Don't know what to do......

[princess chloe]

I am going to start from the beginning.....My neice bought Chloe,she is in college and didn't have enough time for her. I took her,fell in love and the story begins.... I noticed Chloe limping,took her to the vets after a month of back and forth,she had surgery,she had legg-perthes.I took her back to the vet on Saturday to get her staples out,told the vet I was worried because she wasn't using it.They examined her and said her knee cap was moving and crunching when they moved her leg!! How could this be?? She just had surgery the 27th of October. Does this just happen? They didnt really answer me,could they have done it? She is the first Yorkie I have ever had and I love her,but I think she will be my last.I can't take this heart ache!! She is only 15 month old and she is going threw too much already! Does this have anything to do with the breeder??? Sorry this post is so long,I could really use some advice!

[Bhikku]

Sounds like luxating patella. A common congenital defect in yorkies, unfortunately. I doubt that the vets had anything to do with it if she was already limping previously.

I'm sorry that your dog is going through so many problems...

[princess chloe]

Should the breeder have known?? Wouldn't the vet have seen it on the x-ray or the exam from the legg-perthes?? Thank you for your advice

[Ladymom]

Luxating patellas are usually genetic, but can also be caused by traumatic injury from jumping on and off furniture. Since she has been recuperating from surgery, I'm sure her patellas were slipping before. Your vet should have checked her knees early on.

To answer your question, yes, it has everything to do with the breeder. Both luxating patellas and Legg-Perthes are inherited conditions in Yorkies. If Chloe's breeder wasn't carefully screening for genetic problems and health testing the dogs she was breeding, conditions like these are passed on to puppies and then to their new owners. I suspect your niece wasn't careful who she bought a puppy from since she obviously didn't think the responsibility through.

Look under the paragraph "Genetic Defects":

Yorkshire Terrier - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thank heavens Chloe has you to take care of her. It sounds like the poor thing will need another surgery.

[princess chloe]

The breeder told my neice he tested for genetic conditions,I find no proof in her papers though. Her breeder's name is Dennis Miller of Applecreek,Ohio,,anyone heard of him??

[Ladymom]

Unfortunately, it looks like the Millers are a whole chain of puppy mills in Ohio.

Justice for Dogs Sold during the Buckeye Dog Auction Petition

http://prisonersofgreed.org/ListA2006.pdf

Dennis Miller has a USDA Class A dealers license so I apparently he is brokering the puppies from these mills.

Ohio 36212 31-A-0271 Miller, Dennis

No wonder little Chloe has so many genetic conditions.

[princess chloe]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Unfortunately, it looks like the Millers are a whole chain of puppy mills in Ohio.

Justice for Dogs Sold during the Buckeye Dog Auction Petition

http://prisonersofgreed.org/ListA2006.pdf

Dennis Miller has a USDA Class A dealers license so I apparently he is brokering the puppies from these mills.

Ohio 36212 31-A-0271 Miller, Dennis

No wonder little Chloe has so many genetic conditions.

Thank you for the info,,,my poor little girl!! I am so sad and pissed off at the same time!! So can I do anything ??? How did you find this info?

[Ladymom]

I just Googled his name, state and the word "puppies". After I got those hits, I checked the USDA "puppymill" list.

Sadly, there is nothing you can do as these commercial breeding facilities are perfectly legal. It's buyer beware when buying a puppy. I suspect your niece didn't research breeders before buying Chloe. Did she get her from a pet store? 99.9% of all pet store puppies come from midwest puppy mills.

I suspect the Millers are Amish. They are notorious for their family puppy mills in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. There are a lot of Amish in Ohio, too.

[princess chloe]

She bought her from an add in the paper.She got Chloe for 400.00 because supposedly she was the last one and they didn't want to get to attached! Yes, I just looked up his name to and his address is Millersburg! That is Amish country in Ohio! Oh am I mad and nothing you can do? Legal?? I don't think I have ever felt so helpless!!

