was told my little guys has a heart murmur

[RockysMaMa]

I picked up my little guy June 21st and took him to the vet the next day to get checked over. And he tells me that he has a grade 2 heart murmur, so I take him for a second opinion and they tell me the same thing. I was so upset when they told me this because we have been waiting for him for a while I just cried. So I contact the breeder which is 3 hrs away to let her know what was said and that how if she took the puppy to her vet the week before and he didnt have one. So my vet tells me that there is a Lemon Law on puppys and that if its not gone by the age of 4 months then the breeder if at my choice refunds me my money and I keep the puppy. To make a long story short she said no only if i bring him back to her will she give me my money back but its not that easy I have kids and hes part of the family already. Then she says to me Ill give you half your money back with a new contract. I am just so upset and mad I just dont know what else to do! Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Anything would be appreciated

 

[boxerchick12]

I am very sorry for all of your trouble, there is no easy solution for making a decision when it deals with a potential long-term and VERY expensive situation like you have found yourself in. Unfortunately, I don't know a whole lot about the expectations that go along with a heart murmur. Again, I am sorry for you and your family, you have a tough few weeks ahead of you!

 

[Indy B's Mom]

I'm sorry that you have been put in this situation, it must be rough to try and make a decision. I have never dealt with a puppy with a heart condition, so I apologize that I don't have any medical/expense advice. When we got Ty, DH and I talked about what we would do if we were in a situation similar to yours and we both agreed that we would keep him and deal with whatever we might have to. Like you, we have a child and from the minute we left the breeders, Ty has been "her puppy". Please don't think I'm saying that your family should make the same choice as mine, I'm just telling you about what we had decided on. I'm sending lots of good vibes to you and lots of healing vibes to your baby.

 

[Jan]

I'm sorry to hear that your puppy has a heart murmur. Often murmurs of grade 1-2 will go away as the puppy grows and even if it doesn't the side effects will be minimal. Most vets don't have the experience to really grade a heart murmur with any accuracy. I would request a referral to a cardiologist. Only he will be able to do a proper diagnosis.

Good luck with your pup and try not to worry too much.

 

[kassa]

I'd investigate the lemon law. Many pet lemon laws were written precisely to prevent the "not really a choice" choice between getting money back and returning the pet.

At very least, you may be eligible for medical costs associated with the condition (I assume this would include enough $$ from your vet visits to cover the purchase price of the dog).

Do a websearch on Puppy Lemon Laws -- there's a page that lists laws state by state.

 

[NortonsMom]

We went through this same thing with our puppy last summer and if my experience can help you, here it is. Our pups murmur was more serious than a grade two, but I don' think that really affects the health guarantee. Anyway, we wanted our money back and did not want to give back the dog bc I fear the breeder might cut her loses and put him down right away instead of paying for meds on a dog that is terminal (our murmur case was not run of the mill....don't let it worry you). We agreed that she would reimburse the price of the dog and we would eat all the medical bills. (Not cheap, but we thought it was a fair deal to keep the pup) Anyway, our breeder, who is as reputible as you would expect, lived 2 states away in Conn so it was through phone calls that we had to contact her. I have to say she gave us a little bit of a run around, not returning call, etc. I was really hurt and angry. Finally, we said we need the money back for the dog to pay these vet bills. She then wanted us to sign a crazy waiver, before recieving our money. I just got angry and called her and said "You know what, this is getting out of hand. We will just take it to court and go after you for the dog's price and all costs too! I'll risk letting a judge decide!" Suddenly, she couldn't send the money fast enough! I signed the waiver, AFTER we got our money back and cashed. I never wanted to fight, the dog was sick, she could not fix that. It is a shame that some breeders can't understand how stressful it is to bring a puppy into your home, with your kids and then find out he is horribly sick. Stand your ground with the breeder and I hope you can keep the pup if that is what you want. Our guy was supposed to die in a few months and he just turned one in May.
We are sending prayers for your Boxer to have good health and that the murmur isn't serious.
Good luck!

 

[Slobber Baby]

Bella had a grade 2 murmur when she was a puppy the vet said most puppies grow out of it and we kept an eye on it and so far (crossed fingers) she has grown out of it! Good Luck..

Laura

 

[CC]

I don't know what to tell you about the money situation, but from a health perspective, a Grade 2 murmur isn't a big deal. Diesel has a Grade 4 (they only go up to 6) as well as subaortic stenosis, which is more serious. However, the cardiologist did not give Diesel a diminished life expectancy - he does need to be careful not to get too wound up, but he should live as long as any other boxer. His heart problem will likely be what kills him, though.

Indy also has a murmur - I believe hers is a Grade 2 or 3 - but she also does not have any problems related to it. She's almost 11 years old and still going strong - she can jump waist-high (she's only a 15 lb boston terrier).

Hugs to your puppy and you...I know how scary it is to hear something like that.

 

[rrrmarie]

My puppy had a murmur as well. I've gotten 2 different opinions from 2 different vets. Both vets said that Boxers usually grow out of it as they get older. I didn't worry much about it. If I did, I would probably have an ulcer thinking about it.

 

[courtney323]

Hi RockysMaMa -

Please post your Introduction, as it is required of all new members (and is supposed to be your very first post)

www.boxerworld.com/rules

Thanks