Sunday, July 27, 2008

Beware of Puppy Millers



Sad to say, majority of our Parvo patients here at Greenwoods Pet Clinic are bought from pet shops supplied mainly by puppy millers. Solely motivated by profit, these people engage in the indiscriminate breeding of dogs regardless of dog health condition, or genetic defects which may be passed on to the offspring.


The young are prematurely weaned from their dam to be "disposed" to various petshops in the locality. The puppies come to us with dubious vaccination record- meaning they have vaccination cards with stickers indicating the vaccines used but without the signature of a licensed veterinarian who is the only person qualified to administer the shots.


Understandably, a puppy miller would not want to incur additional expense for the vet's professional fees. However, as a result of cutting down on over head costs, vaccination failure often occurs. This may result from various factors such as improper handling and administration of the vaccines, or an incorrect vaccination protocol. The vaccine must be administered at a time when the maternal antibodies would have already disappeared, otherwise the vaccine would have little or no effect- a concept which a non veterinarian would be ill-equipped to understand.


We advise our clients to buy puppies only from reputable breeders. They should be looking for this kind of breeder:


-one with breeding programs, who take into consideration the improvement and enhancement of the breed.

-one who keep his dogs in good health, providing adequate shelter either in their house or in a well maintained kennel.

-one who is not in a hurry to dispose their puppies, who take an effort in selecting and ensuring the qualification of prospective buyers.

- who raise puppies with plenty of environmental stimulation and human contact, allowing it to leave the kennel upon completion of its vaccines.

Waru and his new puppy BFF


It was not long ago when our good friend Albar broke the news that his adult boxer, Waru, was mated for the first time to a pretty boxer gal named Rhea. Fingers and paws were crossed as Waru was born without any littermates- an unico hijo- while his mother never succeeded in getting pregnant again ever since. You bet Albar was brimming with pride when he told us that Rhea had whelped to a litter of seven bouncing boxer puppies in their farm in Tagaytay, Philippines.

Albar decided to bring one of the puppies in Manila to live with Waru who only had Albar for his companion since his own puppy days. Dogs are by nature pack animals, so we were glad that he is to finally have a canine companion even though he had no complaints with Albar.

One of the many things that Albar worried about ( aside from his dog's health of course) was how Waru and Jozu would get along. As mentioned, Waru was used to being alone, or with the company of humans. Albar also worried that Waru, muscular and heavy boned that he is, could easily trample over Jozu and crushed him to a pulp!

With a bit of trepidation, Albar allowed the two to play but was quick enough to separate them when innocent jostling turns to rough housing. Soon however, Waru learned to control his movements and was actually, surprisingly gentle with Jozu. The little pup in turn seemed to have found a sense of security in the company of his father and friend.

Waru and Jozu: Best Friends For Life


(photo posted with the permission of owner)

Our Dogs in Iloilo City