New puppy will need surgery - where do we stand with the breeder?

[Muddy unicorn]

Sorry, this is long…

We picked up our new puppy last week at 8.5 weeks old. A couple of days beforehand his breeder had left a voicemail asking me to call her so she could arrange to transfer the microchip details - she specifically said ‘don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with the puppy’.

It was fairly chaotic when I got there as four other puppies were going home that day and everyone had arrived at once. Just before she handed our puppy over she said ‘by the way when he went to the vet to be microchipped they found a small hernia - it’s nothing to worry about and it can be fixed when you get him neutered’. I didn’t say anything at the time as there were so many other people there, I had a long drive ahead of me and we still would have wanted the puppy.

However, we took him to our vet today for his vaccinations and he said it’s actually a very large hernia (he could get his fingers right inside it) and he’ll need surgery as soon as possible to avoid the risk of a loop of intestine dropping through - he very strongly advised us against waiting until he’s old enough to be neutered. The surgery is going to cost several hundred pounds.

Where do we stand with the breeder? She didn’t say anything to us beforehand even though she knew and didn’t offer either to take something off his purchase price, get it fixed before he left her or offer to contribute towards the costs of surgery. Do we have any comeback?

For context he is a rare breed, she’s a KC assured breeder and active in one of the breed societies. Other than the hernia he is a lovely, confident and cheerful little chap who’s fitting in well with our older dogs and like all his breed he is utterly gorgeous.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Id call her vet and ask if anything was previously mentioned because if they were checked properly they would have picked it up.
And the fact she said it… sounds dodgy to me ?

 

[blackcob]

Did he come with 4/5 weeks breeder cover insurance?

I don't believe you're allowed to ask puppy questions on here without a picture of said puppy btw. ?

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Id call her vet and ask if anything was previously mentioned because if they were checked properly they would have picked it up.
And the fact she said it… sounds dodgy to me ?

The vet picked it up at the vet check when he was microchipped - it’s noted on the letter from her vet which was dated 5 days before picking him up

 

[Red-1]

He should have come with insurance if KC registered.

If not, I think it may be tricky as she told you of the fault before you took him and, by still taking him, I think that would mean you accepted him as seen (thinking along the lines of puppies and ponies being seen as goods in the eyes of the law).

I guess you could ask to return him, but again, I think this may be tricky as she pointed out the fault before you took him.

If, for some reason, he isn't insured, I would probably contact her with the new update from the vet and ask for a contribution as the fault is worse than she stated.

If she said no, then I think I would simply have the operation, as, if it were me, the puppy would already be family.

And yes, we need a photo of the cute puppy.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Did he come with 4/5 weeks breeder cover insurance?

I don't believe you're allowed to ask puppy questions on here without a picture of said puppy btw. ?

Yes he came with the standard 4 week insurance from pet plan but because it’s congenital this isn’t covered.
Puppy tax duly paid ?

 

[AmyMay]

This is probably one for Citizens Advice.

 

[Barton Bounty]

The vet picked it up at the vet check when he was microchipped - it’s noted on the letter from her vet which was dated 5 days before picking him up

Well then she has an obligation to tell you! She should be liable for the surgery

 

[Muddy unicorn]

He should have come with insurance if KC registered.

If not, I think it may be tricky as she told you of the fault before you took him and, by still taking him, I think that would mean you accepted him as seen (thinking along the lines of puppies and ponies being seen as goods in the eyes of the law).

I guess you could ask to return him, but again, I think this may be tricky as she pointed out the fault before you took him.

If, for some reason, he isn't insured, I would probably contact her with the new update from the vet and ask for a contribution as the fault is worse than she stated.

If she said no, then I think I would simply have the operation, as, if it were me, the puppy would already be family.

And yes, we need a photo of the cute puppy.

He is insured but apparently as this is congenital it’s not covered. We will definitely have the surgery done as he needs it - and yes he is already family so there’s no question of returning him. I’m just very disappointed that she was so underhand about it - she had plenty of opportunity to inform me beforehand but the way she did it doesn’t seem right to me.
Interestingly OH has asked some breeders of the other rare breed we own and they’ve all unanimously said they would either have fixed the hernia before handing the puppy over or offered to pay for surgery if required.

