Unhealthy pups stump golden breeders
My husband and I have been breeding golden retrievers and have had some beautiful healthy puppies that we have sold with great success. We are now at a point where we are probably going to cease operations and our reason is our most recent litter.
The dam that gave birth to the recent litter had previous litters of eight and seven puppies. Of those 15, one had a very mild heart murmur so we kept him, and he is doing well. The most recent litter only had four puppies. One failed to thrive and died early. The other three have done well until an evaluation at the time of their physicals and first vaccine before selling them.
One had a very large umbilical hernia that needs surgical correction, another has a pronounced advanced heart murmur. Our vet suggested a cardiac evaluation be done for that puppy, and we have contacted the prospective buyers since we do not want to sell unhealthy puppies.
What could the cause of the murmur be? Are the three abnormal puppies related to a genetic problem or just bad luck? Could that be the case and is it due to which parent? How do we find out? Our continued breeding of dogs really hinges on wanting to do the right thing. What do you suggest?
I applaud your conscientious deci- sion to slow down and ask questions about proper breeding. There are unfortunately many breeders that do not promote the best of the breed and only produce dogs as a means of income. Your question is difficult to answer because the unfortunate issues in one small litter might be due to bad luck or related to either the sire, the dam or the combination of those two dogs.
Was the breeding the same that produced the previous two litters? If so, it could be an unfortunate litter. You could consider breeding the female to another male to see what happens but that might yield more issues. As for the cause of an advanced heart murmur in a puppy, several possibilities exist. Murmurs are graded on a scale of 1-6 and in a young puppy, a grade 4-6 murmur is serious, but any murmur is cause for concern.
Possibilities include a patent ductus arteriosus, which can be surgically corrected, and the dog can lead a normal lifespan but should not be bred. Other septal and valvular defects are also possible, and I agree that a full cardiac workup would be of benefit. Once the specific cause of the murmur is known, steps might be taken to correct measures.
I commend you for doing the right thing and not passing on what might be a difficult situation to a buyer. As for the puppy with the hernia, surgical correction should be sufficient, but that dog should also not be bred, and you should so advise the buyer. Good luck.