Should I buy a puppy with a birth defect, surgery, and leg problems?

It is not advisable to buy a dog with a genetic defect. If you are really in love with this dog have the current owner deal with all the veterinary matters and do not buy it unless the defect has been successfully corrected. The alternative is to take the dog to a veterinarian before you buy it to have the condition assessed and to get an estimate of costs involved and a prognosis. without actually seeing the defect in person, I am afraid, i cannot tell you the extent of veterinary care involved nor whether this defect can be successfully corrected with a benign prognosis.

I would be concerned about purchasing the puppy with such a history, there is a possibility it may be an indication of additions issues such as swallowing difficulties, weakened immune system or other internal causes, especially if this pup is smaller than the siblings

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is most certainly a congenital problem, essentially a birth defect. Whether there are any treatments depends on how severe the problem is, does it involve all the long bones in the legs, it this mainly a problem with joint & tendon laxity, or are certain structures underdeveloped or missing all together. X-rays are imperative. Depending on what is seen, & how much time & money you wish to spend on this poor little guy would determine a treatment plan. Surgery may be an option, but leg braces & splints may be appropriate, too. In the short term, he will probably do fine, but with time & age, he may be very prone to developing abrasions & pressure sores, & most likely arthritis. If you decide to adopt this sweet guy, go in with the anticipation of higher than normal care costs, & unexpected problems that can arise. A special needs pet needs a very special owner. Thank you for considering adoption. Take care.

He may have Splay puppy syndrome, sometimes called Swimming Puppy Syndrome. If you really want to buy this puppy, I would have it examined by a veterinarian before buying it making sure it it is healthy. If the breeder does not want you to have it examined by a vet of YOUR choice, then I would say: hands off. If the puppy has health issues, I would not buy it either. There are many healthy puppies out there to buy.

You will need to take your puppy to an orthopedic surgeon for assessment. Your puppy needs to be x-rayed. Once the orthopedic surgeon sees the build of the hips and hind legs he will be able to tell you whether this may need surgery, bandaging or other ways to improve or if there is no way to fix this. He will also need to do a neurological exam to make sure your puppy can actually move the legs. Should the condition not be improvable,then your puppy could get a wheelchair for the hindlegs and so live a happy life.

I would not buy the puppy. You want to buy a healthy puppy and not one that will cost you extra when being spayed. Also this puppy will not be suitable for breeding as umbilical hernias carry a hereditary risk. It is relatively easy to fix a simple umbilical hernia during the spay, however if you chose not to spay your puppy, fixing the hernia will cost almost as much as a spay, which is why we usually fix a hernia during the spay. That way the dog only has to have one anesthesia and surgery. I think you can find a healthy puppy without a hernia elsewhere, or get one from the breeder that has no hernia.

I think Barnaby probably has an humbilical hernia, I would double check with the breeder that this is the case. Theese hernias are normally something not harmful and they get surgically corrected at time of neutering. However it is entirely up to you wether you want to get Barnaby or not. In theory it is a congenital defect and therefore the breeder should offer a discount on the purchase.