kennel cough and seller's responsibility - YorkieTalk.com Forums

murphstheme · 08-07-2009, 09:47 PM

on july 24, 2009 i purchased my male puppy from what i thought was a reputable seller/breeder. i had immediately fallen in love with him two days prior. he was 11 weeks old and i named him webster. i paid $675 and he has been the best and most lovable little boy. i had noticed when i picked him up that he had a cough and the seller told me it was probably just an "inverted sneeze). as requested by the seller i took him to her (seller's) vet within 48 hours of bringing him home, and his cough had gotten worse. the vet said he had kennel cough prescribed antibotics. after a week his cough was not better and the vet thought he may have a trachea problem but wanted to keep up the antiotics for another week. i took him back today for another recheck at which time the vet took xrays and ruled out the trachea issue but said that he had a upper respitory infection and prescribed stronger antiobtics and cough medicine. the first vet visit was covered by the seller as i thought the second one should be also. today i was charged $150 for the xrays, exam etc plus last weeks visit. i felt that this was not my responsibility and told them to bill it to the seller who refused to pay saying it was my responsibility. i immediately called her and she said she gave me a "break" which i purchased him at 675 and it is simply not cost effective for her to keep paying my vet bills. i told her he had this cough when i bought him and i feel she should pay the bill cost effective or not, i had purchased a sick puppy from her. this went back and forth it. i even agreed to pay half the bill. at one point she told me to return the puppy, she would refund my money, get him healthy and sell him at a higher price. well i was truly shocked. she knew that i adored this puppy, he was part of my family and was really annoyed by this statement. i would never ever return him for a refund. the conversation ended when she said she would talk to the vet and find out what the cost is going to be. i just have a feeling that i will have to pay this bill and i really hate putting the vet inthe middle of this issue. anyway, i would appreciate any input that you can give me.

LilMissy · 08-07-2009, 10:11 PM

She should be responsible for the vet bills seeing as your puppy was sick already when you bought him.

Thumbs down to this breeder

JoshieBoy · 08-07-2009, 11:39 PM

I am sorry that your breeder sold you a puppy that was not healthy. Does your breeder have a health guarantee contract? The health guarantee contract will state what actions the breeder will take if the breeder sold you a sick puppy. If you did not sign a health guarantee contract, then your state laws will determine what the seller's responsibilities are dealing with this matter. I am not a lawyer, but I think that is how those problems are resolved. I also think the seller should help pay the vet bills since she sold you a sick puppy. I hope your puppy is feeling better.

nanahas3 · 08-08-2009, 12:37 AM

This sounds like the seller we bought our first little yorkie from. These unscrupulous people depend on us falling in love with our babies , therefore knowing when they tell us to just return them that we are not going to just give back a part of our heart and not even know if it is going to be given the proper care to recover that it needs.

Ladymom · 08-08-2009, 06:17 AM

Luckily, Florida has some of the toughest puppy lemon laws in the country. Like it or not, your breeder is responsible for his vet bills up to his purchase price. If she doesn't reimburse you for his vet bills file a complaint with your Attorney General's Office.

Florida Pet Lemon Law

livingdustmops · 08-08-2009, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Luckily, Florida has some of the toughest puppy lemon laws in the country. Like it or not, your breeder is responsible for his vet bills up to his purchase price. If she doesn't reimburse you for his vet bills file a complaint with your Attorney General's Office.

Florida Pet Lemon Law

Yea...maybe this will wake up this breeder...

