another buyer beware

[beagleacres]

I bought a puppy from a "reputable breeder" and the puppy had coccidiosis the breeder had been treating the puppy with Albon for 4 days. The breeder neglected to tell me that...I bought the pup on Friday and by Monday wass REALLY concerned. When I emailed the breeder THEN she told me the problem. By then....I had been a fool and let the pup play with a few of my other pups...and the condition spread. I have been in contact with the breeder and have tried everything to allow her to remedy the situation...and she refuses saying she told me...but she didn't at ANY TIME. And never in writing as the law requires. I have kept every email from her, and doublechecked everything...NEVER was it mentioned. I know NOW I should isolate puppies...but I didn't then... .I never have had problems before....but I also believe this is her doing....and she owes me something...what do you all think....and if you want to know who it is I will PM you....it is in the Midwest...and she is well known...

[BriarCreekBeagles]

I bought two pups from a friend who breeds a few litters here and there and they both had the same thing, He was not aware at the time I picked the pups up. Anyway i took a trip out of town and did not realize I had this problem until returning two days later and ended up loosing the female at the vets office, I thought it was parvo at first. So I notified my buddy and he had all the rest of the litter checked out and they were clean so we don't know if they got it here there or in between. with that being said I really didn't feel like he owed me anything as it wasn't something he was aware of and I am sure he would of told me. but being a good guy and having a consience he replaced the pup at no charge to me. Thank God for good honest people with character. But in my opinion if it's something the breeder knew about before hand and did not inform you (as I am sure you wouldn't have shelled out hard earned money on a sick pup) then the breeder should be fully responsbible for any incurred loss financial or otherwise. If they don't own up take them to small claims court and teach them a lesson

[oakhill]

Cocci is everywhere, even in adult and healthy dogs. It is when the pups get stressed that you end up with coccidiosis. Heat at this time of year can be a big factor. Also weaning a litter can cause problems. I tell everyone, ALWAYSSSSSSS, watch the feces, as there is where you will see the first sign of illness.

Also, isolation is a good thing, but a pup is a pack animal and you add more stress if you put it in a kennel by itself with no other contact with dogs unless you play with it all the time.

[beagle1]

SO WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IT AND PARVO? WHAT IS THE CURE, OR IS THERE ONE? JUST WONDERING I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS.

[Bev]

Coccidia are parasites, Parvo is a virus. Like the saying goes, all puppies are born with round worms, the same is true of coccidia. When their numbers get out of hand (due to stress and other factors) you have to treat them like you would any other parasite (Albon in the water for 10 days is usually sufficient). Most puppies are able to keep coccidia at bay, and their natural resistence to it increases as they age. You rarely hear of a 6-month-old having coccidiosis. Coccidia settle into the digestive tract and interfere with the puppy's ability to absorb it's food. They usually become rail-thin, have a foul, yellow diahrrea, and start to lose energy. Eventually, left untreated, they will most likely die. It's not hard to mistake coccidiosis for something else if you've never seen it before, but most people don't miss it a second time.

This time of year is particularly bad because even though coccidia are fairly self-limiting, bacterial environments allow them to flourish outside the host. Take a puppy box with a little bit of poop in the corners, carried in on their feet, and some hot, humid, August days...their boxes are like incubators for the organism. It's my belief you hear more about coccidiosis in the summer than in the winter.

Don't know if this is of any consequence, but I had my first experience with coccidosis with a litter of ten. The rapid weight loss in some of the pups, and my inability to pinpoint which one was having the diahrrea brought me to take a stool sample to the vet. 6 of the pups had coccidiosis, 4 didn't, they were never separated, and just I treated them all for good measure. I caught it in time and they were fine.

Parvo, being a virus, is a different danger altogether. As you know, there are no cures for a virus, only vaccines for some. If there were cures, we could cure common colds, and AIDS. You are at the mercy of a virus -- it must run its course and you can only treat the side symptoms in hopes of reducing the collateral damage. Penicillin is only given to dogs with Parvo to stop opportunistic "bacterial infections" that my hit while the virus is running its course and the pup's resistence is down. Anitbiotics only work on bacteria, not viri.

[oakhill]

Thanks, Bev, you said it all.

I work to prevent coccidiosis in my pups. Clean box regularly. When the pups are about 4 wks old I put albon in their water. Clean fresh water twice a day and also clean out the water bowl. I also have another source of water for the dam for about a week more as the albon water is said to have a little bitter taste. Know what coccidiosis is and know the symptoms. I can walk in my whelping shed and smell and know I have something going on. If you prevent then you don't have to treat. IF you get a full blown case go on Albon suspension which is given orally once a day and the first dose is loaded which is double the dose. Coccidiosis is treated easily but if gone untreated you could loose a whole litter.

Now parvo is a dog owner's nightmare

[beagleacres]

This breeder KNEW she had it in the puppies. And after I took the dog....she didn't tell me until AFTER I emailed her on Monday to ask why the pup was sick. I bought the pup on Friday...so we went to the vet. She kept the rest of the pups on Albon...but she remains beligerent and says it is on my papers that the pup wsa on Albon ...if it is it is written with INVISIBLE ink. She refuses to pay ANY of the vet bills, or make any of it right. I'd be stupid to get another pup from her,and so would anyone else....but according to her web site, she is going to have 4 more litters because of HIGH demand for her pups. She flat out told me in her most recent email that she didn't give a hoot for what the laws where in her state, and didn't have time or the inclination to read them. I am awful tempted to just say on the board who she is and take the consequences that she might have friends here....even though I am new. The icing on the cake was when she told me she routinely treats with Albon, and that I probably gave the pup the disease here....Majic huh?

[Bev]

Do me favor and don't list her name here. You've already mentioned that it's a female breeder from the midwest, and we know it's not Sally. If you want to mention the state she's in, fine. Anybody here who's contemplating buying a pup from a female breeder in that state knows how to contact you via the private messaging feature this board has. I have nothing against passing along your experience -- just do it like a responsible adult. I don't like it being publicly spewed and people being named, because when you get right down to it, anybody could do that to anyone else if they wanted to -- whether it was true or false, and even if it turned out to be false, the wrongly accused will always be looked at with a jaunticed eye. Tell people who inquire in private, then let them make their own decisions. I just got done with a nasty thread where umpteen people who weren't even involved in the transaction had to start slingin' crap.

Thank you.

[harrow]

where can you get Albon? will TSC have it?

[beagleacres]

sorry, but Albon you HAVE to get from your vet...Corid I think you can get at TSC. But the dogs HATE Corid...it is a cattle med....both work...

[harrow]

thanks, I was headed to TSC in a little bit and was hoping to get the Albon while I was there. it would save me a trip to town. another ? how old are your pups when you begin to wean them? mine are almost 4 wks now and seem to want to eat mom's food.

[scootersjill]

it is best to leave them at least 6 wks. then start to wean them.

[AlabamaSwamper]

Do me favor and don't list her name here. You've already mentioned that it's a female breeder from the midwest, and we know it's not Sally.Thank you.

Silly you Bev. Sally isn't in the midwest. She's in the south. Has to be, she makes the best sweet tea around!

[beagleacres]

Okay, now can I ask you guys/gals....now that my dogs are back healthy again...thank god......do I sue the breeder for the vet bills??????? I want to so bad........or do I let it go??????

[fulcount]

Put the corid in the drinking water each day that will help too