I have a Lab with Grade 2 ED and FCP. He is now 12 years old. Never limped; no surgery. I keep his weight down and give him Cosequin, fish oil, and Vitamin C.
Each case is different, but I wouldn't rush into surgery.
Here is what happened. We sold a puppy and are just now notified that the pup was diagnosed with mild ed. They were referred to a specialist that did an expensive surgery. Now they come back wanting a refund. The contract states if the pup has ed that requires surgery and they submit xrays to OFA, then the warantee kicks in. The family seems upset that we want OFA involved being no OFA xrays were taken before the surgery. Would you refund? I didnt think mild requires surgery?
The need for surgery may depend on the individual dog's pain tolerance/threshold. Some terrible looking joints on x-ray cause a dog no issues, and a minor abberration may bring another dog "to it's knees".
No , I would not. A contract is in place for a reason.
And really, if no xrays were taken, who knows what went on. Cut happy surgeon ? Or over zealous pet owners ? As we all know, crate rest does wonders with mild joint issues. And why not treat with supportive meds first , why jump straight away to surgery ?
I just went through the same thing. I gave a refund even when my contract says no refunds (replacement contract). This puppy is the second puppy they get from me, so I kinda know the owners. The puppy was limping, so surgery was needed.
We have a boy here who was a "keeper". When we had OFA's done at 2 years, one elbow came back as a Grade II DJD. He's now 5 and has never limped a day and he's very active.
As far as the contract, do what you feel comfortable with. Our contract is worded similar to yours in that OFA makes the final determination.
What about a similar situation but the family never had xrays done or notified the breeder until 30 months of age? They then claim the dog had issues all along and want a refund, however no surgery has been performed.
What would you say to that one?
what does your contract state?
mine clearly states that x-rays must be sent to my vet for evaluation. If my vet does not agree with the diagnosis then they must be submitted to OFA to confirm ED before any refund will be considered.
We had a similar situation, long story arriving to the point but the dog had surgery without a second opinion or nothing sent to OFA. We felt it could have been avoided but the owner did it anyway. We looked at it in terms of A, Our baby obviously had an issue no matter how it happened and B, The owner was out $1600.00. We just refunded and expressed our sympathy of the situation.
What about a similar situation but the family never had xrays done or notified the breeder until 30 months of age? They then claim the dog had issues all along and want a refund, however no surgery has been performed.
What would you say to that one?
I would say NO, how do they know he has ED if no x-rays were done, puppies can limp for all manner of reasons. I think a few vets need to take a long hard look at why they got into the profession. I know we sold a puppy a couple of years ago, and as per my contract the puppy was taken to their own vet within 5 days of taking him home, their vet told them he had HD, ( at 9 weeks old) told them he needed to go to an ortho vet NOW !Which they did, thankfully this vet told them at 9 weeks old he couldn't tell if the boy had problems or not. I asked them to return the boy for a full refund as per the contract. They refused. 2 years down the track they have jut had his hips scored, he came back an excellent.
x rays were done but not OFA type as stated in the contract. The specialist did CT scans and xray of elbow in stretched position. OFA wont accept these types.
We had a bitch come down with FCP at about a year. We did surgery on her at 14 months. Best thing for her. she's over 8 now. Breeder's contract said 12 months on genetic issues other than hips. We actually found out just past that time period. I also read and have seen much support to this that ED can also be influenced by environmental issues. Playing ball, frisbee, letting the dog jump. We didn't ask for a refund as we felt we probably contributed to the problem with over-exercise but probably the ED was genetically influenced regardless.
A contract is in place and you should go over it with puppy buyers. I always want to do the right thing with them and feel bad when something goes wrong because I have been there. But follow the instructions folks. I have seen too many $$$ hungry vets, vets that don't know crap, etc. I tell my folks IF there is a problem, call me first. We'll work through it.
If they call me after the surgery or 6 months PAST the 24 month guarantee, I am certainly not going to believe they never let the dog jump out of their truck or off the porch....no refund.
Do it the right way? I'll fall over backward to help them.