Patti · 08-08-2009, 06:48 PM

Sorry your little one is sick. The breeder I got Cali from had a 48 hour guarantee, this was before I knew better from YT. Cali had kennel cough and gave it to my older pom. Then she had hypoglycemic episodes and ended up with a mild MVD. I knew the breeder would tell me to bring her back and they would treat her, so I only called when I found out she had MVD and the vet said her parents shouldn't be bred again. She said she wouldn't breed them again, which I am sure she did and did not offer any financial help. I knew the next puppy I got would be from a reputable show breeder who would stand by her dogs. I hope she agrees to pay the bill.

murphstheme · 08-08-2009, 09:39 PM

thank you all for your input. i just wish i had known about the florida pet lemon law before i spoke with her today. i should have known better but again i want to thank ladymom for posting the site for me. at least now i know the law. she reluctantly told me that she spoke with the vet who told her to check the lemon law. (which i didnt know what she meant) and told the vet to send the bill to her. she tried to tell me that the vet didnt want me causing "a scene" in the waiting room. i know this is not true because i called her from my cell phone in my car. however, she did tell me she hasnt paid it yet and wanted to review it first. we will see if she pays it. if she hasnt when i go back next week, i will file a complaint with the SA's office.

this experience has taught me a valuable lesson. if and when i decide to purchase another yorkie i will definately check with YT first for a reputable breeder.

on a positive note, webster seems to be feeling better with the new meds. he is not coughing as much today and playing with the goldens. its so cute to watch.

murphstheme · 08-08-2009, 09:44 PM

patti, what is MVD?

Ladymom · 08-09-2009, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murphstheme

thank you all for your input. i just wish i had known about the florida pet lemon law before i spoke with her today. i should have known better but again i want to thank ladymom for posting the site for me. at least now i know the law. she reluctantly told me that she spoke with the vet who told her to check the lemon law. (which i didnt know what she meant) and told the vet to send the bill to her. she tried to tell me that the vet didnt want me causing "a scene" in the waiting room. i know this is not true because i called her from my cell phone in my car. however, she did tell me she hasnt paid it yet and wanted to review it first. we will see if she pays it. if she hasnt when i go back next week, i will file a complaint with the SA's office.

this experience has taught me a valuable lesson. if and when i decide to purchase another yorkie i will definately check with YT first for a reputable breeder.

on a positive note, webster seems to be feeling better with the new meds. he is not coughing as much today and playing with the goldens. its so cute to watch.

I only wish all the states had such tough puppy lemon laws to hold these greeders accountable for selling sick puppies.

inabowbina · 08-09-2009, 07:46 PM

i know this is not going to be the most popular response but you probably signed a contract saying once you buy the puppy you are in full responsibility of the puppy and its medical bills if there is no congenital life threatening defect. She did offer you to return the puppy and get a full refund. and 650 is cheap for a yorkie well i think it is. Kennal cough is a cold like a human gets a cold its not life threatening unless they get pneumonia from it. She should have gave you something though paid for the medicine or something else just to be nice and say sorry. but i got my dogs from every good breeders and no matter how good they are two of them came with kennal cough. i didn't ask for her to reimburse me because she did give me a deal on the dogs and it wasn't intentional you should suspect vet bills when you first get a puppy. they are like kids they get colds. cant really blame anyone. the stress from switching owners too might have triggered the cough to become worse.

Ladymom · 08-09-2009, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inabowbina

i know this is not going to be the most popular response but you probably signed a contract saying once you buy the puppy you are in full responsibility of the puppy and its medical bills if there is no congenital life threatening defect. She did offer you to return the puppy and get a full refund. and 650 is cheap for a yorkie well i think it is. Kennal cough is a cold like a human gets a cold its not life threatening unless they get pneumonia from it. She should have gave you something though paid for the medicine or something else just to be nice and say sorry. but i got my dogs from every good breeders and no matter how good they are two of them came with kennal cough. i didn't ask for her to reimburse me because she did give me a deal on the dogs and it wasn't intentional you should suspect vet bills when you first get a puppy. they are like kids they get colds. cant really blame anyone. the stress from switching owners too might have triggered the cough to become worse.

