I would never take a chance with heart worm... I use NuHeart that is just for heart worm... small pill once a month... we do not have issues with heart worm in NoCal but I do not take a chance. I use it year round. In the area that there is frost/frozen for the winter you can use it just in the spring/summer/fall months.
For fleas/ticks I use frontline but only when I see fleas... again in NoCal not too much of an issue.. I need to use it maybe about twice a year and only when need or if I am traveling with the pups.
This Was All Preventable
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Oah man oah man.
It really makes me angry to see this. Breeders so eager to have litters and not testing. These poor puppies. Breaks my heart. -
I should also add, remember Buyer Beware, for those who are using websites like Puppy Find to shop for puppies. Three of those Affected puppies are listed there at a reduced price with no mention of their Affected status.
And three others from the litter are Carriers, so if someone took and bred them without testing, could be breeding to a Carrier or Affected and produce more possible sick puppiesā¦..
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Oah man oah man.
It really makes me angry to see this. Breeders so eager to have litters and not testing. These poor puppies. Breaks my heart.And I don't think it is "eager" to have litters, but more like "eager" to try and make money by not spending the money to health test. And I agree, those poor pupsā¦ and the people that might purchase them without knowing what they are getting. What heartbreak....
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Terrible, terrible, terrible sadā¦:(
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So how do we educate the general public, particularly those who "just don't have the time to do research" not to buy from such places? I can't list here all the people I've come across who's kid just wanted a dog so bad and who ended up with disasters that then ended up in shelters. So sad.
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So how do we educate the general public, particularly those who "just don't have the time to do research" not to buy from such places? I can't list here all the people I've come across who's kid just wanted a dog so bad and who ended up with disasters that then ended up in shelters. So sad.
All we can do is reach out and try and get the word out. This is exactly why people like lvoss and I are so pasionate about testingā¦. If we can reach one person, that is one that will not hopefully suffer the heartbrake of buying a possible sick puppy.....
Personal websites are great to educate... you don't have to be a breeder to get the word out... just an updated site (and many are free).... and direct people to find a responsible breeder. Put the links on how to find a responsible breeder....
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Pat is right, the best thing people can do is help to get the word out about the test, how to check for yourself that testing has been done, how to find a responsible breeder and just what it is like to own a basenji.
Here is a really nice website by a basenji pet owner, http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/9467/thebasenji.html
If you are more of the blogger type, add links to the Basenji Health Endowment site and OFA. These sorts of things do help and the more people see it the more likely it will sink in.
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If you google "basenji" the wikipedia link comes up first and is in the top several entries in some of the other search engines.
It's a small thing, but modifying the wikipedia entry for basenji to be more descriptive of how horrible Fanconi is and more strongly wording it about the importance of testing may help the casual reader looking into the breed be more wary of it.
I don't know if you can do it any more and I'm not a internet search expert, but if you could effectively "google bomb" a "basenji" search so that it comes up to a site that talks about the importance of fanconi testing in one of the top few links it would reach a lot more people.
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For those who would like to try creating their own website, here is one a free webhost that doesn't use banner ads on their free sites.
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Thank you, I might give that a go sometime!
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How sad, it doesn't have to happen now we can test.
Most people in the UK are testing and not allowing their dogs to be used on anything not tested. Its the only way forward for our breed.
Would the new owners be able to do anything legally if their pup was affected and it could have been prevented?
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If the breeder knew the puppy was Affected or knew that the parents were both carriers and therefore Affected puppies were a possibility and the breeder does not inform the buyer of this prior to the time of sale then yes, in most states they buyer can sue.
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The people who complain the most about people who talk about the importance of testing and many times have been convinced by their 'breeder' that what we all are talking about is bunk.
I try to take the time to tell people that puppymills don't call themselves that, back yard breeders don't call themselves that - people who are selling you puppies are kind, friendly and sweet - they just don't see the need to test their dogs because "they've never had any problems".
I bought my first puppy from exactly where I shouldn't have and before the internet and the ability to research, I had no way of not believing these great people. Who were really not great. I always figure if I can get fooled - and I thought I did a good job looking for puppies in the right places - anyone can.
I am so sad for those puppies and the families that get them without knowing.
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ā¦people who are selling you puppies are kind, friendly and sweet...I had no way of not believing these great people...Who were really not great...
Yes, and this is the difference between great "salesmen" and great breeders. Salesmen are your best friend when they are trying to get you to buy somethingā¦ irregardless of the quality of the product they sell.
Great breeders are in it for the breed... the quality of the "product" is of the utmost importance.
I know I haven't been at this too long, but it didn't take me long to figure that out. I wish the general public would understand this, too.
