The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

A while back we talked about pet shelters and what you can do to help decrease the unwanted pet population; you can read that story here. Many of my clients adopt pets from these shelters, but some do not; some clients purchase pets directly from breeders, pet stores, or so-called "puppy mills". Notice that I make the distinction between the three sources. Recently, a couple of my friends each acquired a new puppy; without talking to me first, mind you. They found an ad in the newspaper and each purchased a puppy on Saturday afternoon; one of the pups died Sunday afternoon, the other pup was severely ill, both from parvovirus. This was an excellent illustration of purchasing a pet without doing some research first, only to end up with an unhealthy, and in this case, gravely ill pet. I wanted to shed a little light on these pet sources and talk about how to go about finding a good healthy pet.

The dreaded puppy mill is all too often the source of many pets here in the U.S.; they typically have more dogs than they can provide adequate care for, animals are typically housed in less than ideal conditions, and, as a result, often have unhealthy puppies and kittens that may have a myriad of health problems when presented to a prospective buyer. These problems do not, however, always appear obvious to the new pet buyer and often require treatment and care for days to weeks before the young pet becomes healthy; if it doesn't succumb to deadly diseases in the process. Such problems/diseases would include, but are definitely not limited to: parvoviral enteritis, distemper, coccidiosis, giardiasis, hookworm/roundworm/tapeworm infection, fleas, ticks, ear mites, sarcoptic mange, demodectic mange, cleft palate, congenital heart defects, heart murmur, inguinal/umbilical hernias, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, congenital cataracts, hypoglycemia, post-weaning stress, etc. These are just the common problems that we see in young pets from these unscrupulous "puppy mills". Here's a recent article that gives you an idea of how these places do business. This pet source is typically not very well educated in animal welfare/husbandry, does not work closely (if at all) with a veterinarian to ensure the health of the operation, and does not operate with ethical and humane principles. Obviously, this is the worst source for a new puppy or kitten. Fortunately, these types of operations are being tolerated less and less these days; see this article.

Pet stores are becoming increasingly less popular in some areas (check this article), due to overpopulated shelters and some pet stores acquiring animals from questionable sources. Pet stores often acquire their animals from various mixed sources; some of which are often puppy mills and some reputable breeders. When purchasing from a pet store, typically you are getting a healthier animal than from a puppy mill, but who knows where that animal actually came from and what type of care it and it's parents received prior to arriving at the store. Why is that important? We'll get to that in a moment.

Finally, the responsible breeder; these breeders often operate on a much smaller scale, say 2 or 3 females, or maybe up to 8 females. These people breed these animals because they have a passion for a particular breed, and feel that they have exceptional animals that have something to contribute to the breed. They take exceptional care of their animals, they work closely with a veterinarian to ensure the health of these animals, and they strive to produce excellent offspring that are very healthy and often have many health clearances on the offspring's parents. These health clearances are typically for genetic disorders/diseases and differ among breeds but the most common ones are performed through an organization called Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), and would include: hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, eye CERF exams, and other genetic/congenital diseases and disorders.

OK, so there's one more source that we really didn't cover; the pet owner/one-time breeder. This source is a little more difficult to describe because it can vary quite a bit, but most of the time, this is Joe Pet Owner who really wants an offspring from his beloved pet "Coco". Most of the time this pet owner talks to his veterinarian and educates him/herself about the process and decides to breed his pet. Most often you will hear of their puppies from friends or relatives. Now this is not a terrible source for a new pet, but it can be if Joe didn't do his homework.

If you decide to purchase a new pet, rather than adopt from a shelter, there are a few things you should do first:

• Decide what type or breed of pet you and your family desire
• Study the type or breed to make sure that it will be a good fit for your family
• Find out the common problems or defects that breed may have
• Determine how much money you'd like to spend on your new pet

Once you've done your homework on your new pet, you're ready to begin the search. If you're prepared to spend top dollar for an exceptional quality animal, your best bet is to start with breed clubs or organizations and their magazines and websites; you'll find advertisements of excellent quality show or working dogs there. Talk to trainers or people at a dog show, test/trial , or event to get leads on where to look for the right pet. Talk to your veterinarian and your friends about reputable breeders that offer the type of pet your looking for.

So you're not looking for an exceptional show or working dog, don't have a lot of money to spend, but still want a good family pet; no problem, here's where you want to start: Go to the local shelters and check them first, you may get lucky and find what you want. No luck, find the reputable breeder that breeds for a hobby, or find the Joe Pet Owner that just wants a pup out of his beloved pet. These sources will be found mostly by word-of-mouth and occasionally maybe in the local newspapers. Still no luck, well be patient. If timing is important (birthday, Christmas present, etc.) and you need that pup now, remember to be careful and think about a few things to avoid buying a puppy from an unscrupulous source. So how does the potential new pet owner know how to distinguish these sources in order to ensure they are getting a healthy, quality pet for their money? Here's some things to ask for when you're buying from a breeder that you don't know:

• When you arrive, ask the breeder to see their kennel. If they won't show you their facility, they probably have something to hide and you don't want to purchase a puppy from them.
• Ask to see the parents of the puppy or kitten; again, if they won't show you, then no deal.
• Ask which veterinarian they use, get the phone number and call the vet to get a reference. He'll be able to give you an honest opinion on the animals health and care.
• Has the puppy or kitten you're looking at been seen by the veterinarian for a check up? If so, were there any health problems that the veterinarian identified?
• Is the breeder offering a health guarantee? Unless the breeder is Joe Pet Owner, they should offer some type of a guarantee or contract to cover both you, the buyer, and them, the breeder.
• Has the breeder dewormed the pet and given the first set of vaccinations? If not, then no deal. These are very important health considerations that could mean life or death for a young pet.
• How old is the pet? 6 to 8 weeks is standard. Any less than 6 weeks is too young to take to a new home. I personally prefer that new pets are acquired at 8 weeks or older; they simply do better.
• Is the new pet registered? If so, are there any restrictions on its registration? Which registry is it? (Not deal-breakers, just some things you need to know to ensure you're getting what you're paying for.) Make sure you receive registration papers when the transaction occurs, or no deal.
• Is this pet what you want? In the end, every animal has a different disposition, that needs to be taken into account when you are looking to purchase.

OK, so you've done your homework on breeds, you've found the right breeder, you've found the right pet, you're satisfied that the breeder has done a great job with the animals, the transaction went great; now what? Do not pass go, do not collect $200; instead take the puppy/kitten as soon as possible to your veterinarian for a checkup. The new pet should be examined and checked for parasites, to ensure his/her health. It's best to do this before an emotional attachment has been made. Your veterinarian should discuss any health concerns and let you know when to return for the next set of vaccinations. One vaccination by the breeder will not convey enough immunity to protect your pet; a series of boosters must be administered to ensure protection from deadly diseases. Your veterinarian should also discuss other important health care needs your pet may have, such as heartworm and flea/tick prevention. Congratulations, you've succeeded in your quest for a healthy new pet!