Florida law requires the breeder to pay the vet bills if a puppy comes down with a contagious disease like kennel cough within 14 days after purchase.

inabowbina · 08-09-2009, 08:25 PM

well thats a good law im not sticking up for her or anything wish i bought my dogs from Florida i would have took advantage of that. but i got all my dogs from breeders her on YT and two came with kennel cough and one with ringworm and the other with coccidia. the one that had ringworm i was pissed and she refunded me the vet bill and she gave me a huge discount on my other puppy but she came with kennel cough i didn't say much to her because i had her shipped and that probably put stress on her and made the kennal cough worse. And the other one that came with coccidia made me so mad. But i read about it and its really hard to get rid of because it isn't killed with bleach or cleaners you have to steam clean and fire clean to kill it. Is very common because it is so hard to get rid of. but she did pay for the medicine im just mad she didn't tell me because she knows her dogs have it. now im worried about my other dogs getting it. IDk dogs are like kids that's all i got to say they get sick with little things like this. As long as its not life threatening or a huge medical expense people should expect things to happen. its not all the breeders fault. she should have been nicer to you though. im not sticking up for her or anything just giving another view on the situation.

murphstheme · 08-09-2009, 09:59 PM

sorry inabowbina, but i have to disagree with you. when i purchased the puppy, i expected to be sold a healthy one, whether 675.00 or 2,000. when i picked him up, he was coughing and when i asked the seller, she said it was probably an "inverted sneeze". i have three other dogs at home, one an elderly 15 year old shih tzu, and thankfully they all have the bordetella vaccine. i learned that lesson when i fostered golden retrievers and one had kennel cough. my poor old girl got very, very sick. according to my vet, kennel cough is potenially fatal in elderly dogs. so i dont consider it just a "flu or cold". the vet bills so far have cost almost $200 and i just want him to be healthy and strong. 3 weeks is a long time to be sick, even "a cold and flu" usually does not last that long.

yorkie mad · 08-10-2009, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murphstheme

on july 24, 2009 i purchased my male puppy from what i thought was a reputable seller/breeder. i had immediately fallen in love with him two days prior. he was 11 weeks old and i named him webster. i paid $675 and he has been the best and most lovable little boy. i had noticed when i picked him up that he had a cough and the seller told me it was probably just an "inverted sneeze). as requested by the seller i took him to her (seller's) vet within 48 hours of bringing him home, and his cough had gotten worse. the vet said he had kennel cough prescribed antibotics. after a week his cough was not better and the vet thought he may have a trachea problem but wanted to keep up the antiotics for another week. i took him back today for another recheck at which time the vet took xrays and ruled out the trachea issue but said that he had a upper respitory infection and prescribed stronger antiobtics and cough medicine. the first vet visit was covered by the seller as i thought the second one should be also. today i was charged $150 for the xrays, exam etc plus last weeks visit. i felt that this was not my responsibility and told them to bill it to the seller who refused to pay saying it was my responsibility. i immediately called her and she said she gave me a "break" which i purchased him at 675 and it is simply not cost effective for her to keep paying my vet bills. i told her he had this cough when i bought him and i feel she should pay the bill cost effective or not, i had purchased a sick puppy from her. this went back and forth it. i even agreed to pay half the bill. at one point she told me to return the puppy, she would refund my money, get him healthy and sell him at a higher price. well i was truly shocked. she knew that i adored this puppy, he was part of my family and was really annoyed by this statement. i would never ever return him for a refund. the conversation ended when she said she would talk to the vet and find out what the cost is going to be. i just have a feeling that i will have to pay this bill and i really hate putting the vet inthe middle of this issue. anyway, i would appreciate any input that you can give me.

My case was very similiar to yours in the fact I thought I was getting my puppy from a good breeder and the same as you she had a cough and I was told it will be ok. Anyway I took her to the vet the very next day and told it was kennel cough and she needed 2 wks of antibiotics. When I rang the breeder she didn't want to know ! I was fuming with her , she said I don't know why you rang me , Im not paying ANY vet bills but if you don't want her just bring her back. I was blinking mad as hell, no way was I taking Tia back to that woman . I even explained that I didn't want her to pay the vets bill but to let the other buyer know about the kennel cough, which Im sure she didn't bother.
So if your breeder has payed one payment , think yourself lucky, I just hope your breeder isn't as uncaring as mine.