The puppy store we bought Bella from didn't care who my husband was, they did not have him fill out any paperwork about how we could care for a puppy, if we had other pets, if we had a fenced yard and if not how would we exercise the dog. The paperwork we did fill out was "all about the money." How much of a down payment we could afford, amount of monthly payments, and how much money we make so they could see if the loan company would lend to usā¦
It is so sad that they only care about the money...:mad:
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It is sad and add in the people who "claim"ā¦ "we are a family home just raising some pups"... right... for the money that is....
And for the breeders on this list (responsible ones) notice how many try to sell anyone puppies on this forum? None.... We push about testing only to make people aware of how important it is and how to find a responsible breeder, not trying to push our pups that we might have. We typically have reservations for the pups before we even breed....
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I think our breeders were clueless about this disease! We got ours in Texas, they never told us anything about it. We're learning about it as we go.
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I think our breeders were clueless about this disease! We got ours in Texas, they never told us anything about it. We're learning about it as we go.
That is a problem or even if they do know, they choose to stick their heads in the sand and pretend like they don'tā¦ or as is in most cases, they do not want to test because it takes away from the profit.
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While most likely a pipe dream, if there was a way to lobby and get a bill authored in regard to known diseases in breeds require mandatory health testing that would be a step in the right direction. The next problem would be enforcement of that health testing. At this point, we cannot even shut down the puppy mills and even if we could, how would we find all the back yard breeders. On top of this add to the issues the rescue and re-homing of dogs that are placed but not completely tested for all known existing diseases prior to that placement.
Clearly there are many many issues that exist. So what is the best way to combat these things and fight back. I think clearly what lvoss, Tanza, and others have stated is right now the best way to be effective is to be pro active and spread the word through websites, conversations, blogs, and what ever public means possible. If you are a member of a local dog club that meets do they address these types of issues on a regular basis. Can it be added to the agenda so its addressed occasionally. In addition can we find a way to bring pressure on the rescue organizations and placement agencies to test for Fanconi and other health issues so they might be disclosed to any perspective person considering the adoption on an animal.
Even considering everything above, what should really happen to the affected dogs. Should Fanconi affected Dogs be euthanized? Its this a more humane type of solution? Sure this is a horrible solution but how does it really compare to the life that these dogs might be subjected to. This I think is topic that seriously needs to be debated.
Jason
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With Fanconi dogs there is no one solutionā¦ some of them really do well on the protocol and have no problem with the 10 to 40 pills a day... I do not believe they should be euthanized unless they 1. do not do well on the protocol and 2. Will not willing take the medication whether it be by "forcing" the pills down or by hiding it in the food. Then you need to evaluate the quality of life and at some point make that decision. But many of us have to make that hard decision as our kids age and have any kind of health problems that requires medication or treatment that may be less then pleasant. And not everyone is up to the challenge for a Fanconi dog, so again the decision to euthanize is never an easy one.
As far as testing before a rescue is place, I think if you go back through many of the threads, you will see that I full agree that they do... IMO, it is not fair to place a rescue dog with someone without full disclosure of possible health concerns. While prior to the DNA test the only tool we had was strip testing so it was always a crap shot... but now to place a dog only giving the knowledge that he/she is not spilling at that time is not fair to the dog or the person that adopting. And to say, "well they can test if they want".. it is like buying a puppy, you become attached... so great you get a rescue, you test and find out that he/she is DNA Fanconi Affected... now what? 99% of the time they will keep the dog, but it will put a sour taste in their mouths that had they known they most likely would not have taken that particular dog. And that of course is the reason they don't test them... because they say they will not be able to place them... and that is a problem... So as Jason brings up, what is the best solution... I surely don't know, but I know that I believe that placing rescues without testing is wrong -
While most likely its a pipe dream, if there was a way to lobby and get a bill authored in regard to know diseases in breeds require mandatory health testing that would be a step in the right direction. The next problem would be enforcement of that health testing. At this point, we cannot even shut down the puppy mills and even if we could, how would we find all the back yard breeders. On top of this add to the issues the rescue and re-homing of dogs that are placed but not completely tested for all known existing diseases prior to that placement.
Because every breed is different it really is not practical to try to legislate health testing. What some states have done is to put in place puppy lemon laws that include state something along the line that a breeder just disclose of all known hereditary issues prior to sale or breeder is responsible for any hereditary disorder that they knew of and did not disclose or should reasonably have been aware of. The should reasonably be aware of is to try to cover instances where breeders are just not testing so they can say they didn't know or where both parents had the disease and they said that since there were no DNA tests they couldn't really know if the offspring would have it.
