Confused!?!?
 

As I sit here and write this I'm in tears; torn between two very hard decisions. Last Friday, my fiancee purchased me my dream dog, a tiny 1.6lb Yorkie. It was love at first sight. I named her Gracie. Now after multiple vet visits, cultures taken, blood work done, we still have no answers. Sadly, this past Friday we called the breeder and she agreed to take Gracie back and pay for her vet(also her best friend) to take her in and take care of her and run more test. So, after reading all the negative comments about fancypups.com (where we purchased her from) I'm so confused on rather to give up on ever getting Gracie back or to keep going through this hard ache and maybe find another puppy.:( I love Gracie already, I was up all nights with her and mornings force feeding her. I grew so attached. Any advice will be welcomed. Jimmie Rascoe (the broker) has been helpful and seems to care but she still hasn't given me any positive thing to look forward to.

oh i am so sorry....i can only imagine the heartbreak of that decision...i have no advice to offer but i will keep you both in my prayers and i hope gracie is diagnosed and can live a long happy life.

This is the type of situation that every pet owner wants to avoid. What a heartbreak. I'm sure others will have ideas about what you should do. I don't know enough to say. Obviously she came from a puppy mill and they are infamous for selling genetically defective pups that also have other problems. Have they checked out the puppy for liver shunt? Maybe you should take her to an independent vet and get some real answers. I suspect they will not want you to do that though. It sounds like the vet is in business with this greeder. People like this often work with less than reputable vets in order to get the health certificates they need to sell the pups. It's so sad.

What are the tests revealing? I am so sorry for such a difficult decision!

If shes from a broker I would get another puppy. Also you dont know how serious health issues she could have

I am so very sorry. It doesn't take long for us to become attached to these little guys. I was in love with Zachary before we got him home from the breeder.

What does the vet think is wrong? I know the real tiny dogs can have LOTS of health problems. Personally, I would NOT trust the vet of the breeder. Do you still have the puppy? I would take her in to a vet that I could trust before giving her up. I HOPE this is not a puppy mill dog but it may be from what I have read. I made sure I got Zachary from a private breeder but that is hard to do sometimes when you finally find the "perfect" pup. If the breeder is honest and sincere, she should let you get a second opinion on the puppy's health. I doubt if she would pay for it though.

I can't make your decision for you but I pray you will be able to think this all through and make the right decision. I just keep thinking though that you need to consult another vet.

Prayers,
Louise in Houston:animal-pa:animal-pa

You are NOT going to like what I suggest you do. First of all, and most importantly, let me tell you my heart breaks for you and for that precious little baby. Neither one of you ever asked to be put in the position you are in at this moment. This poor little soul is not healthy....she is tooooo tiny. It takes someone with YEARS of experience to deal with the issues this tiny baby is facing, both immediately, and I CAN GUARANTEE YOU, IN THE FUTURE. This is NOT something you are going to want, nor can probably afford-emotionally as well as financially- to be saddled with. You need to explain to the breeder you are fearful you are not equipped to care for this tiny baby and you would want your money back. DO NOT GET SUCKED INTO THE HYPE OF TEACUP YORKIES!!! These tiny little souls are VERY fragile and require an enormous amount of attention, care, and caution...they can not EVER BE TREATED LIKE A "REGULAR" YORKIE because of their tiny size...they cant play, they cant run with other pets, they cant be around kids, they cant even go out on a windy day, because they will get blown around in the yard....they usually have other issues....why in the world would you want to even go there??? Find a reputable breeder FIRST. If you have to get on a waiting list before you can get a puppy, do it. TAKE YOUR TIME AND BE PATIENT. In the meantime, read everything you can get your hands on, about Yorkies...."Yorkies for Dummies" is an EXCELLENT book.....you MUST establish a relationship with a breeder that is reputable,and she will have your dog for you....it will be a healthy dog, one you can enjoy for many years.

i know this is heartbreaking for you I'm not experience with the tiny ones...I know from reading on here that they are alot of work, and very expensive to look after. I can't tell you what to do I can only tell you what I would do...I would take her back to the breeder and ask for my money back. I would then take my time and find a reputable breeder that does all of the genetic testing and stands behind her pups should anything go wrong. It sounds like she is in bed with the vet, figurativly speaking of course. I am really sorry you and the little one are going through this...I dont envy your decision...please keep us posted.

