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Originally Posted by bjh  I certainly understand what you are saying and in an ideal world that might be how in should be done. I have read that BATs should not be done before 16 weeks. Most breeders are not willing to keep the puppies that long, especially those breeding for the pet market. Most people want a cute little puppy and not one that is already half grown. I really think it is unrealistic to think every breeder should do BAT's on every puppy. I really feel that a blood panel is sufficient but that is just my opinion. Breeders and puppy buyers should both educate themselves on all health issues that could arise when buying a puppy. I would not hesitate in buying a Yorkie from a reputable breeder that was not BAT tested because I know there would be a guarantee and I would know that is something I should do myself. |
Thank you so much, bjh, for this post. BAT is nice, but not helping much to stop spread of disease. I do my part in controlling spread by requiring spay/neuter contracts on my puppies. Over the past weekend I carefully explained liver shunt to my customers, gave them 5 days to get BATs if they want, with offer to buy back any puppy that tests positive for shunt plus reinburse the testing fee. They were impressed that I explained the perils of LS but nobody was interested in bothering their puppy with BAT; not worth the trouble they felt. These are highly educated people who did some research before setting out to buy a puppy...