08-07-2009, 09:47 PM	#1
murphstheme Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: south florida Posts: 11	kennel cough and seller's responsibility on july 24, 2009 i purchased my male puppy from what i thought was a reputable seller/breeder. i had immediately fallen in love with him two days prior. he was 11 weeks old and i named him webster. i paid $675 and he has been the best and most lovable little boy. i had noticed when i picked him up that he had a cough and the seller told me it was probably just an "inverted sneeze). as requested by the seller i took him to her (seller's) vet within 48 hours of bringing him home, and his cough had gotten worse. the vet said he had kennel cough prescribed antibotics. after a week his cough was not better and the vet thought he may have a trachea problem but wanted to keep up the antiotics for another week. i took him back today for another recheck at which time the vet took xrays and ruled out the trachea issue but said that he had a upper respitory infection and prescribed stronger antiobtics and cough medicine. the first vet visit was covered by the seller as i thought the second one should be also. today i was charged $150 for the xrays, exam etc plus last weeks visit. i felt that this was not my responsibility and told them to bill it to the seller who refused to pay saying it was my responsibility. i immediately called her and she said she gave me a "break" which i purchased him at 675 and it is simply not cost effective for her to keep paying my vet bills. i told her he had this cough when i bought him and i feel she should pay the bill cost effective or not, i had purchased a sick puppy from her. this went back and forth it. i even agreed to pay half the bill. at one point she told me to return the puppy, she would refund my money, get him healthy and sell him at a higher price. well i was truly shocked. she knew that i adored this puppy, he was part of my family and was really annoyed by this statement. i would never ever return him for a refund. the conversation ended when she said she would talk to the vet and find out what the cost is going to be. i just have a feeling that i will have to pay this bill and i really hate putting the vet inthe middle of this issue. anyway, i would appreciate any input that you can give me. Last edited by murphstheme; 08-07-2009 at 09:52 PM.

08-07-2009, 10:11 PM	#2
LilMissy Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 3,421	She should be responsible for the vet bills seeing as your puppy was sick already when you bought him. Thumbs down to this breeder __________________ Shaunna with Missy (my princess) & Dora (my tomboy)

08-08-2009, 12:37 AM	#4
nanahas3 ♥Love My Snuggle Bugs♥ Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Missouri Posts: 4,290	This sounds like the seller we bought our first little yorkie from. These unscrupulous people depend on us falling in love with our babies , therefore knowing when they tell us to just return them that we are not going to just give back a part of our heart and not even know if it is going to be given the proper care to recover that it needs. __________________ *CharleneMama to Laddy and Kyra and Always in our hearts Lolita*

08-08-2009, 06:17 AM	#5
Ladymom Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 8,317	Luckily, Florida has some of the toughest puppy lemon laws in the country. Like it or not, your breeder is responsible for his vet bills up to his purchase price. If she doesn't reimburse you for his vet bills file a complaint with your Attorney General's Office. Florida Pet Lemon Law __________________ http://www.myladysdogbows.com/ http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref...6213341?ref=nf

08-08-2009, 06:48 PM	#7
Patti Donating YT 30K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 35,509 Blog Entries: 6	Sorry your little one is sick. The breeder I got Cali from had a 48 hour guarantee, this was before I knew better from YT. Cali had kennel cough and gave it to my older pom. Then she had hypoglycemic episodes and ended up with a mild MVD. I knew the breeder would tell me to bring her back and they would treat her, so I only called when I found out she had MVD and the vet said her parents shouldn't be bred again. She said she wouldn't breed them again, which I am sure she did and did not offer any financial help. I knew the next puppy I got would be from a reputable show breeder who would stand by her dogs. I hope she agrees to pay the bill. __________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html

08-07-2009, 11:39 PM	#3
JoshieBoy No Longer a Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 2,114	I am sorry that your breeder sold you a puppy that was not healthy. Does your breeder have a health guarantee contract? The health guarantee contract will state what actions the breeder will take if the breeder sold you a sick puppy. If you did not sign a health guarantee contract, then your state laws will determine what the seller's responsibilities are dealing with this matter. I am not a lawyer, but I think that is how those problems are resolved. I also think the seller should help pay the vet bills since she sold you a sick puppy. I hope your puppy is feeling better.

