A fluke happened in a litter, all males came up with tiny spots of Demodex after 12 weeks. Easily cured by 16 weeks.

I have used my bloodline for 4 generations and tracked many, many offspring, cousins, great aunts and uncles, etc and it hs NEVER cropped up. Of course mom never had a case of it, this was her first litter and they were outstanding in quality and temperamnt with no sign of it at H/C time. The girls never developed it.

The sires bloodline is well proven and used worldwide. Owner reports no such problem, ever.

So, do I tell a potential puppy buyer it is possible puppy demodex may crop up? Should I be sure to use a different sire just to avoid any same combination? Only repeat I have ever considered because of the qualtiy and outstanding consistency. Who would want to deal with an honest breeder telling someone of a fluke that may not recur. I, as a pet owner, would not want to spend x dollars if I knew there might be any problem. Of course omission to me is lying.

I am really gettting a headache over this.

Please give your thoughts.

Thanks

We have lost sales do to the truth, but I find most puppy parents respect you more for honesty. I like to be able to sleep at night!

I personally would not repeat the breeding. There are many wonderful studs out there. That said, it is your program and you should do what you feel comfortable with. If you do repeat the breeding, you should be honest and tell the people that there is a small possibility that it could happen. Tell them that they should notify you immediately if there is a problem and offer to cover the expenses. I'm sure they will respect you for your honesty and caring. JMHO.

Unfortunately, it seems my bitch is nominated as the "culprit" despite my thorough knowledge for 15 years of close relatives and no reports ever of this cropping up. This is what is giving me a headache! Info on the web also points to the female. I just found it odd bitches were fine, all boy puppies affected..............................I do not want to throw the mum out, but do think trying an outcrossed sire may be best way to eliminate her as contributer.

"Tell them that they should notify you immediately if there is a problem and offer to cover the expenses. I'm sure they will respect you for your honesty and caring."

Becareful about covering expenses. If demodex shows up it's because of a faulty immune system and other immune system issues could crop up that are WAY costlier than mange. Nice thought though.

If you are considering breeding again then consider what you feed your girl while she is in whelp. Maybe she isn't getting enough of what she needs to produce strong pups. I am not faulting what you feed, becasue every dog is different, but maybe she needs something extra.