Katzenblut's Laras v. Grafental - Page 2

Dawgs,

Yup.  That was me, and that was the breeder. 

VKFGSD

I told the breeder that I wanted a pet but that I wanted to show AKC obed or rally as well. The pup was 12 wks old when I bought her. I did not ask to see OFA certs on the parents. BIG MISTAKE! Next time I will verify the hips by looking on the OFA web page myself for the results. I have learned how to do that since then.

I had the pup spayed at 6 mos since I didn't plan to breed. Because she had developed a right hind lameness I had X-rays of hips and elbows done while she was under anesthesia. My vet said "some dysplasia, not bad enough for surgery". I sent the films to OFA for a prelim report and they said severe dysplasia, with subluxation, DJD, shallow acetabulum and acetabular rim/edge change.

 I have looked into costs of total hip replacement here at the local vet school: $4500 per hip. I can't afford that, and I think I could buy a pretty decent replacement dog for a lot less than that!

 My pup still has a mild limp. I have her on Adequan and Synovi G3. I am taking her to the local dog park  3 or 4 days a week to swim for 30 min., and I take her on a 2 mile leash walk daily.   She is very slender, on purpose, to decrease stress on joints.  She lives happily outdors running free with my "pack" of 4 other dogs (Corgis, Great Dane, Cairn terrier) on my horse farm, and all the dogs enjoy coming in the house to be  adored pets when  I am in the house. Obviously, if she is lame I can't show her. I like the dog a lot and will take care of her the best I can to keep her pain free for as long as possible. It is just so sad that a 6 mo old pup is in this condition at this age. So, yes,  I feel bummed that I got sold a dog with bad hips, that I was stupid enough not to "do my homework" and that I trusted the breeder.  I am now trying hard to become more educated.  I will plan to get another GSD in the future  to show, and hopefully maybe even start some schutzhund training.

Vomlandholz,

Ft Myers is 5 hrs away from me. I am near Gainesville. I see a local club listed with a contact of "Lamar Moon". I haven't contacted him yet. Has anyone heard of him?

Thanks

LBS

Just because the stud dog was not OFA'd, doesn't mean he doesn't have a passing hip rating (fast normal) and doesn't mean it was his fault the pup has terrible hips.  What about the dam of the litter?  What about the other siblings?  Could have been just chance, noone's fault at all including the breeder - if they bred two dogs with passing hip x-rays (a-stamp or OFA), then what's wrong with that?  Of course they should not be claiming a false OFA rating on a dog on their website, that is the main problem I have, as well as not responding to this lady about her puppies' hips and not standing behind her pup with some sort of refund or replacement, written guarantee or not.

molly

Molly,

I agree with you that even two parents with good hips can throw an unlucky puppy with bad hips.  However I've got an axe to grind with this lady, considering how she has behaved in the past.  When Harold's Katzenblut fear biter ripped my arm open I started looking into her breeding program, especially when Harold told me that Shirley blamed the dog's aggression on everything and anything that was not the dog or the genetics (basically anything that could tarnish her reputation). 

At that time, her #1 stud dog was a 112 lb male - "verfied by veteranian's scale!", despite the fact she had the GSD breed standard as one of her "informative links".  That dog is no longer "in service" but she's still bragging about her oversize dogs - a 93 lb female???  Oy vey!  Funny that she never responded back when I asked her why she brags about breeding dogs so far outside the breed standard when she's got the GSD weight/height limits on her own site. 

Do you think she'd respond to my email if I sent her a picture of my scar?  Ha!  Since my ol' friend Katzenblut von Pooh Bear is still apprently still alive and registered on this site, maybe I should post my scar photo since he doesn't have one.  Nah.  That would be a little over the top don't ya think? 

Yvette

LBS, haven't heard of him.

There is a club in Citra as well as High Drive in Summerfield.  Those people I know.

Vomlandholz

Do you have a contact for the Citra club?

Renee Michel at (352) 595-3002  or Anna Naber (352) 622-1540

They often use the same decoy I do and have seen them at training  quite often. Renee has email if you contact me offlist I can send it to you.

Angela

Sorry for the pups  problem with hips...You cant yell about the breeder if you bought a pup for a pet.. If the mom and dad are ofa or arent ,doesnt make the pup one way or the other as you will learn...

I bought a pup from top breeder , world champion schutxz.   bad hips   didnt replace the pup either ,even thought there was a written guarantee...so that doesnt always work either....

Next pup, get some help from members here, and in a club , and as lots of questions....how you feed your pup or how the breeder fed the mom while pregnant has all the world to do   sometimes.......sometimes,,,it doesnt matter what you or breeder did         HD hips can be produced by any pair........

I usually replace a pup if it is at that young of an age,,,,and I have had a few.of them....any breeder that is honest will tell you what to expect.or not to expect.

Good Luck..     papers dont make the pup or the dog.....they just verify the breeder tried their BEST        Dean Calderons   quote    "It;s a crap shoot"

Yellow rose of Texas, 

Just my opinion, but, I think even a pup sold as a pet, for $1000, should be healthy and sound. Pet owners don't deserve unhealthy dogs any more than anyone else, unless they are advised of health flaws in advance and the pet is priced accordingly.

where I come from, "pet quality" puppies get the same exact health and hip guarantee as working prospect puppies - and they are the same price unless the "pet quality" is due to long-coat, missing testicle or other slight fault.  There is no difference IMO for a breeder to stand behind the puppies they breed - pet or working, same guarantee and same breeder and same way you treat people.

molly