08-08-2009, 09:39 PM	#8
murphstheme Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: south florida Posts: 11	kennel cough and seller's responsibility thank you all for your input. i just wish i had known about the florida pet lemon law before i spoke with her today. i should have known better but again i want to thank ladymom for posting the site for me. at least now i know the law. she reluctantly told me that she spoke with the vet who told her to check the lemon law. (which i didnt know what she meant) and told the vet to send the bill to her. she tried to tell me that the vet didnt want me causing "a scene" in the waiting room. i know this is not true because i called her from my cell phone in my car. however, she did tell me she hasnt paid it yet and wanted to review it first. we will see if she pays it. if she hasnt when i go back next week, i will file a complaint with the SA's office. this experience has taught me a valuable lesson. if and when i decide to purchase another yorkie i will definately check with YT first for a reputable breeder. on a positive note, webster seems to be feeling better with the new meds. he is not coughing as much today and playing with the goldens. its so cute to watch.

08-08-2009, 09:44 PM	#9
murphstheme Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: south florida Posts: 11	patti, what is MVD?

08-09-2009, 07:46 PM	#11
inabowbina YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: illinois Posts: 253 Blog Entries: 3	i know this is not going to be the most popular response but you probably signed a contract saying once you buy the puppy you are in full responsibility of the puppy and its medical bills if there is no congenital life threatening defect. She did offer you to return the puppy and get a full refund. and 650 is cheap for a yorkie well i think it is. Kennal cough is a cold like a human gets a cold its not life threatening unless they get pneumonia from it. She should have gave you something though paid for the medicine or something else just to be nice and say sorry. but i got my dogs from every good breeders and no matter how good they are two of them came with kennal cough. i didn't ask for her to reimburse me because she did give me a deal on the dogs and it wasn't intentional you should suspect vet bills when you first get a puppy. they are like kids they get colds. cant really blame anyone. the stress from switching owners too might have triggered the cough to become worse.

08-09-2009, 08:25 PM	#13
inabowbina YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: illinois Posts: 253 Blog Entries: 3	well thats a good law im not sticking up for her or anything wish i bought my dogs from Florida i would have took advantage of that. but i got all my dogs from breeders her on YT and two came with kennel cough and one with ringworm and the other with coccidia. the one that had ringworm i was pissed and she refunded me the vet bill and she gave me a huge discount on my other puppy but she came with kennel cough i didn't say much to her because i had her shipped and that probably put stress on her and made the kennal cough worse. And the other one that came with coccidia made me so mad. But i read about it and its really hard to get rid of because it isn't killed with bleach or cleaners you have to steam clean and fire clean to kill it. Is very common because it is so hard to get rid of. but she did pay for the medicine im just mad she didn't tell me because she knows her dogs have it. now im worried about my other dogs getting it. IDk dogs are like kids that's all i got to say they get sick with little things like this. As long as its not life threatening or a huge medical expense people should expect things to happen. its not all the breeders fault. she should have been nicer to you though. im not sticking up for her or anything just giving another view on the situation. Last edited by inabowbina; 08-09-2009 at 08:29 PM.

08-09-2009, 09:59 PM	#14
murphstheme Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: south florida Posts: 11	sorry inabowbina, but i have to disagree with you. when i purchased the puppy, i expected to be sold a healthy one, whether 675.00 or 2,000. when i picked him up, he was coughing and when i asked the seller, she said it was probably an "inverted sneeze". i have three other dogs at home, one an elderly 15 year old shih tzu, and thankfully they all have the bordetella vaccine. i learned that lesson when i fostered golden retrievers and one had kennel cough. my poor old girl got very, very sick. according to my vet, kennel cough is potenially fatal in elderly dogs. so i dont consider it just a "flu or cold". the vet bills so far have cost almost $200 and i just want him to be healthy and strong. 3 weeks is a long time to be sick, even "a cold and flu" usually does not last that long.