vet had told him the puppy was blind!  He said the pup would run into things and didn’t seem to know where it was going.  I tried to explain that a young pup is normally hesitant when in a new place and that they lack the necessary self-control and experience to always stop before running into objects.  He insisted on bringing the pup back right then because he was canceling the check.  His vet said the dog was blind and I could not convince him otherwise.  He brought the pup back, with his wife crying hysterically in the background because she did not want to give the puppy back. 
   
   Even though both parents of this supposedly "blind" puppy already had current clear veterinary ophthalmologist eye exams, I took the entire litter and both parents to my veterinarian the next day for eye exams.  I did not tell him why.  After he examined all 6 pups and the parents, he stated that as far as he could tell, everyone’s vision and eye structure were perfect.  (While this vet is not an ophthalmologist, he raises and shows dogs, regularly has his breeding dogs eyes certified and is somewhat more familiar with eye defects than many vets.)  At this point, I told my vet the story of the buyers, the other veterinarian and the fact that the one pup was supposedly blind.  I showed him the pup that was returned and he spent an additional 10 minutes evaluating this particular pup.  He still could not find a problem with the dog's sight or eye structure. 
   
   One week later I had the same pup tested by a licensed canine ophthalmologist and her eye structure and sight were found to be perfect.   When I called the couple that had returned the puppy to tell them the results of the testing, I spoke with the wife.  She was devastated.  She had wanted to keep the pup even with a problem and said she had done nothing but cry the entire two weeks since her husband had made her give the dog back.  This dog has had her eyes retested repeatedly with no defects ever being found!   While there was no medical risk to the dog involved with this situation, the puppy was traumatized by being taken to a new home and then returned.  The couple that purchased the dog was horribly upset when they were convinced that they had purchased a "defective" dog and were justifiably incensed with me because their vet told them "the breeder had to have known the dog was defective."   In addition to the buyers and the puppy, I was traumatized by being yelled at, cursed and threatened.  I was also financially impacted by this situation as I had to return the funds paid on the puppy in question; I had to hold the entire litter until I could prove without a doubt that all of the puppies were healthy; and I had to pay for unnecessary veterinary evaluations and exams (for the entire litter) from 2 different veterinarians.  
   

3.  A breeder friend sold a young puppy to a pet home.  The lady called back a few days later very upset and crying.  Her vet had told her the puppy was probably going to die as it had “water on the brain”.  The veterinarian told the buyer that his diagnosis was based on the fact that Cockers were supposed to have flat heads and this puppy had a rounded, domed shape to its skull that was a clear indication of Encephalitis.  He suggested euthanizing the puppy!  This diagnosis was, of course, ludicrous and in no way factual.  Luckily the woman called the breeder and did not destroy the dog.  Another veterinarian examined the dog and found it to be perfectly normal.  This "diagnosis" of a severe defect resulted from the vet having no factual reference for the physical characteristics of the breed.  If the veterinarian had done any research on the breed at all, this situation could have been avoided as the Cocker Spaniel breed standard specifically states that the head should be “rounded but not exaggerated with no tendency toward flatness.”
   

4. The following situation has happened with pups I have sold and with pups sold by several other breeders I know.  A puppy is sold to a new home and a few days later develops diarrhea.   The pup is taken to the vet and diagnosed with Giardia or Coccidiosis.   The vet tells the new owner that these are “puppy mill” diseases, common in unclean surroundings and/or in pups that are not well cared for.  The dog is treated for the disease, the owner is given medication to continue treating the dog at home and the owner is charged $50 to $60 for all of the vet's hard work of finding and treating this horrible disease.  Of course, the new puppy owner is now convinced that their breeder is a puppy-mill and raises unhealthy dogs in terrible conditions, but hey, the vet must know what he's talking about, right? 
   
   Well, the vet may know what he's talking about, but in this case he only gave the puppy owner a small portion of the important and relevant information regarding Coccidiosis, Giardia and incidences of puppy diarrhea.   One of the most important pieces of information that was withheld is that puppy diarrhea can be completely unrelated to disease and is many times innocuous and self-curing.  Any changes in routine, diet, care, surroundings or the ingestion of trash (people food, toilet paper, paper towels, pieces of toys, string, grass, etc.) or excessive/unusual exercise or changes in weather could trigger a simple case of diarrhea in puppies.  This anonymous veterinarian also forgot to mention that, unless your puppy was showing signs of DISEASE (vomiting, anorexia, lethargy, fever, weight loss, blood in the stool) at the moment you picked him up, and unless you know that the breeder knew of these symptoms and had not been treating the dog, THE BREEDER CANNOT BE ACCUSED OF INAPPROPRIATE OR INADEQUATE CARE!  A breeder CANNOT be held accountable for illness or disease that is the result of factors outside of the breeder's control.  If you take a puppy home and that action results in illness of the dog, then your breeder is not responsible and could not have prevented that condition. 
   
   While strictly speaking it is true that unclean surroundings can contribute to Coccidiosis and Giardia infection, it is also true that if veterinarians diagnose a dog with a clinical case of one of these diseases, they should relate several other important FACTS to new owners.  These facts are: 

   • Coccidia and Giardia are common parasitic organisms that live in the environment, in a number of domestic animals and in humans. 

   • They can be found in the feces of infected animals as well as in the soil and in contaminated feed, lakes, streams, ponds, wells and sometimes even in the potable water supply.  

   • These parasites are routinely present in the fecal samples of dogs, cats, humans and other animals (which may or may not show clinical signs of disease).  

