Originally Posted by ShelbysMOMMA  I have been following this thread for a while now, and have been in contact with the OP about my experiences with Connie.
I got my Shelby 9/10/08, and within a few hours of bringing her home she started with a raspy cough, would not eat, and began honking when excited. I took her to the vet the following day for a check-up (in the health guarantee it reads the pup must be checked by your vet within 48 hours, or the guarantee is void.) The vet said she had kennel cough and put her on antibiotics for 10 days, and dewormed just to be on the safe side, the vet said if she didn't show improvement in 2 days to come back. She did NOT show any improvements, so I went back and she had an x-ray, showing a mild collapsed trachea (cause of the honking), and fluid on her lungs (diagnosed as an upper respiratory infection). I asked the vet if she could have gotten the URI in my care or if she would have gotten it with the breeder, he said she would have had to be sick before being flown to me, she would have needed a 48 hour gestation period for the infection's symptoms to show. So she would have had the cough before ever leaving the breeder.
It took Shelby about 4 weeks of antibiotics, and nutrical (she wasn't eating so she needing this to get sustenance ) to get over the URI.
When Shelby was about 6 months old, she started chewing on herself (legs, feet, and bum), so bad that she had bald spots, and scabs. I took her to the vet again, and she was diagnosed with allergies, and compacted anal glands (I have to take her to the vet every 6 weeks to have them expressed, and have to buy special dog food, because of all her allergies).
At Shelby's 1 year check-up, she got the recommended blood work, and it came back that she had Lyme disease, yet she'd never had a tick, and had been on Advantix since her first vet visit on 9/11/08. I asked the vet how she could get Lyme without ever having a tick and having been on the advantix. He said it was very unlikely that she got it with being on the advantix. So I had the numbers tested and it was through the roof , about 350(I don't know much the numbers, but it has something to do with how long/bad of an infection it is). My vet said it's very likely Shelby contracted Lyme disease while still with the breeder, seeing as Shelby had been with me at this time for only 9 months, and the numbers for the Lyme test indicated that she had been exposed at least 10 months prior. Shelby went on Doxycycline (SP?) for 30 days and was tested again 6 months later. Her follow-up results were great, the number was 50 (the vet said successful treatment would be if the number went down 50%, and it did and thensome).
Shelby is now 2 years old and a very happy and spoiled pup, and I love her very much, even though, over the course of the first 18 months of her life, we racked up $2000+ in vet bills to treat issues that were attributed to bad breeding, and negligent care by the breeder and the breeder's vet. Including the $900 I paid for her and the $2k vet bills, it is the best $3k I ever spent in my life, because my baby has the best personality around, and is loved by everyone who meets her. I would not change a thing, if I did I wouldn't have my baby, but I would definitely never buy from Connie Fahey again, and I recommend no one else does either.
I thought I did my due diligence in researching breeders, I spoke to Connie's vet and a reference, and saw all her positive feedback of Puppyfind.com, but I was still fooled. I will never again by a puppy from a breeder that I cannot visit. My next puppy (hopefully an xmas present from my hubby) will be from Cathy Cardia at Shenanigans Yorkies, in the next town over from me.
I contacted Connie about Shelby's initial Upper respiratory infection/kennel cough, and collapsed trachea, I was told she must have gotten have gotten it on the plane from another dog, or from the temperature fluctuation in cargo hold, and that collapsed trachea is very common, and most dogs grow out of it. I never fought for a refund of any kind, as I feel it's my own stupidity for buy from such a bad breeder. I should have done a better job in searching for a REPUTABLE breeder.
Shelby still battles with problems with her collapsed trachea (she will honk whenever she gets excited and I usually blow in her mouth and let her lick my face, until she calms down enough to begin breathing normally again) and allergies, and is susceptible to colds, due to being so sick when she was so young, it did a small amount of damage to her lungs.
I recommend being a better buyer than I was, and do not buy from any breeder you can not visit. |