I'm so sorry you're going through this. We got our Tatum from the Rascoes 8 years ago (don't think they were using the fancypups name at the time but I'm not sure) and Jimmie was very nice and helpful. I was impressed by their clean setup but have to admit I was naive at that time about puppymills and brokers. Once I found out they were brokers I didn't recommend them to others. Tatum has not had a single health issue and is a very nice "specimen" of what a Yorkie should look and act like but most of all we love her to pieces. I just don't think that a broker, not raising the parents themselves, can promise what the pups will be like. I got lucky. It seems you did not. I hate to say it but I think you should move on unless you're prepared to deal with the vet expenses and potential heartache (even more than you're feeling now). I know, easier said than done. I'll have to go back and find your other posts about Gracie as I don't know what's happened with her so far. Tatum was about 10 weeks old and barely a pound in weight when we got her and we didn't have any issues with that. Knowing what I know now I know that we were very lucky in all aspects with her. Good luck in your decision.

Okay, I need to amend my opinion just a little bit after reading your other posts. Sounds to me like it's pretty basic hypoglycemic issues - just from your descriptions. If other tests don't show anything more serious and you can get her eating well and her blood sugar to stay up then I would try keeping her if you're already as attached as you sound. Again, depends a lot on what other tests will end up showing. Best of luck!

I am cutting tot he chase, IMHO, if the tests show more than hypogylcemia I would take her back, one week is nothing compared to years of vet bills, heart wrenching decisions, problems, and possibly a shortened life span. Cut you looses and consider your self lucky. There are lots of people on here from Texas I am sure some could help you find a reputable breeder

Our little Kyra was 1.4 at 3 months and still at 7 months is only 2.4 and she plays and runs just like our Laddy does. The only thing she isn't allowed to do and thankfully doesn't even try to do is jump. Our grandkids play with her but all know to be really gentle with her. She is a very healthy little thing so far. Praying all will work out for you I know this must be heart wrenching for you.

I looked a little at your previous posts. This little tyke was taken from it's mom too soon. There is usually some sort of contravercy on here about how early a puppy should leave it's mom. A little one like yours sure should have stayed with the mom at least another month. This is one of the reasons why a small puppy needs the extra time with mom and a full time caretaker. You have got to get her to another vet to get a valid diagnosis. How are you supposed to make a decision when you do not know what you are dealing with?

Are you prepared to live with a tiny dog? Will she be safe? My Gracie turned out to be much smaller than I ever expected and she nearly terrified me everyday by doing, or at least attempting to do, things that were too dangerous for a puppy her size...... and I have no young children. She is two years old now and I still have my home "puppy" proofed in order to protect her from herself.

My advice as the owner of two tinies(one was my first when I didn't know any better & the second was a runt of a litter when I did know better but my heart overruled my head) in the past who had long years of health problems & led very difficult lives at times, is to run from the pain to come and try to find a healthy puppy from a reputable breeder or rescue. These little tinies are so easily injured & subject to various problems you cannot even think of right now. They are super fragile.

I won't plague you with any of the sad stories here but suffice it to say, it is a hard life being a loving caregiver to a very tiny dog, watching it go through so much, tearing your heart out as you see it through the tough times. That being said, if you have bonded with & love this dog, and go into a life with her with your "eyes open", knowing she can never really have a normal dog's life due to her size & you are prepared to pay for the many vet visits, then keep, care for & love her - for only the most patient & loving & dedicated & committed of people should have a tiny, tiny Yorkie. If you are one of those & adore the dog, though it will likely be a hard life for both of you at times, there is something so endearing & loving about those very tiny babies.

For you & others who may read this thread in the future, another thought is that to keep the dog & pay for it does in fact underwrite this type of unscrupulous breeder & perpetuate the problem; and though they will continue no matter what you do about your dog, if your fiance could get the money back and you two walk away from their operation, at least your money won't be funding their next irresponsible breeding of similar poor sick little dogs.

LadyGrace,

What an absolutely heartbreaking situation for you, ALL of us feel your pain and exasperation. WE KNOW what you're going through.

I'm sorry but, I must say that, you really need to give little Gracy up. What pain you're feeling now, would only be a start of what cold be years of sorrowful experiences and all could be for nothing should it not be able to live.

The pain of giving it up now, will be much more tolerable than later.