9 Week Old Staffy Puppy Not Eating And Underweight

[harley]

So sorry to hear this ????

[Two Best Dogs!]

Oh Darby I am so sorry. I wish there was a way to warn ppl about these kinds of breeders. How horrible for your family and this poor struggling pup.

[Xyz]

Darby I am so sorry.. Good on you for being brave and doing what you need for this pup. The breeder must be held partly responsible as he was poorly when you purchased him, and very poor form for them not to be there for you when you needed them. Big hugs to you and your kids.

[Kavik]

So sorry to read this

Take care of yourself

[*Avanti*]

I'm very sorry to hear this Darby, such a traumatic experience for you and your family.

It sounds like there was little you could have done and he should not have been sold to you.

RIP little guy.

[persephone]

Oh, Darby .

Thank you for updating us on the poor little mite.

it definitely sounds as if he was not meant for this earth ..and you giving him his wings is certainly the kindest option now ...

The breeder will be , hopefully sent a letter from the vets - so there is no doubt at all he is made aware of what he is selling to people .NO EXCUSE then ... he may not be taking any responsibility , however he will then have all the info - and it may save someone else the heartache ..and save another poor puppy the pain .

Thinking of you all ..you are doing the kindest and most generous thing , altho it feels dreadful.

[Animal House]

Poor little guy, and I'm so sorry you and your family had to go through all the expensive tests and still not have a puppy at the end of it.

The breeder should be reported for selling an unhealthy puppy, he/she needs to step up and refund the purchase price at least.

You did the right thing though, rip little one

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Hopefully the breeder will refund your money now for the purchase at least.

Otherwise contact the consumer rights organisation in your state.

if he was ANKC listed - write to them as well - eg DogsNSW - or your state's equivalent, get the vet to write a letter to go with yours.

If you do nothing now - this breeder can do what he did to you to other people (and dogs).

[ellz]

So sorry to hear this. Definitely write to the controlling body, detailing what has happened. I daresay nothing will be done, but at least it will be on file.

Definitely follow through with the breeder and claim the refund that you were offered. I know it won't be much consolation, but you do have some rights in this situation. The law says that purchases must be "fit for purpose" and your puppy clearly wasn't so if the breeder jacks up, contact Fair Trading (ACCC). Horrible situation really because animals are essentially relegated to being an "item", but the consumer law does cover you in this regard.

I only wish that I had a puppy left from my recent litter that I could send you. I really feel for you and your family. This is a nightmare outcome, but probably the best choice for your puppy.

Hugs to you. And please, know that not all breeders of Staffords are as seemingly uncaring and shallow. Nobody likes to admit that they are producing problems in their breeding program, but we must ALL be accountable nonetheless.

RIP little puppy, your suffering is over now.

[Darby]

Thanks for everyone's support. This forum has been really helpful in s bad situation.

We put little Beau down yesterday and it was really sad but I'm glad he doesn't have to struggle anymore.

I contacted the vet that did the original vet check to ask what they actually check and what records they have and then next thing I know I get a call from the breeder - the vet must have called him and said that I was asking questions!

He was suddenly being more sympathetic and said that another breeder he knows is about to have a litter and owes him a puppy. I rang the other breeder and checked out his facebook page and the dogs look nice but I'm not sure about it. I guess I'll wait and see what pups I can choose from.

If it doesn't work out with this breeder can anyone suggest How I go about finding a reputable breeder? I live near jervis bay which is about 2 hours south of Sydney but understand I may have to look travel a bit

[persephone]

Hi -

I would not go on any recommendation from that breeder - at all. I would also suggest you stay away from any of the same bloodlines .

"looking nice", as you now know is not really important

Definitely be guided by folks know the breed on here..and try to not be in a hurry .

You might find helpful ideas HERE and HERE>

responsible and ethical breeders will have pups vet checked ..have all the health details of parents' health tests for genetic problems ..and provide you support for puppyhood, if not a LIFETIME .

