Troy&Mindy's Chihuahuas

Health and Genetic Guarantee/Sales Contract

Below is the puppy contract that will be filled out at the time of the puppy sell. We are providing a copy of this on our website in order for you to view our health and genetic guarantee and view all conditions of sale before the sale takes place. If your application has been approved please review this contract thoroughly so that no misunderstanding will take place after the deposit and sell has been made.

PUPPY SALES CONTRACT AND GUARANTEE INFORMATION

The Seller, Troy and Mindy Dettmering, and the Buyer, ___________________________________, hereby agree as follows:

1. The Seller hereby sells to the Buyer, for the amount of $____________, payment of which is hereby acknowledged as cash/money order, a male/female ______________________ puppy, born on ________________, out of Newnan, GA.

2. The Seller has registered the litter with the CKC and will provide the registration papers for the puppy to the Buyer. If registration application were not supplied at the time of purchase, they will be mailed as soon as the Seller receives them.

3. The Seller guarantees that the puppy is in good health on the date of purchase/delivery. The Buyer has 72 hours to have puppy checked by a Veterinarian of their choice. If your Veterinarian finds anything wrong with the pup that you are uncomfortable with, you may then return the pup along with the Vet statement for a full refund or replacement pup (at breeder’s discretion). Please note that the seller is not responsible for any veterinarian cost. This health guarantee does not include parasites or viruses.

4. This puppy comes with a one year guarantee from date of purchase for any genetic defect causing death or a genetic condition that has serious quality of life issues. The breeder will take back puppy and will replace the puppy with another if there is one available or will give a full refund as long as a veterinarian certificate is presented and in some instances a DNA test be performed to confirm such genetic defect if requested by seller. Some of the common genetic defects in the toy group are listed on the next few pages along with a list of some health issues of the toy group. Some of these genetic defects do not affect the quality of life of the dog. (Buyer should always research the breed of dog to make sure the breed is right for them.) Breeder is not responsible for the health problem called hypoglycemia. This condition is caused by the puppy not eating properly and neglect from owner. The buyer must always make sure the dog is eating properly to prevent this problem.

5. The Buyer shall maintain the puppy in good condition, including adherence to a regular immunization schedule, heartworm preventative, good diet, and a clean and safe environment.

6. Should the buyer be unable to keep this dog at any time, buyer will return the dog to the breeder. Breeder and buyer will negotiate refunds (if any) depending on circumstances of the return. This dog is NOT to be resold or given to any other party without express written permission of the breeder. Under NO circumstances is this dog to be surrendered to an animal shelter or rescue organization. The breeder is always available as a safety net for the lifetime of every puppy we sell, no matter what the circumstances or how old the "puppy" may be.

COMMON GENETIC DEFECTS

While Chihuahuas have fewer genetic defects than many breeds, no breed is perfect. The following sections show you some idiosyncrasies — a few serious but most not — that are sometimes seen in Chihuahuas and other Toy breeds.

Subluxation of the patella

In dog lingo, subluxation of the patella is called slipped stifles or loose kneecaps. When it occurs, the kneecap (in the rear legs) slips out of its groove — sometimes often and sometimes rarely — depending on the severity of the problem. If your dog is one of the unlucky few whose kneecaps slip often, surgery may be the solution. A dog with a mild case can live a normal life, kind of like a person with a trick knee. Subluxation of the patella is a relatively common problem in small breeds and some large ones as well.

"Reverse Sneeze"...

Occasional bouts of sneezing, snorting, honking and wheezing are not unusual in chihuahuas, and is sometimes called a "reverse sneeze". This is usually caused by a elongated soft palate that is thought to become temporarily misaligned. It is a common trait in toy breeds. Pulling hard on a leash, drinking too fast or getting overly excited can lead to an episode of reverse sneezing. Reverse sneezing SHOULD NOT be confused with a different condition called "collapsed trachea". Although reverse sneezing may appear to be scary, it only lasts a short time and can be ended by massaging the dog's neck and throat and encouraging the dog to swallow or lick. Another way to slow the reverse sneeze is to clap your hands to distract the dog, or pinch closed the dog's nostrils with your fingers, forcing it to breathe through its mouths and to swallow.

