heart murmur
 

I was supposed to get a pup from a breeder in my area tomorrow. However, she just went for her 7-week check up and has a heart murmur. The breeder basically gave me options, i can get another pup, or wait for a future litter.

I am saddened by this because i have been thinking i was getting this pup for 7 weeks now. She is soo cute. She is very small. Her last weight from last week was 18.3 ounces. Her two brother's as of last week are 35.1 and 31.4 ounces. She usually updates her weights on Friday's but i just wrote to her and told her to let me know what it was today.

As i am writing this she said she was gonna get her ultrasounded and if she was okay, she was going to sell her under a "spay contract." I was going to spay her anyway. if it were a major defect, she would just keep her until her time was up. She does not have the money for surgery at this time.

She said if i still want her and she had a minor defect, i could still have her but then if she did not live a long life, she would be willing to give me a future pup. ugh.

This is so sad and frustrating. Any info on people out there who have yorkies with heart murmurs?? what should i do??

marla:( :( :( :( :(

First of all, what a great breeder to be so upfront about this and willing to make things good.

I think I would wait to see what results come from the ultrasound and then talk to your own vet. Some yorkies live full, normal lives if the murmur is not bad.

You are doing the right thing by holding back till you get more info. Check the internet also for more info.

Good luck!

I was supposed to get a pup from a breeder in my area tomorrow. However, she just went for her 7-week check up and has a heart murmur. The breeder basically gave me options, i can get another pup, or wait for a future litter.

Were you planning to bring the pup home tomorrow? Most especially because of her weight it would be best to leave her as long as possible with the mother unless I misread your post...

I hope everthing goes well and you have a beautiful healthy pup soon! :)

Oh, I feel your pain:( I fell in love with my Hokule'a through emailed pics from my breeder - picked her up at 10 weeks and took her directly to my vet where she was diagnosed with a severe heart murmur (between a Grade 4 and Grade 5). I had her seen by another vet and then had an ultrasound done. The doctors didn't think she'd make it to a year but this Saturday is her 1st birthday and she is doing well! I worry about losing her constantly but she is my baby and I will try to give her the best life possible no matter how short it may be.

Oh, my breeder gave me a replacement pup (Hoku's half-brother) so I now have 2. Would I do it all over again? Probably;)

PM me if you need to talk!

I would not knowingly purchase a puppy with a heart murmur. Heart murmurs are congenital defects. Not only should this puppy never be breed...unless it is determined WHICH parent passed along this defect...both of them should be retired from breeding also.

To determine exactly what type of murmur this puppy has...she needs a workup from a cardiologist. My youngest was mis-diagnosed from a vet's with an enlarged heart...a full work up with the cardiologist would've run me $500 - $700...that's ONE visit. Our visit to the cardiologist was over 200 bucks but only because he didn't require a full work up. Only the ultrasound...which I had performed to ease MY mind. Just be aware dog cardiologists are NOT cheap.

Because of the above prior to our cardiologist visit....I read everything I could here and other sites on line. There are people here whose pets have murmurs and do quite well. There are others who are not so fortunate. I don't think you can accurately tell at this point what your outcome would be.

I understand you are very disappointed....

thanks to you all. I have decided to go with a pup from another litter, pending she is okay. She is just as cute. It is just a bit sad cause i really was excited for tomorrow but i guess it is worth the wait.

Hopefully if this dog's checkup is good, i will have her after thanksgiving weekend. We shall see!

Best of luck to you:)

I think you made the right decision. Best of luck

I would wait to see what the ultrasound says before you make a decision. It's not unusual for a young puppy to have a benign heart murmur that disappears at around 4 months of age.

Edited: I didn't see that you had already decided. Good luck with your new pup!

i agree....both of my children were diagnosed with heart mur murs both have since been outgrown. ;)

Good Luck!!!!

Ahhh Iam so sorry, for you and the pup, I hope you get another baby:) best to you.

There is such a thing as an "innocent" heart murmur in puppies that is usually outgrown by their first birthday. You can google it and get a lot of information.

My biggest concern is that your breeder is letting her puppies go so early. Did you know that the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America advises breeders not to sell a puppy until they are at least twelve weeks old? A breeder who goes against the breed club's guidelines raises red flags for me.

If you do decide to get a puppy from this breeder, ask her if she will keep the puppy longer. Not only is the risk of hypoglycemia high in puppies so young, they miss out on very important lessons in socialization if they are taken from their mom and siblings too soon. Also, 8-11 weeks is what is known as the fear imprint period where any traumatic, painful or frightening experiences will have a more lasting impact on a puppy than they would if they occurred at any other time. That's why it's best to postpone car or airplane travel, adjusting to new sounds, etc., until they are a little older.

i will let her know. thanks. by the way, i love your bows and will be ordering some for sure! I see so many that i like.

marla

Thanks!