YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post - 2.5 years old and Diagnosed with Intestinal Lymphangiectasia

TR10 · 01-17-2010, 09:46 PM

Hi all,

New to the YT forum, but not to forums in general. Just wanted to check in and share the cliff notes of our situation with our yorkie, Luna, a 2.5 year old female.

Upon my return from a long tour in Iraq, I decided to purchase a yorkie for my wife back home in Florida (her dream dog), as I still had a couple of years left before I was discharged. All in all, I'm the type of person who will research any subject/potential purchase entirely, competitive pricing, history,etc. endlessly until I'm satisfied I know everything there is to know about that specific subject/area so that I can make an informed decision. Why I didn't research our "breeder" more thoroughly, or catch any of the red flags, I honestly cannot say.... maybe it was just my lack of personal time during that period, or stress; But what I can say is that I honestly feel that I made a huge mistake in so hastily choosing to purchase a yorkie from "Moonlight Kennels" in Sparta, MO (from a Wanda Smith). I don't want to put the pricing or specifics out there in the forum, but if you message me I will gladly provide them privately).

I have researched the names and come across a few threads here at YT, where other forum members have pointed out a few red flags on their website; I have also come across alot of information which points out the fact that Missouri is well known as a state with a plethora of puppy mills (something I never knew before).

Essentially, the first 2.5 years of Luna's life were great. They were mostly spent at my wife's feet 24/7, happy & lively, usually peeing like a sprinkler anytime she became excited. About a month and a half ago, we noticed that over the course of 2/3 days she hadn't pooped and was refusing to eat nearly everything that she normally scarfed down eagerly. This went on and after her stomach started to look bloated, we took her to the vet. 2 vets and 5 visits later(bloodwork, xrays, ultrasounds, medications, etc.) we finally learned that she had Intestinal Lymphangiectasia. After tons of research online, and plenty of discussion with our vet (also a Yorkie owner), as hopeful as we were that it was just something temporary, we accepted that this is something much much worse.

She has lost all of her muscle mass, her ribs/spine are easily visible from across the room, she bows her front legs out in order to support her weight when standing, her stomach is constantly bloated, she eats only small amounts of food compared to what she used to (even with fresh, home cooked meals that our vet suggested), she sleeps throughout the night with no issue, gets up to go pee sometimes, and then sleeps most of the day (when we take her to the park, she walks around a few feet then just stares up at us, shaking violently), and she will often times pee or poop her bed without so much as moving a muscle to get up and continue to lay in it until we notice (no barking, whimpering,etc. or any indication whatsoever that she needs to go outside, which she always did in the past).

She has been on a few different meds for about a month and a half now, and see's the vet regularly for check-ups, weight,etc, but has not shown a single sign of improvement. She has actually become even bonier now, and it's just getting worse. Our vet is not a new DVM, she has a little over 20 or 25 (not sure) years with her practice, and has consulted with a few different sources for opinions... the outlook is not good. Although I have read some stories where yorkies have rebounded back, and with proper nutrition/veterinary care/etc. have lived nice long lives, this does not seem to be the case with us. Everyday she just seems to be suffering, and it does not seem fair to me to keep Luna in this condition. I know my wife is heartbroken over it, but I think it's best to consider whether or not it is fair to Luna to live like this rather than how sad we would be to see her go.

My biggest gripe is that even with all the attempts to call/email the "breeder" for advice/support, they have dodged every single attempt and refuse to respond. I have since contacted the AKC, Missouri Attorney General, Missouri Division of Animal Services, 2 Private Law practices in Missouri, and just today filed a complaint with the BBB.

I just wanted to put the story out there in the hopes that anybody who is even remotely entertaining the idea of purchasing a puppy from that joke of a supposed "breeder" stops before they are put into a situation like this. I will gladly provide copies of the letters I sent to the above listed organizations, specific details of our case,etc. if you would like, just shoot over a PM.

