My GSP puppy dies at a Kennel

87TT

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Losing a dog sucks. No way around it. I doubt the kennel did anything negligent and you may never know what happened. I would cut my losses, save my money and maybe get another pup. Life happens and looking for someone to blame can be a drag that will pull you down. Your call but that's what I would do and not dwell on blaming someone.
 

mmcdonough

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Another option to think about is having a University with an Ag/Vet program do the necropsy for you if cost is the problem. Not sure what they have in ID or where you are but you can often get the necropsy for free having a student complete the exam with an instructor. Just need to call and see about the arrangements. Students learn from doing, staff learns from instructing, and you probably will have a good understanding of how the pup died.

It will be a basic exam though and not as extensive as a forensic necropsy which is really no different than an autopsy used in a homicide investigation (and are quite expensive). I have had to obtain 2 forensic necropsies related to homicide investigations and they are detailed and costly. So the college route may help your pocketbook and still give you the answers to your questions. Just remain neutral and wait to see what the exam shows.

I’m sorry for the loss of your pup.

That is a great idea. I think most of the schools in SE Idaho only have a step-in/undergrad program though. Everyone going for Vet school is trying to get into Washington State up in Pullman. That's the big program in the inland Northwest (had a roommate go there). They do awesome work, but it's a good 6 hour drive up HWY 95. I doubt the OP wants to go that far though. Boise State might have some kind of service like that in the biology department but he'd have to do some digging.
 

Marble

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You may not need the poison testing. The procedure may find something obviously wrong rather quick.
Yes the only animal hospital in the treasure valley that does it quoted me $550 and additional for poison testing
 

Team4LongGun

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If you want a heathy dog, get a mutt and stay away from breeders. I’ve had nothing but great mutts and they are plenty smart to train as hunting dogs.

Everyone I know that has a registered pure breed has had medical issues of some sort or other issues, while not all are major some have been. Also seems like a shorter lifespan with the breeder dogs.

i have heard this for years, and ignored it for years. After my GSP died this year at 8, I’m done with “pure” breds.
 
OP
Gobbler36

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That is a great idea. I think most of the schools in SE Idaho only have a step-in/undergrad program though. Everyone going for Vet school is trying to get into Washington State up in Pullman. That's the big program in the inland Northwest (had a roommate go there). They do awesome work, but it's a good 6 hour drive up HWY 95. I doubt the OP wants to go that far though. Boise State might have some kind of service like that in the biology department but he'd have to do some digging.
Definitely willing to do the drive. I will call and check around on those ideas thanks. I get back in town today so I will be going to get her body and talk to the kennel owner/ trainer. I’ve calmed down enough and did my grieving and have moved on to getting to the bottom of what happened and hoping people are descent enough to own up and help their customers if need be.
 
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Sorry OP, but the D-bag brigade is strong here. Luckily you have gotten some sound advice but unfortunately it seems that many on here come for no other reason than to nit pick and find fault in others. Small d**ks, smaller minds.
Best of luck
 

Donjuan

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Looking for someone that maybe has been in this scenario or knows more about this process to help counsel me through what to do next. My family and i travel back to visit family over Thanksgiving and have my dog boarded by Fetch This Kennels in Payette, ID who came recommended from very trusted friends and another dog trainer. puppy is 5mths old clean bill of health and has been in the field with me running and chasing birds since the day i picked her up. two weeks goes by with me checking in about every other day in which they responded promptly. then i let a few days go by over the holidays and then checked in this past Saturday with no response until yesterday evening in which to inform me that my dog was out running with a couple of his older dogs, yelps once or twice and then falls over and dies deader than a hammer. so after my anger and shock i gather myself and try to figure out what to make of this. There are obvious lots of questions, but I am still in TN so i am waiting to get back to get her body and possibly an necropsy done. The way he is sounding is i am basically ****** out of all my financial investement with this dog and he isnt going to compensate me for her or pay to even have the vet do a necropsy. I am trying to give benefit of doubt but there is just something fishy about him when he presents this story and 5 mth old puppies with good health dont just fall over and die. he is obviously trying to sell me on some sort of heart condition but she went through all her vet puppy visits easy peasy. Also called the breeder for info about the other litter mates and some friends that had dogs from them and so far they are perfectly healthy and on track in their training.
so share your thoughts and if any of you have been in this boat before how did you proceed
You will have to get a necropsy performed, and they can send in samples for any toxicology.
Unfortunately, bad things can occur uncontrollably.
I would think the kennel would pay for the testing. Without there is no proof, or disproving, of foul play
 
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One thing to think about that I haven’t seen mentioned is that you might have the necropsy done and have no known cause of death.

My better half is a DVM and she has clients that want a necropsy done on their dogs that pass unexpectedly and the results often times come back as an unknown death.

Tough pill to swallow, but like previously mentioned I would move on and not dwell on this situation any longer. Go find another pup for you and your family.
 

jmez

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Toxicology is expensive and generally unrewarding unless you know the specific toxin you are looking for.



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Toxicology is expensive and generally unrewarding unless you know the specific toxin you are looking for.



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X2

Buddy of mine just had one of his cats on his ranch show signs of poisoning. Cat had to be put down. He asked the vet to do a necropsy and all the testing he could do. Results came back: cause unknown. Vet still thinks it’s poisoning but many don’t show up after initial exposure.


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OP
Gobbler36

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well picked up my pup... much harder to see dead all frozen instead of excited to see me , than I thought. I went through the whole story again from the kennel owner and did my investigation work and examined her as much as I could. To my knowledge she physically looks fine on the outside, even looks like she gained a bit of weight and got taller. The owner was ok to deal with and at the end of it all I have the gut feeling that he didn’t have anything to do with it. He didn’t offer to pony up and help with necropsy but said he will work with his vet to see if they could get me in and at a better price should I want to do that. Told me boys tonight and that’s probably been the worst part but I’m gonna sleep on all of it and give his vet a call to see what the details are. Seeming more and more that there aren’t great options and it might best to say out goodbyes and move on. We shall see
 

MtnOyster

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A healthy pup yelps once or twice and falls over dead.......💩......smell that??
Something isn’t right here...
 
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Sorry for your loss. I couldn’t imagine being that far away with almost nothing you can do about it except wait.

I’d second the broken neck theory. I’ve seen it happen before to my friend’s puppy, and it didn’t take much when an older larger dog was around. The puppy basically ran head first into the flank of the adult dog and snap, that was it.
 

*zap*

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I owned/operated a training kennel and stuff happens. Sorry you lost your pup. Personally, I would buy an adult/started dog if I wanted a working dog.
 

Smallie

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Sorry for your loss but we experienced something similar with our previous 4 year old lab. Perfect health and vet loved her. She was out playing in the yard and ran back to the door and out of nowhere out like a light dead on the spot. Turns out there is a syndrome called EIC (exercise induced collapse) and it can be as mild as just their legs giving out while running to the extreme dying. She never exhibited any symptoms of it until the day she died. Not sure if its common in GSPs but I have one other buddy who's lab has it and his legs just give out while retrieving occasionally. Tough pill to swallow but sometimes that stuff just happens.
 
OP
Gobbler36

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A healthy pup yelps once or twice and falls over dead.......💩......smell that??
Something isn’t right here...
Yeah that was my first impression
But without being there when it happened I can’t get anything else to make sense without blaming someone with no proof

it sucks
 
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