   • Finding these parasites in a stool sample is considered "normal" unless the dog is showing signs of clinical illness - diarrhea (sometimes bloody), anorexia, dehydration. 

   • Most animals infected with these parasites will not be clinically ill or show signs of disease UNLESS their immune systems are weakened or compromised in some way. 

   • The most common triggering factor for clinical disease of these parasites is stress - moving to a new home, shipping, changes in food and/or water, vaccination, weather changes, weaning.

   • These parasites are considered an "opportunistic" disease which take advantage of other health issues to attack an already compromised immune system.

   • Clinical disease is usually the result of stress or another triggering factor which allows the parasites an opportunity to multiply unchecked. 

   • A puppy developing an infection due to one of these parasites does NOT automatically mean the dog was unhealthy when you purchased it; or that it was raised in an unclean environment; or that the breeder did not provide proper care, facilities or medical attention.  

   I had an occasion where a pup I had sold was diagnosed with Coccidiosis.   The new owners had not taken the dog to the veterinarian's office for illness, the dog was being seen for its next set of puppy shots and a routine exam.   The veterinarian checked a stool sample and told the owner that the dog had a "severe" Cocccidiosis infection from having been raised in unclean conditions.   The veterinarian convinced the owner that the dog needed a shot and additional medication to take home.   The new owners contacted me after this visit and I immediately contacted the veterinarian. 

   Remember, there were no clinical signs of disease in this dog, nor had the owner related that the dog was suffering from any symptoms of illness, yet the veterinarian insisted on treating the dog for a parasitic "infection".   When I spoke with the veterinarian and pressed for an exact accounting of the infection, the vet admitted to me that the pup probably did not actually have a clinical case of Coccidiosis, he just had a few Coccidia protozoa in the stool.   He agreed that the presence of Coccidia protozoa were NOT, as he originally told the new owners, an indication of poor living conditions or hygiene and that the number of protozoa he found in this pup’s stool sample would have to be considered normal since the dog was not exhibiting signs of illness.   This was totally opposite of what he had told the owner! 

   Unknown to this veterinarian, I had done a three-way call with the new owners for this conversation and had asked that they not let the veterinarian know they were on the phone while I discussed the situation.  Needless to say, the new owners were VERY upset to find out their dog had not needed to be given medication and that they had been charged for services and medication that the dog did not need.  They did, of course, find a new veterinarian after this, but they were still out the cost of the treatment for the dog.  I know a number of other breeders who have dealt with situations similar to this and in which the comments made about the breeders' animal husbandry practices and the health of their dogs were inappropriate and way out of line.

The stories above are just a sampling of the “trying” experiences I’ve had to deal with in over 20 years of breeding Cocker Spaniels.  Believe me, there have been many others just as shocking or ludicrous.  Again, my point with the stories above is NOT to undermine the relationship that new owners have with their veterinarians.   My point is to encourage new owners to use every possible resource that is available so that they can take a knowledgeable, active roll in the decisions that are made regarding their dog's health care. 

Hopefully, having read the stories above, new owners will remember that their breeder is a valuable resource that should be utilized if there is any question as to a new puppy's health or well-being.   New owners should also keep in mind that a good breeder will not consider it an inconvenience to help their puppy/dog owners.  A good breeder will always make time to help and support their dogs' owners because that is what being a responsible breeder means.  

If you should have a problem after taking your new puppy home (your veterinarian diagnosis a serious health issue or defect), please try to keep in mind that your breeder has more than likely done everything possible to ensure the health of his/her puppies. Unfortunately, there is only so much a breeder can do. Dogs are living, breathing animals and there is actually very little that a breeder has "control" of when it comes to the genetic make-up of a particular dog. It is always possible for a particular litter to contain one or more pups with a birth defect. This is just a fact of nature. Even with health testing, a reasonable idea of the over-all genetic health of the parents and the best of care and attention, a breeder could end up getting a defective puppy. Sometimes these things just happen. 

A reputable breeder will do the best they can to screen their breeding stock for genetic defects, but they cannot prevent everything.  This is because many genetic issues are the result of hidden genes and a breeder may have no idea that their dog is a "carrier" for a specific defect.   A dog that is not affected and never shows signs of a particular problem, could be a "carrier" for that defect and could produce defective puppies.   A "carrier" dog may produce defective puppies only when bred to another "carrier" dog - each "carrier" supplies a particular puppy with a defective gene and the combination of two of the same defective genes makes a defective puppy.  Or one "carrier" dog may pass on a defective gene that can cause a defective puppy - such as a female dog passing on the sex-linked gene that causes a male puppy to only have one descended testicle.  

My point with all of this is that even a reputable breeder is not God.  Choosing to buy your puppy from a reputable breeder can help minimize the chances of getting a defective puppy, but it cannot completely eliminate the risk.  Just as some humans can be born with a defect that is not apparent at birth, some puppies may not develop correctly or a defect may be found when the puppy is a few weeks or months old.  A reputable breeder will have done their best to screen their breeding dogs for known health issues, but every breeder will eventually produce one or more defective puppies if they breed long enough.   Some are fortunate enough to go years before they see a problem, but others may see a problem in their first, second or third litter.   

If you should purchase a puppy and it ends up having a problem, try to remember that your breeder did not set out to breed a defective dog.  Nor is it likely the breeder picked you out as a "dupe" to dump a defective dog on.  If you did your research and chose a reputable breeder, then you and the breeder just happened to be unlucky.   So please, if you are ever faced with a puppy that has developed a problem, try to deal with the situation in a calm and reasonable manner.  A reputable breeder will usually be more than happy to work with you and help you if you do not "attack" them.  

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Last revised: January 04, 2006