what would you do??

so remember how I said the dachshund puppy I was interested in had some eye issues? well they went to the vet and she has "canine entropian" where the eyelids curl in and the eyelashes scratches her eyes. she's had stitches now twice to "hold her over" the vet said she would need some surgery for it. we're finding out how old she has to be to have it but i talked to my vet and the receptionist said it would cost anywhere from 800-1200 and her spaying would cost 250. when i talked to the breeder, she said her vet quoted her around 250 for the surgery and 150 for the spay. she is offering to do the surgery at her vet since it's alot cheaper (she's in the niagra falls area) if the puppy is old enough.

would you still get her knowing she had eye issues? I feel bad for her to be honest with you. If I don't get her, who else is going to have the patience and not care about a few scars on her eyes (I feel like most people that go to breeders are looking for a specific look, and maybe they won't be so willing to get her if she has some scars) I'm not sure how bad the scarring will be (not that I really care, it'll give her character) but just don't know if I should get her knowing she has some health issues already. what do you girls think??

Re: what would you do??

That's tough.
If you feel that you can handle taking care of her then go for it.
Personally, I wouldn't.

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It depends. Is the canine entropian eye issue a completely random thing that some dogs get, or is it a genetic issue that might indicate faulty breeding? Because if there's any indication that the dog wasn't well bred, there are all kinds of other genetic problems that can occur too, and I would wonder if she might end up with other complications down the line that would cause heartbreak and be expensive to take care of.

If this is the one and only thing that's wrong and it's not indicative of an unhealthy dog in general, and the breeder is willing to foot the bill and you don't mind the scars, I would still go for it.

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Considering you've posted about you being in a financial mess (your words), needing to live with your inlaws, AND that you're marriage is shaky.... no, I would not be spending money on a puppy with special needs.

Your words.

Sorry- you asked

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Charlie my sharpei has/had entropian. It is a tremendous undertaking in my experience because while you are waiting for them to get full grown, any little thing can irritate the eye which you would need to take care of with an emergency tacking and sometimes you have to wait for swelling to go down before you can even do the tacking. He would literally have his eyes swollen shut for 24 hours sometimes.

That said, once you get the surgery it's pretty much done with, we just follow up with daily ointment to keep the eyes lubricated properly.

You can fm me if you have any questions about it. Charlie is a wonderful dog, and DH and I were lucky that our situation is one where he can be with us at all times, but I don't know if it would have been a good thing if we had to leave him alone.

Charlie has no real visible scars. It was a lot of work and money. When all was said and done we were in the $3000 range with eye related issues. I would do it again in a heartbeat though.

ETA: I didn't realize there were other dogs and issues involved. I would say not to in this case.

Message edited 2/21/2008 2:21:47 PM.

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yes, you have to get the surgery. this is common in shar peis. its very painful.

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I wouldn't get the dog. You don't even have the dog and you already know it's going to be a bigger financial expense than anticipated.

Let It be the breeder's responsibility that her dog has health issues. She chose to become a breeder. It's not yours (unless you adopt it). I would walk away.....

Also, I saw you were looking for an apt. You already have two dogs. Finding an apt that allows dogs is hard, finding one that allows 3 dogs is going to be even harder. Just something to consider

Message edited 2/21/2008 2:12:24 PM.

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I can personally attest to this. I have 3 dogs and when we bought our house we were looking for a condo. NO ONE would allow 3 dogs, even though they are all small dogs.

I would not get the dog. It is not the right time given other posts you have made.

ETC: We had only 3 dogs when we moved. We rescued Bruno after we were in our house.

Message edited 2/21/2008 2:18:41 PM.

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I would not do it either. I am sure your heart is in the right place, but with 2 dogs already, you might not be thinking about what my lye ahead if you did adopt this dog.

On top of it, if you got quoted $800-$1100 from one vet and she is saying for the same surgery will be $250, Niagara Falls or not, I would be a little skeptical of the vet.

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I don't think posting that stuff is relevant whatsoever. Especially since my husband and I are great again. To those who answered no based on that post, thank you. I have alot of thinking to do.

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According to the AKC, entropian is a genetic disease. Double Dapple dachshunds often have eye problems but I do not know whether entropian is one of them. Dapple dachsunds really should not be bred, even though they are usually beautiful. I'd be asking this breeder a ton of questions. Also, I would not get a dachshund unless I was prepared with an emergency back surgery fund. Every breed has its share of potential medical issues but this breed and its issues are close to my heart.

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I would probably not get the dog. I"m sure the breeder will keep the dog if you don't take her. She will most likely keep the dog until it is able to have the surgery anyway.

Besides, if you had financial problem only a month ago - you don't know where you are going to be in the future for sure.

Our dog was totally healthy when we got her and she has since cost us about $5K in medical expenses. Knowing the dog has issues to start with you are in for a big financial investment.

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Also keep in mind that dachshunds also have other genetic issues that can show early or later in life, like spinal and joint issues that can be very painful for the dog and very costly for the owner. Some dachshunds need multiple therapies or surgeries just to be able to maintain their walking ability.

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I wouldn't do it. I know I wouldn't have the time or money to take in an animal with special needs.

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You need to be entirely honest with yourself here. This does not appear to be a dog at a rescue or a shelter that will be put down soon if you don't adopt it. It's a dog at what I assume is a nice home with a breeder, who isn't going to put the dog down, right?

I'm sure that there is another person on earth who would be willing to take on a purebred dog with health issues... so don't make the decision based just on the fact that you don't think it'll otherwise have a home, unless the breeder has said she's going to put the dog down or something - ?? (Has she?) Even then, I'd only take the dog if you are FULLY prepared for it...

I think you need to ask yourself a lot of questions. (And I'm not posting these expecting you to have to answer them here -- just giving food for thought. Most of this isn't my business, so you certainly don't have to post it here. Just things for you to consider...)

You need to be honest with yourself about the time and financial commitment to deal with a dog with health issues. You have 2 other dogs, right? Will they have to be separated from this one at times due to this health issue? Will you have the extra time to deal with the special needs of this dog?

Do you have the money to afford any follow-up treatment (including possibly another surgery), emergency vet visits, etc.? I don't think your relationship with your DH isn't any of my business and I'll take your word that things are good there... but you did post that you were in a lot of debt and possibly financial trouble. Did that really clear itself up in less than two months to the point where you can take on this financial responsibility?

You've also posted that you are TTC. Children are expensive and time-consuming. In light of that, will you really have time for a dog with special needs, along with your 2 other dogs, your DH, and your child after the baby comes along?

Just some thing to think about.

Good luck with your decision.

Message edited 2/22/2008 11:04:04 AM.

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I wouldn't recommend getting the dog. I'm surprised the breeder would even consider letting you take her before this issue was dealt with. I would be leary of a breeder like that...