[Mom to Hot Rod]

I am so sorry that little Chloe and you are going thru this. I am just glad that she has found you to be her caretaker. Give her a great big hug and may she get well quickly from all these physical problems.

[princess chloe]

Originally Posted by Mom to Hot Rod

I am so sorry that little Chloe and you are going thru this. I am just glad that she has found you to be her caretaker. Give her a great big hug and may she get well quickly from all these physical problems.

Thank you and we love her dearly and will do whatever it takes

[CupofDog]

ARGH!! So upsetting. My Ella Bean was from a puppy mill raid and she almost died she was so sick. These puppy mills don't care about the wellbeing or health of our dogs! Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do legally regarding Chloe, but, you CAN get involved in supporting anti-puppy mill legislation. And no matter how one feels about the election, Obama is aware of the problem and hopefully will help enact changes in laws that will put these psychos out of business.

I am SO sorry Chloe is going through so much and that it is taking such a toll on you and your family. Don't write of Yorkies! Just make sure your next Lil one is from a responsible breeder. There are plenty right here on YT. I think the best way to meet a trusted breeder is to go to a dog show and talk to breeders. They happen all over the country...

Regarding Chloe's current situation, please keep us updated...You may want to get a second opnion, since your vet didn't notice the luxating patella before the last surgery.

The good news is most Luxating Patella surgeries have good outcomes!

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by princess chloe

Thank you and we love her dearly and will do whatever it takes

Those "bargain" puppies are no bargain in the long run, are they? My Lady is a rescue, but poorly bred. She has so many health problems ... epilepsy, diabetes, hypothyroidism, arthritis, just to name a few. Her medications, diabetic supplies and routine vet checkups run about $5,000 a year. We usually have at least one major illness that requires hospitalization and runs between $500-$1,000 more. She's had two this year.

I'm so glad Chloe found her way to you and you will take care of her. Can you imagine if she had ended up with someone who wasn't able to care for her? So many purebred dogs are given up or euthanized because their owners can't afford to take care of them. Lady was abandoned by her first owner when she started having seizures.

You might find this article interesting:

Humane Society video report links Petland stores, puppy mills - Metro - cleveland.com

[CupofDog]

My Ella Bean is a puppy mill rescue and she just turned one year. Her first few months, she was so sick, I think I must have spent about $3,000 between vet visits and other therapies. Honestly, I did use a lot of alternative care, like acupuncture and homeopathy, but it worked! She is here! I had her knees and hips checked at 6 months and again at a year and so far, all appears to be well. The bloodwork is normal...but I wont be surprised if issues pop up.

I am diligent about taking her for wellness checkups every 6 months instead of a year because I am hoping to catch anything BEFORE it becomes an issue. I know I can't prevent everything, but Ill do whatever it takes!!!!!

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by CupofDog

My Ella Bean is a puppy mill rescue and she just turned one year. Her first few months, she was so sick, I think I must have spent about $3,000 between vet visits and other therapies. Honestly, I did use a lot of alternative care, like acupuncture and homeopathy, but it worked! She is here! I had her knees and hips checked at 6 months and again at a year and so far, all appears to be well. The bloodwork is normal...but I wont be surprised if issues pop up.

I am diligent about taking her for wellness checkups every 6 months instead of a year because I am hoping to catch anything BEFORE it becomes an issue. I know I can't prevent everything, but Ill do whatever it takes!!!!!

You are so smart to be proactive with Ella Bean's health. Poorly bred dogs from puppy mills and backyard breeders can carry genetic time bombs that may not go off for years. That was the case with Lady. She was perfectly healthy for the first four years, then those ticking bombs started going off.

I often wonder if some of her diseases/conditions could have been prevented if she had had good quality food and regular vet checks right from the start. I didn't adopt her until she was 4.5 years old. At thirteen my vets are amazed that she has lived as long as she has and I am convinced it is because of what I feed her, all the supplements I give her and excellent vet care.

If you keep Ella Bean's immune system strong, she may stay very healthy despite being from a puppy mill.