Frenchie pup w cancer - breeder responsibility?

[Alyssa]

Hello. 

We just got a French bull dog puppy a few weeks ago. A week after we got her she had a lump on her back. Then she started vomiting/pooing blood. The vet cut the lump out and biopsy showed it was mast cell cancer. It is stage 4 and has already spread to her lymph nodes and stomach (thus the vomiting). Even w treatment she’ll only live a month or two. Up to 5k in vet bills the pet insurance won’t cover as it’s within 30 days. She has clearly had it since before we got her. From what I’ve read there’s high rates of cancer in frenchies due to inbreeding which weakens their immune system. Blood tests showed she had a v low white blood cell count and thus a v bad immune system.

 

What responsibility does the breeder have here? They have offered another puppy but we aren’t emotionally ready to just get a new one. We are so upset and the $ is just another stress. Is a refund reasonable? What about the vet bills? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks. 

[Aru]

Personally I wouldn't consider it the breeders fault in any way that you were unlucky enough to have a puppy go down with a mast cell tumour to be honest.

Its incredibly unusual one to hear of in a very young animal and isn't something that could have been tested for prior to sale as you've said yourself the lump appeared after you bought her. Mast cell tumours are a type of cancer can appear out of the blue with no warning. That is however incredibly unlucky and devastating to hear about in such a young animal.

Was the diagnosis double confirmed by a pathologist?...its very very rare to see these cancers in the very young pups. Or is she an older puppy?

 

Sorry to hear about your pup though..must be heartbreaking to deal with.

 

[persephone]

How very sad for you . So sorry . 

[Diva]

I am very sorry this happened to you, it sounds very distressing.

 

Just my opinion, but if the vet can be sure the pup must have already had the cancer when you bought her I would expect a reasonable breeder to refund the purchase price. While they probably didn’t know  it, they sold you a pup that was already terminally ill. I think that warrants a refund if you don’t want to take up the offer of another puppy. But you might have to take a legal route to get it.

 

vet bills are a bit different, they could argue they had no say in choice of treatment, they didn’t have a chance for their own vet to be involved, you could have returned the pup etc. I think if you incurred those costs without consulting them at all then the responsibility is probably yours. Again just my opinion.  

 

As for blaming the degree of inbreeding in the breed, it might be a factor or it might not. Buyer research into breed issues and breeders before  purchase can improve the odds of getting a healthy pup, but a tumour of that sort at that age sounds like it has a large component of tragic bad luck to it. 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2018 by Diva

[Dogsfevr]

36 minutes ago, Diva said:

I am very sorry this happened to you, it sounds very distressing.

 

Just my opinion, but if the vet can be sure the pup must have already had the cancer when you bought her I would expect a reasonable breeder to refund the purchase price. While they probably didn’t know  it, they sold you a pup that was already terminally ill. I think that warrants a refund if you don’t want to take up the offer of another puppy. But you might have to take a legal route to get it.

 

vet bills are a bit different, they could argue they had no say in choice of treatment, they didn’t have a chance for their own vet to be involved, you could have returned the pup etc. I think if you incurred those costs without consulting them at all then the responsibility is probably yours. Again just my opinion.  

 

As for blaming the degree of inbreeding in the breed, it might be a factor or it might not. Buyer research into breed issues and breeders before  purchase can improve the odds of getting a healthy pup, but a tumour of that sort at that age sounds like it has a large component of tragic bad luck to it. 

 

 

Agree with this .

 

Just curious on the $5000 vet bill ,that is highway robbery .

besides the lump and biopsy what else has made the bill so big .

 

I had a dog with a lump removed / biopsy and cost just under $400 ,37 kg dog ,9 yrs old  ,18 months ago 

Came back begein with clear margins ,the breed has a higher risk of cancer in this area .

Have lost a dog with mass cell that we brought older ,had for 4 months ,No signs what so ever what was lurking until a suspicious small lump appeared by which time it was too late .Not the breeders fault they would never known and no signs that you could question ,we went to the vet due to the lumps location at very early stages ,a shit happens thing 

 

[RuralPug]

re the vet cost:  MCT removal on brachy breeds or on very senior dogs is often costlier than on younger dogs or non-brachys, as most vets require a dedicated anaesthesia assistant for those breeds. I have had several surgeries for MCTs on elderly pugs and the most recent was $1200 compared with about $400 for a foster (only 4 y.o.) terrier mix - same surgery dog much the same weight, same vet, only a few months apart. I've never seen a MCT on a very young puppy though to be honest.

Having said that, I'm not actually sure that the OP was referring to the actual vet bill, but something to do with pet insurance.

I'm so sorry that this has happened to you, but mast cell tumours happen to perfectly healthy dogs that are not in the least inbred - it does come in the shit happens category.

 

Not the breeder's fault n this instance but nice to hear that you have been offered a replacement.

 

 

 

 

[PANDI-GIRL]

Sad poor little pup won't live very long,  

have you spoken with the breeder,  what is their position on the vet report.

[alpha bet]

If you only have had the pup for a few weeks. Then I suspect the breeder should refund the purchase price of the pup.... if it was only a few weeks, then the pup would have had the tumour already. Not that this would be something the breeder would realise. 

 

As far as costs for treatment it would seem unreasonable to expect the breeder to reimburse costs that you incurred... after all I imagine it is unlikely the breeder was given an option as to conduct $5,000 work of vet work... 

 

If I had been advised of some health issue of the pup I would really insist the dog was returned. Refund the amount and I would put the pup down.