Collapsing trachea

Collapsing trachea is a problem for Toy dogs of many breeds. The symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, and exhaustion. Although it appears more often in dogs older than 5 years, an occasional puppy has it from birth. To understand the condition, think of the trachea as a straw made of cartilage that carries air from the neck to the chest. When the cartilage collapses, breathing becomes difficult, kind of like sipping soda through a flattened straw.

Your vet can treat the condition with medication, but if you smoke, your Chi's prognosis may be poor. Secondhand smoke is a proven contributing factor to the problem . . . and smoke tends to settle low, where a little dog's nose is.

Heart murmur

Heart murmurs are relatively uncommon in Chihuahuas and even those that have one usually have the functional type. As in people, that means they can be as active and athletic as they want and live long, normal lives.

Molera

The Chihuahua's molera (a.k.a. fontanel) is considered a breed characteristic and not a defect. Most Chihuahuas (80 percent to 90 percent) have a molera — a soft spot on the top of their head similar to a human baby's soft spot. But unlike babies, most Chihuahuas don't outgrow it. Although it usually shrinks as the dog matures and ends up between nickel- and dime-sized, his/her molera won't be a problem as long as you're gentle when petting or handling his head.

In rare cases, the molera remains quite large and can be a sign of a serious problem called hydrocephalus (see the next section), but don’t worry, Hydrocephalus has several other signs besides a larger-than-usual molera.

Hydrocephalus

A dog with hydrocephalus (a.k.a. water on the brain) may have an unusually large head for his size caused by swelling. Other signs of this fatal condition are frequent falling, seizures, a lot of white showing in the eyes, an unsteady gait, and east-west eyes (the opposite of crossed eyes). A dog with hydrocephalus is in pain and won't live long, so euthanasia is the humane solution. (Euthanasia is the medical term for a humane, vet-assisted death.)

OTHER HEALTH RELATED ISSUES

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia means low blood sugar and is a common problem in young Toy breed puppies, although most of them grow out of it before they are old enough to leave the breeder. But for a few, it's a danger throughout their lives.

Symptoms of low blood sugar are a staggering gait, glassy eyes, and sometimes either limpness or rigidity. If the dog doesn't receive immediate help, he can suffer seizures, unconsciousness, and finally, death. Treatment involves putting some sugar (a good source is Nutri-Cal, which can be found at your vet, or Karo Syrup) in your dog's mouth, calling your veterinarian, and heading for the clinic. Once you know your dog has a tendency toward hypoglycemia, you can prevent further attacks by changing his feeding schedule to small amounts several times a day and avoiding sugary treats (check the ingredients before buying dog treats). Too much sugar in his food can put s/he on a roller coaster ride of sugar highs and lows rather than keeping his blood sugar nice and level.

Going under anesthesia

The possibility that your dog may someday need anesthesia is one main reason why you need to choose a veterinarian who is accomplished in treating Toy dogs. Although anesthesia-related deaths are rare, and usually the result of an allergic reaction, its use is potentially dangerous. Your vet uses anesthesia only when necessary (before surgery, for example).

Be sure you know how to clean your dog’s teeth properly so that cleaning them under anesthesia isn't necessary. When your dog has to go under anesthesia (during spaying or neutering, for example), ask your veterinarian if any necessary dental work (such as pulling impacted baby teeth) can be done at the same time.

Watch those eyes

It's certainly not a condition, but because Chihuahuas have big eyes and live close to the floor, they are more prone to eye injuries than a lot of other breeds. Put several drops of saline solution in your dog's eye if the injury seems minor. That's often all it takes to flush out a foreign object that was accidentally kicked up by someone's shoe. If that doesn't relieve the problem, or if the injury appears more serious, take your dog to the vet.

Reasons why you should spay/neuter your dog

While we do not require you to spay/neuter the puppy you buy from us, we feel that dogs in general live longer healthier lives if they are spade or neutered. This is the case in females especially who can develop different types of health problems and cancers if they are not spayed. If you do not spay your female, you will always have to worry about when she goes into heat and keeping her away from male dogs during that time. Just a second of not paying attention could result in a pregnant dog. Toy breeds tend to have many complications when whelping and you could lose your precious dog while she is whelping. As for neutering males, we find that a neutered male is a lot easier to house break and is less likely to mark his territory than a male that is not neutered. We believe that our screening process for new homes for our puppies is very good. We are very confident that we weed out the potential puppy mill when screening, but at anytime if we find out that one of our puppies is being used at a puppy mill we will contact the local authorities and the person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Puppy mill buyers are not welcome here.