[Roova]

What a sad story, Im so sorry this happened to you

Personally I would be inclinded to push it with the vet a little more, unless of course the breeder did not do a vet check at all.

The fact the vet didn't immediately deny doing a health check on the puppy is a worry. If they did how could they have missed a clearly very ill pup. You noticed immediately, they're educated to notice!

Did the breeder supply paperwork from the vet giving the puppy a clean bill of health? Did the paperwork match the microchip number?

The fact the Vet rang the breeder to call you and quickly 'fix' the problem made alarm bells go straight off for me.

I personally wouldn't be trusting the breeder again, have you asked for a straight refund and vet costs back? They have put themselves in this position selling a sick puppy.

[Two Best Dogs!]

I wouldn't trust the breeder or the breeder's vet. Reads like they're backpeddling because they've been caught out being dodgy. Both of them.

I would get your money back and report them to whatever rego body like somebody suggested earlier. Then stay far away from that breeder and their recommendations. :mad You may need to report the vet too, depending on paperwork statements :(

[tdierikx]

You have been the best family for little Beau... recognising his problems, and making sure he doesn't suffer... hold your heads high that you did the hardest but best thing for the little guy... and that the breeder should never have sold a puppy with Beau's issues to anyone.

I would run a mile from any animals/breeders recommended by that breeder. Get your purchase price back from him, then raise hell!

It's possible that you might find what you are looking for via petrescue.com.au ... so many suitable family dogs out there just needing homes... even puppies of every type... worth a look, yes?

Massive hugs to you and your family for the trauma you have suffered with little Beau... I'd rehome a dog to you guys in a shot, as you sound like the perfect family that can really give a dog an amazing home.

T.

[karen15]

I would recommend checking out Ellz above. Her staffords are just beautiful :D

[juice]

If the breeder is "owed" a pup from another breeder chances are its his line too and i would run a mile. They are probably offering it you to get out of any other comeback or refund, looking out for themselves thats all, they didn't care before, dont trust them, or the vet!

i would report them to every governing body you can, including the vet if it was given a clean bill of health.

Use the excuse that you are not emotionally ready for another pup and ask for a refund.

Agreed about getting recommendations here for a breeder.

[Darby]

Thanks again to everyone! I contacted the vet that did the check again and got a bit more info. They told me that the puppy weighed 2.1kg at 7 weeks and that they did a physical examination and everything seemed fine.

Two days after we got the puppy at 8 weeks it was down to 1.9kg. Does a healthy puppy lose 200g in a week?

Once I started asking more questions the vet started saying that the info was confidential and they shouldn't have told me anything!

I've been asking questions with the other breeder and he isn't responding. This whole thing feels dodgy and as suggested I think I should run a mile!

I am going to report the breeder to dogs nsw and claim full costs (including $1,500 vet bill) from fair trading. I'm not sure how I'll go though.

The silver lining in all this though is that through this forum I have been contacted by a responsible breeder with a beautiful puppy that they are willing to let become part of our family!

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I would avoid blue staffy. If you really want a blue dog - maybe get a weimerana?

Maybe look for an ACT or nearby based breeder. There's reasonably good access to Jervois Bay to the ACT.

If they're not planning any puppies - maybe ask them who they like in NSW. And also see if you can actually meet up with some breeders either at a show or a breed club social event. Don't pick only from a website. Go meet up with them.

http://www.actdsbtc.org.au/

Hopefully someone in here will PM you recommendations or just plug someone directly.

[Animal House]

"The silver lining in all this though is that through this forum I have been contacted by a responsible breeder with a beautiful puppy that they are willing to let become part of our family!"

That's great news, I'm really pleased for you!

[Roova]

Thats wonderful news. I wish the best of luck to you and your family with your new pup! I hope its not too stressful getting closure from your previous upsetting experience. If it does one thing it will make the breeder realise they can't take people for ride and Im hoping the vet gets a shake up too!