Thursday, March 12, 2015

Decision Required re: Hypothetical Puppy Situation.

So...the hypothetical canine friend we hoped to add to our family this weekend may end up being just that...hypothetical.

Sigh.

I learned this evening that said canine went to the vet today for a final check and for the insertion of an ear locator chip.  Turns out he has a heart murmur.  First time in our breeder's 16 year history.  This means that he may be just fine for the next 12-15 years; or he may die any time between now and then...just kinda fall over with heart failure.  The vet was apparently hard pressed to believe this to be true of our puppy because he is the biggest and most active pup in the litter and this would not, in her experience, be consistent with him having this issue.

So...the options:

1.  Still take the puppy this weekend, at half price, and no health warranty.

2.  Wait until April 12, when the vet will take another look at him to see if the heart murmur closes up; apparently in puppies, this is a good possibility by the age of 12 weeks.  If we wait, and he's fine, our contract remains intact and the health warranty included with it remains valid for two years.

3.  Wait until April 12, and if the heart murmur doesn't close up, we can still take him for half price with no health warranty.

4.  We could choose, immediately, the other male puppy she has right now.  A replacement pup.  Apparently the colouring isn't quite as lovely on the other male, but whatever on that issue.  The 'problem' with this option is that the alternate pup was born just three days ago and won't be ready for taking home until mid-May.  In the grand scheme of things, two more months isn't that long; but my worry is that enough people know of our plans that there might be accidental leakage of the news to the kids.  The other hard thing, to be honest, is that I've already started attaching to the dog I chose; I've visited him four times and I'm rather bonded.  The prospect of 'simply' replacing him with another puppy is a difficult prospect for me.  Also, all of our momentum and preparation has been towards this weekend and it's frankly a little hard to shift from that...but again, in the bigger scheme of things, this probably shouldn't matter too much.

5.  Wait until April 12, and if the heart murmur doesn't close up, we could then choose to take the alternate male pup.  We've already paid the fee, and the two year warranty would transfer to the new puppy.  Our breeder was kind enough to offer this option, which means that she will refrain from selling the alternate male pup to anyone else until mid April.  This is the option she said she would choose if it were her; wait until April - if our current pup is ok, he's ours; and if he's not we can have the other.

Really??  I really can't believe this.  I thought it was all signed, sealed...and just waiting for delivery.  How discouraging.

Thoughts?  What would you do?  I think I know what we'll do, but I'd love some additional insights here.

Sigh.

12 comments:

  1. Oh boy. Tough call. I would already be attached as well, and I tend to have a soft spot for the "underdog", so to speak. I really have no advice for you, but won't consider you foolish if you stick with Pup A (he needs a family somewhere, after all), nor will I blame you if you decide the best thing is to switch and go with Pup B. If I had any doubt, I suppose I might wait until April 12 to decide...but if I was pretty set on Pup A I would likely just press on with the original plan. I echo your sigh.

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    1. Thanks Joy. And yeah, I know you and your love of dogs.

      Ruth

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  2. Can you have a second check by the vet and get their opinion? Heart murmurs can be benign or abnormal so it could really be nothing (working in health care (with human children), heart murmurs are a dime a dozen) and might not even show up the next time.

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    1. Hey Melissa -
      you know, the vet was so surprised by the murmur (because the puppy is 'large' and very active) that she called in the other two vets from her practice and they also diagnosed the heart murmur. The breeder is going to send me the vet's contact information so that I can contact her myself, and I'll ask the question about benign vs abnormal. I think they're hoping that it closes up over the next few weeks...I hope so!

      Hugs,

      Ruth

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  3. If it was me making the decision...
    1). Wait until April for sure
    2) if heart murmur resolves, case closed!!!
    3) if it doesn't, take the 'new' puppy. We had a dog with health issues when I was in grade 8 and it was a world of hurt with lots of choices about how much money to spend, what's a reasonable level of intervention vs when it's too much, dealing with a premature ending, etc. My opinion is that this dog is meant to be a joyful addition to your home. While you're already attached to the dog you selected, your kids aren't, and this is a choice specifically for Seth who has already experienced a lot of tragic loss in his life.

    So, those are some of my thoughts that don't factor in your ramping up for this weekend or your own feelings of disappointment.

    Love you all!! Joanne

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    1. How lovely to 'hear' your voice, Joanne!
      You echoed basically my thoughts in the matter. I think that's exactly the direction we'll go.
      And maybe I'll visit the breeder again next week to take a look at the newborn...and, again, the puppy we chose.
      I'm so thankful right now that we didn't tell the kids anything...they would have been crushed to learn this, even before the dog came home. And you're right - I'd so rather it be MY attachment to the dog that's affected rather than the kids' attachment.

      Thanks for the perspective my friend. Miss you!

      R

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  4. Tough decision! I vote for both dogs! Hee! (Said of course by the mother who says NO every time to the dog request)
    I agree with the attachment point of view, I think. I think that if you spend some time with the second one your attachment will grow. Maybe if he is the one you end up with you can be a doting Auntie to the original puppy.
    Glad it's not me making the decision.
    Strength to you as you move forward.
    Ellen

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  5. While I occasionally still struggle with seeking instant gratification in life, I can save you a touch of trouble with what I learned. Wait until April! Some years ago when I still lived at home, I had a rare chance to bring a basset hound into our lives. Rare chance because prior to then, dogs were forbidden by my parents. When their resolve weakened briefly, I jumped at the chance despite being aware of some health concerns. I let my time with him blind me. Three weeks, $2500.00, and days of tears, he had to be put down. Sorry that it didn't happen as planned for your family, but it will work out eventually. Fingers crossed that your selected dog turns out fine and gets to come home with you in the future! -Charity

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  6. Hi Ruth
    If it were me, I would proceed. Puppy A will bring you tons of joy. It needs a great home and life is full of risks, you just happen to know about this one. Best of luck with your decison! Tracey

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  7. Thanks, everyone, for the thoughtful comments. I've pondered them all, and stewed on things.

    Geoff and I decided that we would wait until April 11/12 to see what the vet says about our little guy. Hopefully the murmur closes up and, if so, we have a great little dog to bring home with us; if not, we'll choose the alternate pup that the breeder will hang on to for us and just wait until he gets old enough to bring home.

    I just keep thinking over and over that I"m so glad we didn't say anything to the kids. Part of me wants to do what you're suggesting, Tracy...just bring the little guy home...life is full of risks, etc. But I just can't bring myself to do that knowingly because of Seth - that boy has just dealt with too much...I can't bear the idea of bringing a puppy home that I know full well might die any minute in front of him. There are going to be health risks of any pup, to be sure...just not prepared to put a known one in front of him at this juncture.

    ANyway, I was pretty upset at first when I heard the news, but in the scheme of things, a month or two isn't going to make a big difference. We'll still get to bring our puppy home this spring!!

    So, please keep my secret a while longer!!!!!

    Blessings,

    Ruth

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  8. What? Not both? I'm shocked you didn't think my suggestion was the answer! Oh wait, no I'm not...
    Ellen

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    1. Now, Ellen, if it were two for the price of one...

      (hmm...makes me wonder what the breeder would say about that...)

      R

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