What is the cost when having a litter goes wrong?

Question

Do you know what it entails and how much it costs when a litter goes wrong?

For example, when the ***** needs a c-section. What do you have to do and how much does it cost? Do you know what you would have to do if she died? Are you willing to loose your dog like this?

How about if the litter is early? Bottle feeding or inserting a feeding tube? How about the several vet visits to examine the puppies to determine if their hearts and lungs are developing properly?

What happens when you havev done everything you can and the puppy (or puppies) die anyway? How about if you have puppies that no one wants because they are sickly? What if a puppy doesn't fit in its new home, are you able to take it back?

Are you willing to accept that your puppies may end up in a pound and be put down? Do you understand the costs involve in avoiding this? Are you willing to pay them?

Do you REALLY understand the costs and are you willing to accept them?

Answer 1

Unfortunately most folks have no idea of the potential risks and costs (both $$ and emotional risks).

Over the years Ive had very good luck, much better than many I know but here are a few examples of some of the costs.

Even breeding a healthy litter and having a normal uneventful delivery can can a few thousand dollars if you do it right. A litter I bred back in '93 using fresh chilled semen cost me over $3,000 by the time I finished paying for the semen, shipping, tests to determine the right time for the breeding, etc. The end result was a litter of 8 pups (7m, 1f) and one the only female passed away when she was less than 24 hrs old. Very disappointing given I had bred the litter planning on keeping a female for myself. On the other hand it was a very nice litter 4 of the pups finished their Championships.

On the other hand there is the cost of the litters that just don't produce anything. With one female after watching and waiting for a male bred by a friend of mines to grow up and pass his health checks I decided that it was a good breeding and made arrangements with his owner. First try his owner is out of the country on vacation and he is in Canada finishes his Canadian title. Second try we collect fresh chilled semen because I'm not thrilled with the idea of shipping my girl a crossed the country. UPS looses the semen and it arrives to weak to use....that one cost close to $700 ovulation testing, the vet bills for collecting the semen and shipping UPS (UPS never issued the refund despite admitting that they were at fault). Try three I give in and say okay I'll ship her, run all the timing tests, get her health certificates, drive her to the airport and receive a phone call almost 5 hours later from the airline saying that they failed to put her on the plane!!! Since the sires owner is leaving for shows the next morning so much for that season. Fourth try....well that didn't happened because the male had been sold and shipped to a new owner in a different country on the other side of the planet. Net result I spent about $1,500 wasted over 2 1/2 yrs and no puppies.

With a litter I had three years ago mom had to have a c-section and we were only able to save 3 puppies. Because of the c-section mom wasn't interested in the pups for about 3 days so that meant feeding puppies every 2 hours and basically no sleep for 3 days. After the first day I was down to only 2 pups having lost the smallest of the three.

Over the years I've had very few pups returned primarily because I'm very fussing abotu placements. However a few years ago I had one puppy buyer call and want to return his almost 5 yr old dog who he'd had since she was 9 wks old because his new girlfriend didn't like her. He didn't want to go to the effort of taking her to the airport, fortunantly I had a friend within a couple of hours who picked her up and shipped her back to me. However shipping and the crate alone were over $500. A few months later after he broke up with the girlfriend he actually wanted her back, needless to say I told him No!

Answer 2

I know of someone who had a very well planned litter.. Ch show dog, all the proper health tests, a lovely stud was selected, all the proper prenatal care, etc. About 2 weeks before the due date, there was a loss of girth in the b*tch. She took her to the vet, xray revealed that the 5 pups had died and were rotting away. She needed a $3,000 surgury to remove the infected uterus and what remained of the pups (2 partial bodies was all that was left- the other 3 had completely rotted).. the uterus was full of pus that was as thick as bread dough. Had this been left untreated, the dog would have DIED.. she probably would have been very ill within a day or so if she did not get care as soon as she did. $3,000 was just the cost of the surgury.. I could not tell you what she spent on the stud fee, prenatals, health tests, xrays, antibiotics, etc.. the b*tch is obviously now spayed.. and there's no pups to show for her expenses. There was no explanation as to why the pups had died.. everything had been done right and things had gone well up until that point.

Answer 3

Unfortunately you are preaching to the choir. We know the cost, we've paid it. We do it right. BYB's and Puppymillers dont and wouldn't put the same care and money we do in to our dogs. The only ones that will listen are the one already doing it. I can sit here and say Yes I know but, how many would do it? How many times have we seen people ask how to deliver pups from a b itch that has been laboring for days? How may people must be told each day to TAKE THE DOG TO THE VET? While a bone is protruding from its leg? THEY DONT CARE LIKE WE DO.........GET IT? Sadly I've come to the conclusion there are three types of dog owners. Those who care and know, those that are new and need to learn and those that just dont care! The second will make mistakes and hopefully learn, the third will do their very best to ruin a good dog.

Answer 4

It can cost THOUSANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most BYB and the like think it will never happen to them!!! When it does they just come crying here to get advice and "home remedies" for a dying bit ch and litter!!!!!!

ONE of the reasons I have not had a litter since '05 is that right now I could not afford to breed for that very reason!!! You need to have a $$$ stash IN CASE something happens.

Good breeders PREPARE for the worst.

BAD breeders think it will never happen!!!

Answer 5

it cost me 1000...but mama made it thank goodness and babies are fine!

edit
from start to finish..by the time this litter is placed they will have cost me about 4500...this is with the lease of the female.progesterone tests..cost to ship my male home from his co-owners house.... c-section and OB costs... vaccines... microchips...baer testing.... and whatever else may come up...hopefully nothing..ugh haha...small price to pay though

Answer 6

The cost can be extreme, both financially and emotionally.

I understand these costs only too well, which is why I breed so infrequently.

Answer 7

All valid reasons to leave breeding to those upholding the breed standards, and who KNOW what they are doing and have the resources to do it right.

Answer 8

Thank you for making people look at the reality of not neutering their pets.

Answer 9

You've bred your dogs so why are you asking this question to other people you should already know the answer.
But to answer the question, yes I know the emotional costs and the financial cost and if I were to breed I would certainly have all this information befroe I did so.

Answer 10

backyard breeders do not weigh the risks,,,