May 03, 2011

I put a deposit down for a puppy. When they were born, there were only 3 of them and 1 was a stillborn. Is this a cause for concern? The mother also has pannus.

Full Question:
Thank you so much for all of the work you have put into your web-site, its content has been invaluable to me...My question is, I put a deposit down on a working-line GSD this past summer, and the pups were just born a few weeks ago. The litter had only 3 pups, and one of which was still-born. Is this a cause for concern? Also, the breeder just found out that the bitch has an eye problem called Pannus. Based on my research, I am getting conflicting information about the likelihood of this getting passed on to the puppies, and whether or not its even a genetic issue in the first place. Any advice for a concerned soon to be dad?

Brian
Cindy
Cindy Cindy's Answer:
I wouldn’t be as concerned about the number of pups in the litter, except that pannus is known to be an auto immune mediated disease. This (for me) would be a red flag that the pup may have some inherited issues like pannus, as well as coming from a dog with a compromised immune system. Take if from someone who purchased a pup that has inherited auto immune problems. I unfortunately was not given the information about the pup I bought until weeks after I got her home, and she had all sorts of issues. It’s taken years, and many alternative therapies and hours to get her healthy. Pups do inherit the immune system damage from their parents, and not many puppy buyers think about that until they have a pup that shows a lot of health problems.

If you do a google search on pannus you will come up with a lot of info. I had a friend who treated her dog for pannus for several years only to lose him to cancer. Upon further research she found out the eye drops the dog needed each day are known to cause cancer with long term use.

Whether a pup from this litter will be affected or not, we can’t know. You will have to decide if you are willing to go into this knowing there may be a problem months or even years down the road.

If you decide to take a pup from this litter, I would be very educated on vaccinosis and diet. For information on vaccinations and the problems they cause please read our vaccinosis article.

I would also recommend these 2 books, Shock to the System and Vaccine Guide for Dogs & Cats.

Read this article on feeding a raw diet. It’s a work in progress but there is a lot of good information there.

I would also recommend these books, Natural Nutriton for Dogs & Cats and Raw Dog Food.

You can also go to our Feeding Dogs Page for a list of articles and books that will be helpful to you.

The best way to help this puppy will be to boost the natural body defenses through diet and no more assaults to the immune system.

100% (1 out of 1)
respondents found this answer helpful
Did you find this Q&A helpful?
Expert Dog Trainer Cindy Rhodes
100% (1 out of 1)
respondents found this answer helpful

Did you find this Q&A helpful?

Recommended Products
Scroll to Top