There are some very specific lines on the Biewers that have produced liver shunt puppies. There have been some specific dogs identified as being LS carriers. If the carriers are not mated, hopefully there will be fewer instances of LS.
It is important to know which dogs are carriers. A breeder should know what is in their lines. Unfortunately, when a LS develops in a puppy, the parents should be spayed and neutered and so should any siblings from the parents' matings.
Many times a puppy that dies in the first year, dies from LS. If a necropsy is done, the breeder frequently doesn't share the information with other breeders or buyers, because they don't want to remove parents, siblings, from their breeding lines. Or they don't inform the buyers of the siblings of this information.
You did the right thing by asking the questions you did.
Anyone thinking about buying a Biewer puppy, should request the pedigree and ask 3 or 4 biewer breeders about the pedigrees and lines. Ask the seller if they know which lines produce LS--if they don't know, this might not be the breeder for you. This is one time where the expression: Let the buyer beware is very true.
This is a sensitive topic. I hope this explanation is informative and educational. |