About to be a new yorkie mommy! But he is sick?
 

Hello!

I have a 15 week almost 16, yorkie boy I bought in LA. He is going to be shipped to me. The airplane ride will be 1 hour.

This was suppose to be on Monday but when he went to the vet, the breeder told me he had a slight temperature and with the weather it be best they dont fly him out. He has another appointment on wednesday to see if he can be flown out after.

Getting a little suspicious and wanting more details, I called the vet office myself. The tech that did his weight told me the breeder brought in two dogs that day (1 being mine). She said my yorkie's temperature was not really an issue but the doctor said he had kennel cough and is now on antibiotics. She said it was not bad-- she's seen worse. Plus the second dog that came in with him really had a cough.

I also asked her, since she was able to hold and see my little yorkie, are there any red flags she feels about him, and she said he is good.

Should I be worried? What other questions should i ask after today's appointment? How long does the puppy usually need to be on antibiotics for kennel cough?

I've already fell in love with this little guy (through current pictures), I think i'd want him even though he's sick... id continue the care myself. or is this being foolish?

Bumping this up so someone can give you the answers you need.

Sounds like the breeder is doing the right thing holding him until he is well IMHO.

Welcome to YT and congratulations on your new addition!! I can't wait to see pics once he is well and home in your arms!

This is a problem, kennel cough is bad in a kennel is air bourne and is very contagious, this puppy needs a round of antibiotics and out of that kennel, All the dogs in that kennel need to be treated or the sickness will continue around and around.. I suggest you get your money back and look for a breeder you can visit and see the facilities and the way the puppies are kept.
hugs,

I am going through something very similar. I bought my yorkie from a registered breeder and he was shipped to me at 9 weeks. When I got him he had a cough, and to me I found it quite bad. He was coughing about every couple of minutes. It was so scary getting a dog that had such a bad cough! I brought him to the vet and they tested him and settled on him having an upper respiratory infection. My vet said it was very common and she saw it every day. I couldn't get my puppy to keep down the antibiotics. They were making him through up for hours! I felt so bad and was scared for his health so the breeders asked me to send him back so that they could nurse him back to health. I was suspicious also. I wasn't sure if the cough meant he could have something else wrong with him. After much research and deliberation I'm going to get my puppy back on January 9th (that's when flights for pets start back up in Canada) and hope for the best. I've read many stories of people who had puppies with this and I'm sure mine and your puppy will be healthy. If you went through a reputable breeder then I would think you should be ok. My breeder also downplayed the symptoms but another member on YT said breeders see so much worse that to them a big issue might seem very small. Good luck and please keep me informed on what you decide to do! Xo

There is so many of these puppies sick.

I would be interested to know if experienced yorkie owners would take a dog that they knew had kennel cough so young, given the option. I've been offered a refund but I wouldn't want to refund my dog if it wasn't necessary. I also don't want a dog prone to health issues.

I posted this response in your other thread, julieandrea....I think it will serve both you and lashesbyjennie....~

I hate to be the WET BLANKET" in this thread.....I am posting this information NOT TO FRIGHTEN YOU, but I do not want you to consider kennel cough as nothing more than "a little cold". It CAN present serious issues.....it CAN last several months......it CAN go into pneumonia......your baby is being treated by a vet, and treatment was started in a timely manner....I do not think your baby will deteriorate into a worse case scenerio.....but it is not fair in my mind to leave you with the impression kennel cough is simply a cold, because it is more serious than that. With proper medical intervention, it can be cured, and it develops into nothing more than an aggrivation to both you and the baby....If it was me, I would go ahead and accept that baby back, with the stipulation that the breeder covers the cost of vet visits and antibiotics required to treat the condition if the baby is still coughing when you get him back. Now, I am not talking about any FUTRE cases if he should come down with this....just this current infection that he came to you with.

"Canine infectious tracheobronchitis, generically referred to as kennel cough, is a highly contagious and common condition affecting puppies and adult dogs. The disease causes an inflammation of the dog's larynx, trachea, and bronchi--tubes leading to the lungs. Most cases cause only mild disease with signs that tend to be more aggravating to owners than dangerous to the dog. But kennel cough in puppies can cause stunted lung development, and/or develop into life-threatening pneumonia. The disease can be caused by any one or combination of several different infectious agents. The most common culprits are bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica, the canine parainfluenza virus, and the canine adenovirus-2 (CAV-2). These agents attach themselves to the delicate hair-like cilia in the dog's trachea, or actually cause the removal of the cilia. Kennel cough can develop into a vicious cycle difficult to cure without help from your veterinarian. The infection causes irritation that prompts the cough. But the honking cough causes even more irritation. "

To you, lashesbyjennie...."This was suppose to be on Monday but when he went to the vet, the breeder told me he had a slight temperature and with the weather it be best they dont fly him out. He has another appointment on wednesday to see if he can be flown out after."

You may not have been given the entire truth here.....the WEATHER had NOTHING to do with that baby flying out...the vet "CAN NOT CLEAR THE BABY ON A HEALTH CERTIFICATE REQUIRED BY THE AIRLINES TO SHIP A PUPPY, IF IT IS SICK, AND THAT INCLUDED RUNNING A FEVER, ETC." That is why your baby was not shipped to you...he didnt pass his medical, required to fly! I would make ABSOLUTELY SURE that puppy is NOT coughing before you accept him....and like in the other case, I would want the breeder to pay for vet bills incurred to treat this kennel cough...be sure you get that pup checked by your vet within the time frame stipulated in your contract....I would have him at the vet the day he flew in or by the next day.....you do not want to give the breeder "wiggle room" to get out of accepting responsibility for treating this sick pup....
I get absolutely crazy when breeders ship or sell sick babies to unsuspecting new owners, and just pass it off as some simple little thing.....You are entitled to receive a healthy baby! You would not buy a car that had a broken transmission, or a dishwasher that leaked water when it ran...dont accept a sick baby without these breeders being held accountable!!!!

Given the option, no. A lot of people will take on a sick puppy with the intention of "saving" it from the seller/breeder...well, you better have deep pockets to pay for future vet bills.

It's easy to fall in love with a picture of a cute pup. Personally I would want to meet the breeder, the rest of the pups in the litter, and the dam and, if available, the sire. If that means I have to fly to where the puppy is, I would do so, and bring it back myself.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
You can see how that puppy has been living, what kind of environment he comes from!

My thoughts exactly. I would never purchase from a breeder that I never met, a puppy that I never saw with my own eyes. If it were me, I would have driven down there myself to look at and pick up the pup. LA is only about 6 hours away from SF.

I would wait for the furbaby to get better. I didnt get to meet the breeder i drought Honey from but she let me call her whenever I had questions. She is still more then welcome to help me. If the dog is sick now see if she will do a contract or something with you just in case something happens.

".........If the dog is sick now see if she will do a contract or something with you just in case something happens. "...........

If she is ANY kind of a breeder, she has a contract that goes out with every puppy she sells. And if that puppy is received by the new owner, and the new owner takes that baby to a vet (usually 24-48 hours) after getting the baby, and the pup is sick, the breeder stands behind it.

I am sorry, if it was me, I would not take the pup. You are getting the pup from a breeder not a shelter. These pups should be healthly. I don't trust it. But again that is me. You are spending a lot of money for a healthly pup.

thank you for your replies! I do have him now....

he has an occasional non-productive cough and we went to the vet last night. they gave me antibiotics and cough medicine. we will go back for an exam in 2 weeks.

it's too late.. i'm in love and will keep him no matter what now.

overall he is a good healthy puppy! not shy with lots of energy with good amount of nap times in between.