canine hip dysplasia – Canine Hip Dysplasia Unexplained Canine Hip Dysplasia – YouTube
Finding A Dog Breeder
by: Kirsten Hawkins
If you’re in the market for a purebred dog, you’ll need to find a breeder from which to purchase the animal. This can often be as easy as opening the classified advertising section of your local newspaper, but you’ll want to be sure that the breeder you’ve chosen is reputable. There are several ways to help ensure that the breeder you’ve found knows his stuff and is reliable, professional, and trustworthy.
Ask for References
Any good breeder will be able to provide you references of clients he has worked with in the past. These will be people who have purchased a puppy or utilized stud services and will be happy to share their experiences with you. Choosing a breeder that was used by someone you know is a good choice as well. If your friend or family member was happy with the service and treatment he or she received from the breeder, the odds are good that you will be as well.
Prepare to be Asked Questions
A good breeder will have as many questions for you as you have for him, perhaps more. Good breeders work to ensure that the dogs they breed are placed with the correct people. They may ask whether you have children, what size home or yard you have, and numerous other questions to help them let you know whether the dog you’re seeking is right for you and your family. A breeder that doesn’t ask these types of questions may be looking just for the money from the sale of the dog and is probably not the sort of breeder you want to do business with. A good breeder always has the best interest of both the dog and the clients in mind.
Guarantees
A good breeder will have had the puppies checked for potential health risks before ever selling the animal. Some problems, however, simply are not detectable until later in life. If you purchase a golden retriever pup, for example, and six months later discover that it has hip dysplasia (a genetic defect in the animals hip joints, it is often nearly undetectable until the animal is several months old), a good breeder will issue a refund to you, no questions asked. Genetic defects like this are avoided by the use of selective breeding (hip dysplasia in dogs has between a 25% and 85% chance that it is genetic in origin), but sometimes a pup will display the disorder even if there is no trace of it in either parent’s history.
Other Sources
Aside from looking in the newspaper of on the internet for a dog breeder, breeders can be found through veterinarian’s offices, pet supply stores, and at dog shows. Dog shows are a very good choice since the breeders that attend these events are often showing one of their dogs or are there to see the performance of one that they bred and sold in the past.
About The Author
Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.doghealth411.com/ for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dog travel.
Categories: hip dysplasia info Tags: canine hip dysplasia
canine hip dysplasia – Treating Hip Dysplasia in Dogs – VetVid Episode 015 – YouTube
There are times when adopting that shaggy non-descript mutt at the neighborhood shelter is an advantage over purchasing an expensive AKC model. The first advantage is the start up cost, AKC registered pups seldom start at less them three hundred dollars from there the prices can sore into the thousands. The adoption fee for your local pound puppy shouldn’t be more then two hundred bucks and a lot of times they are up to date on all their shots and are already neutered or spayed.
The second time you will notice an advantage to your pound puppy is when you purchase liability insurance. Liability insurance is an insurance policy that will pay out to the injured party if your dog suddenly bites somebody. Several breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club are on several liability insurance companies list of high risk dogs and cost the owner an extra high premium. Many dogs who were bred to be guard dogs are considered a high liability.
The third time you will see a distinct advantage to your pound puppy is if you choose to purchase pet health care insurance. Many pet health care insurance companies will not insure against potential genetic disorders that are common in a particular breed.
Owners of English Cocker Spaniels may experience a difficult time insuring the their puppies kidneys until the dog is past its second birthday. English Cocker Spaniels have been known to develop a genetic condition called Familial Nephropathy. A puppy with Familial Nephropathy kidneys will start shutting down between the ages of six months and two years old. This disease is normally fatal. Right now there is not a really good way of identifying what puppies might develop Familial Nephropathy.
Owners who purchase large dog breeds that have a history of hip dysplasia such as the American Staffordshire Terrier’s, Great Danes, German Shepards, Rottweilers, and Caucasian Mountain Dog’s. Hip dysplasia is a hereditary disease that affects the hip joints of the dog. Dogs that have hip dysplasia walk with a loose wobbly gait; they usually have a hard time bringing their hind legs up and underneath themselves. Most pet health insurance companies will probably not be able to insure there new puppies hips until a test has been run and the puppy is declared sound and dysplasia clear.
Bulldogs have a history of breathing problems because of their flat face and smashed breathing passages; they are prone to heat stroke, sleep apnea, birthing problems, cherry eye, allergies, hip problems, and cataracts. Great Danes have a genetic history of slow metabolism, bloat, twisted gut, hip dysplasia, congenital heart problems yeast infections, and staph infections. If you buy a Great Dane that is mostly white in color it will probably be deaf and possibly blind. Some pet health insurance companies won’t insure the eyes of certain dogs unless the puppy was bred by a breeder certified by the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF). Breeders that hold a certification from this foundation have been acknowledged as breeding puppies with no known eye health problems.
About The Author
Theresa Truscott has loved horses since early childhood and enjoys sharing her passion for horses with other horse lovers. She finds useful information and products and circulates it on http://www.horseridingblankets.com about horses and horse riding blankets.
For a free report on “How to Improve Your Riding” see Theresa’s Horse Aficianado blog at http://www.horseridingblankets.com/blog
Categories: hip dysplasia info Tags: canine hip dysplasia
