You said it! I wish giardia and coccidia were the issues I had in such a scenario, even if the whip worms were the extent, I'd shush! So true the basics are a serious issue but I think they prelude to the overll issues in the breeders out there. BTW this breeder told me she only bred AKC standard Yorkies and had gotten a Parti to see how it went in her kennel...
Elvis was 2 years old when I got him breeder told me she had to re-home him because he grew too large for her breeding program and she was devastated to have to do this...blah blah blah...she sent me a basic contract I screened her like no one's business! What I missed like like the broad side of a barn was despite her giving me all the right answers, it was all just what she said completely unverifiable and I bought it and Elvis hook line and sinker.
Elvis arrive to me (yes he was shipped) with worms, bad teeth, which were immediately caught at the vet well check-well these were all correctable he at 2 years old needed a deep scrapping something he shouldn't need until about 5 but my vet said if he'd even gone a few more months he'd be looking at decay to the point of tooth removal-he had whip worms-they aren't in my area-period I only had him a couple days he had worms at all stages of life-the breeder said they are common and that even though her contract said she dewormed regularly (apparently they get in the grass/soil and reinfest), she must have missed it and his teeth were fine my vet was over reacting. This was beyond the fact he was supposed to arrive with his limited AKC registration and later she said no I sold him as a pet-no registration, she guaranteed a completely copy of his vet records to arrive with him since she had gotten him at 9 weeks-no records arrived, not to even mention he came with X & O red looking kibble (her excuse was she forgot food and bought some junk food at the grocery store on the way to the airport) oh and he had no fleas but had loads of flea pooh in his fur and a horrid pup cut! I let it all go....after a couple weeks Elvis was back at the vet-all his joints make a LOUD popping sound regularly when he gets up and down-she was diagnosed with an 'early onset' arthritis...I contacted her again...
Finally Elvis had three seizures-I was freaking out I'd never had an animal with seizures his seizures are different from a typical seizure-he goes stiff and completely hard he doesn't shake or go grand mal- he was diagnosed with cluster seizures (a form of epilepsy) he has multiple seizure at one time. Again I contacted the breeder who seemed distressed-what did he get into was her first response to me! First the worms were probably from me now his seizures! Then she let me know she'd just had a female of hers give birth to two pups from him...WHAT!? he was too big for her females! We went back and forth I told her no matter what I couldn't return him she offered another pup...it turned into a mess in the end all I wanted was his previous vet records...she finally told me to take the issue to court I was only entitled to a replacement pup...if Elvis died, I returned him, or I sent him to her for her vet to examine and she deemed our contract enforceable...
So (sorry for the long post here) despite the contract having a health guarantee, an assurance of flea treatment, appropriate foods having been fed, worming, etc
I got a 2 year old dog with cluster seizures, bad teeth, worms, arthritis, no vet records at 2 years old, and no AKC paperwork for him in my name...my recourse to sue someone and despite the contract we have to go by the state law there and the contract stipulates "replacement pup," she even suggested he be put down if the arthritis was so bad-WHAT!-he just needed glucosamine and cosaquin supplements for it!
How could I as a human being send him back? I could have avoided buying him had I known, but send him back considering-well Elaine Shelborne of Shelborne's Yorkies (Dleaware) pulled one over on me...buyer beware. Too bad here isn't better authority to monitor breeding-it comes down to buyers controlling the market, we need to be less naive. I fell for a sad story of a nice lady who needed to re-home her stud so she could better care for the dogs useful in her breeding program...so naive,
I never sued her, but I've thousands in vet bills for him, two revolving balances on credit cards and a costly monthly expenses in his dietary and prescription costs. Never heard about what became of the two pups she said she'd place them in homes and warning the people but I'm guessing she sold them saying nothing, considering she still has Elvis listed as in her breeding program to this day.
Oh and I wasn't aware of her web site until after I got Elvis-i could have better seen a clearer picture if I'd seen it...FYI everyone else...
Shelborne's Yorkies
Sorry for the long post, but that's my experience of how little issues how a HUGE underlying issues in irresponsible breeding by Greeders. This lady remains an AKC breeder-she didn't breed Elvis,
Terry Castonguay did known apparently for having serious health issues in her line, either or AKC breeder certification doesn't mean squat in reality, they do not get involved in buyer seller issues.