Wow, first I want to welcome you to Yorkietalk, and I'm sure the others will have suggestions too, but I think it's just great that you decided to take him to a different vet. You are right, he probably would have died if you sent him back. Some breeders think these dogs are disposable, and so what if one dies, it's not worth the money to try to save them. Your pet does sound like he came from a puppy mill or back yard breeder, and this is the way they work, "send the puppy back, we don't pay vet bill". I have seen cases on TV court, where people took the breeders to a small claims court and won for vet bills. I can think of several things you could do. We have a breeder review section, just cut and paste the thread you posted and include the Kennel or breeder name, as this will help others. I would also inform the AKC as they do kennel checks, they may not be able to get you any money, but she might lose her license. Some people also report to Better Business Bureau, and they try to resolve these matters. There is an on-line chapter. I also would make a complaint about the vet to the appropriate authorities; he really should have done a blood test. There is no excuse for that. Here' the breeder review section:
Breeder, Vet, & Groomer Reviews - YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community