01-17-2010, 09:46 PM	#1
TR10 Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 10	2.5 years old and Diagnosed with Intestinal Lymphangiectasia Hi all, New to the YT forum, but not to forums in general. Just wanted to check in and share the cliff notes of our situation with our yorkie, Luna, a 2.5 year old female. Upon my return from a long tour in Iraq, I decided to purchase a yorkie for my wife back home in Florida (her dream dog), as I still had a couple of years left before I was discharged. All in all, I'm the type of person who will research any subject/potential purchase entirely, competitive pricing, history,etc. endlessly until I'm satisfied I know everything there is to know about that specific subject/area so that I can make an informed decision. Why I didn't research our "breeder" more thoroughly, or catch any of the red flags, I honestly cannot say.... maybe it was just my lack of personal time during that period, or stress; But what I can say is that I honestly feel that I made a huge mistake in so hastily choosing to purchase a yorkie from "Moonlight Kennels" in Sparta, MO (from a Wanda Smith). I don't want to put the pricing or specifics out there in the forum, but if you message me I will gladly provide them privately). I have researched the names and come across a few threads here at YT, where other forum members have pointed out a few red flags on their website; I have also come across alot of information which points out the fact that Missouri is well known as a state with a plethora of puppy mills (something I never knew before). Essentially, the first 2.5 years of Luna's life were great. They were mostly spent at my wife's feet 24/7, happy & lively, usually peeing like a sprinkler anytime she became excited. About a month and a half ago, we noticed that over the course of 2/3 days she hadn't pooped and was refusing to eat nearly everything that she normally scarfed down eagerly. This went on and after her stomach started to look bloated, we took her to the vet. 2 vets and 5 visits later(bloodwork, xrays, ultrasounds, medications, etc.) we finally learned that she had Intestinal Lymphangiectasia. After tons of research online, and plenty of discussion with our vet (also a Yorkie owner), as hopeful as we were that it was just something temporary, we accepted that this is something much much worse. She has lost all of her muscle mass, her ribs/spine are easily visible from across the room, she bows her front legs out in order to support her weight when standing, her stomach is constantly bloated, she eats only small amounts of food compared to what she used to (even with fresh, home cooked meals that our vet suggested), she sleeps throughout the night with no issue, gets up to go pee sometimes, and then sleeps most of the day (when we take her to the park, she walks around a few feet then just stares up at us, shaking violently), and she will often times pee or poop her bed without so much as moving a muscle to get up and continue to lay in it until we notice (no barking, whimpering,etc. or any indication whatsoever that she needs to go outside, which she always did in the past). She has been on a few different meds for about a month and a half now, and see's the vet regularly for check-ups, weight,etc, but has not shown a single sign of improvement. She has actually become even bonier now, and it's just getting worse. Our vet is not a new DVM, she has a little over 20 or 25 (not sure) years with her practice, and has consulted with a few different sources for opinions... the outlook is not good. Although I have read some stories where yorkies have rebounded back, and with proper nutrition/veterinary care/etc. have lived nice long lives, this does not seem to be the case with us. Everyday she just seems to be suffering, and it does not seem fair to me to keep Luna in this condition. I know my wife is heartbroken over it, but I think it's best to consider whether or not it is fair to Luna to live like this rather than how sad we would be to see her go. My biggest gripe is that even with all the attempts to call/email the "breeder" for advice/support, they have dodged every single attempt and refuse to respond. I have since contacted the AKC, Missouri Attorney General, Missouri Division of Animal Services, 2 Private Law practices in Missouri, and just today filed a complaint with the BBB. I just wanted to put the story out there in the hopes that anybody who is even remotely entertaining the idea of purchasing a puppy from that joke of a supposed "breeder" stops before they are put into a situation like this. I will gladly provide copies of the letters I sent to the above listed organizations, specific details of our case,etc. if you would like, just shoot over a PM.