 

[Red-1]

He is insured but apparently as this is congenital it’s not covered. We will definitely have the surgery done as he needs it - and yes he is already family so there’s no question of returning him. I’m just very disappointed that she was so underhand about it - she had plenty of opportunity to inform me beforehand but the way she did it doesn’t seem right to me.
Interestingly OH has asked some breeders of the other rare breed we own and they’ve all unanimously said they would either have fixed the hernia before handing the puppy over or offered to pay for surgery if required.

I which case I would speak with her and give the updated information from your vet about the operation needing doing now, and therefore being more expensive. She may offer to contribute.

 

[Cortez]

Well then she has an obligation to tell you! She should be liable for the surgery

She did tell them. Hernias are very common and normally easy to fix. If they took the puppy after being informed of the hernia then I would imagine it is up to them to take care of it.

 

[bonny]

Maybe see if she will go halves with you, I think in the circumstances that would be fair.

 

[Barton Bounty]

She could forfeit the price of the puppy as a gesture

 

[blackcob]

I which case I would speak with her and give the updated information from your vet about the operation needing doing now, and therefore being more expensive. She may offer to contribute.

I think this is it - inform her, see what the response is first and go from there. She may have genuinely been under the impression it was a minor reducible hernia at the time. I was hopeful for you the insurance timing would work out but it wouldn't as you've described.

 

[AdorableAlice]

OP have you bought from a licensed breeder ?

 

[ArklePig]

I would also try citizen's advice as the law sees them as goods.

I'm sorry I can't help but would you mind telling me what breed he is, he's very lovely.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

OP have you bought from a licensed breeder ?

Yes - licensed and a member of the KC assured breeder scheme

 

[Muddy unicorn]

I would also try citizen's advice as the law sees them as goods.

I'm sorry I can't help but would you mind telling me what breed he is, he's very lovely.

He’s a Toller - he’s mostly very lovely but right at this moment he’s being a zoomy, bitey little land-shark ?

 

[ArklePig]

Thank you! He's really gorgeous, I hope he gets fixed soon and you get a good resolution. I think puppies are only as cute as they are because they bite and are pains in the bum and if they weren't so perfect noone would bother!

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Maybe see if she will go halves with you, I think in the circumstances that would be fair.

We will definitely ask - I think that would be fair too

 

[tda]

I would definitely report back to the breeder, and hopefully they will step up and contribute, I expect being a "rare breed " he wasn't cheap

 

[bonny]

I wouldn’t expect that - I would have expected to have been told earlier so that we could make an informed decision

What are you asking for on this thread then ? Your opening post asked if we thought you had any comeback, what do you want the breeder to do now ?

 

[Starzaan]

Ohhh Toller baby! He’s gorgeous. Tollers are fabulous dogs ?

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

Love a toller ? no advice on breeder situation but hope pup gets sorted

 

[Muddy unicorn]

She could forfeit the price of the puppy as a gesture

We wouldn’t expect that - but we would have expected to have been told earlier so that we could do some research and make an informed decision

 

[EllieBeast]

I’d definitely report back to the breeder. Giving the benefit of the doubt that she may not have been told how serious it is?
Any breeder worth their salt cares a huge amount about the puppies they produce- I’d have expected this to have been fixed before he came home with you if she had been aware of the severity?

 

[druid]

Contact the breeder - see what she says. Ask your vet for a written report stating he needs surgery asap to show the breeder.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

What are you asking for on this thread then ? Your opening post asked if we thought you had any comeback, what do you want the breeder to do now ?

Well I wanted to know what people thought the breeder should have done and whether or not we’d be within our rights to ask for a contribution towards the surgery. I wouldn’t expect her to give us the puppy for free

 

[Muddy unicorn]

What are you asking for on this thread then ? Your opening post asked if we thought you had any comeback, what do you want the breeder to do now ?

Sorry - I thought I was replying to another poster - I’d edited my reply but too late!

 

[bonny]

Well I wanted to know what people thought the breeder should have done and whether or not we’d be within our rights to ask for a contribution towards the surgery. I wouldn’t expect her to give us the puppy for free

I would go and speak to her, in person if she’s local and take it from there. She might surprise you