What is it about Puppy Mill puppies that make them sick?

Question

I would think that since I have "rescued" the puppy from the pet shop they are no longer in an environment to be sick. Nor, were they really at the Mill for that long. Why is it just because a puppy came from a Mill they will automatcially come to us with some sort of life threatening disease? (this is what I read from most answers) I was just confused about it. Give any insight or PROOF you may have.

Pet Shops will always exsist since there will always be exceptions to the rule. My puppy was from a pet store and is fine. No diseases, no temperment probs.

Trust me, I am only trying to spark a good debate (as usual) lol...why is everyone asking me if Im kidding? hell no im not kidding, that is why i am asking....duh.

Anyway, I love the answers so far, though it does sem like the "thumbs down" fairy has struck again

Answer 1

Close, confined quarters...that breeds illness in any species. Poor nutrition. Dirty water. No vet care. Injury, infection. Bad breeding (genetic illnesses passed on). Living in filthy conditions.

Added: Of course it's possible to get a healthy puppy from a good breeder or a bad one...but why would you go support such a horrible industry by buying from a bad one...and the petstore that keep them breeding? There's no reason to...there are plenty of responsible breeders out there and they charge about the same as a petstore, but have healthier dogs, health guarantees, and treat their animals like famiy. If they were the only ones breeding their dogs, we wouldn't have the pet overpopulation problem that we have. When you have a facility with hundreds of dogs breeding every cycle, while around 10,000 dogs and cats with no homes die in shelters every day just to make room for more... that adds heavily to the overpopulation problem!

My sister got her boxer from a puppymill (she denied it was from one it's whole life). She had eye and skin issues from the start...came with mange. (shipped from MO) She never was completely house-trained. At not even 2 years old, she started having seizures. Eventually, they had to put her to sleep (after $2000+ in vet bills) because she was unable to move or get up from her bed and started to be in pain. It was horribly sad. Of course, the breeder won't respond now. They researched more on their new dog. The breeder emails them for updates and keeps in contact. Her parents were tested for genetic defects and she was properly socialized and cared for. The difference is huge! She's already almost completely house-trained and is very healthy. And they paid the same amount for both dogs. I hear a lot of stories like this one. Of course, I wish they'd rescued a dog...it's not like I didn't try to get them to rescue! (I foster for a local rescue)

Your puppy may be healthy, (and you're lucky) but your purchase supported an industry that pumps out puppies treating the "breeding stock" like machines. Did you know they sell their dogs to research labs, too? If you want PROOF, a picture tells a thousand words....check out the links below.

PS...Petland dogs come from Class B dealers. See first link below for info on them. They are the definition of a puppymill. The Petland near me gets their puppies from "Conrad's Cuddly Canines" in MO. They are a Class B dealer.

Answer 2

Depends on the breeder. There's a chance they'll just put the pup down because it has no value to them. They may try to pawn him off on a pet store that doesn't obey the laws on vet checks. They may also try to breed him but there's no guarantee he'll even live that long. Grade 4 murmurs are pretty bad and, depending on the specific type of murmur, he may not even live to be that old. Sad but an unfortunate reality when dealing with heart defects. The pet store owner probably gets a replacement for sending the pup back so he's more likely going to return the puppy than give it to you. That said, if you really want him, offer a small adoption fee (no more than $50-75 since you're going to incur some big vet bills with this puppy) and let the guy know you'll sign a contract stating you're buying as is with no refund or guarantee. He may take the definite money rather than risk getting another sick puppy in return. If you get him, take him to a canine cardiologist immediately. IF his murmur is operable, it needs to be done sooner rather than later. Surgery is most effective in young puppies. And be prepared to not have him for a long time should his heart not be operable. Just love him for whatever time he has and make the best of it.

Answer 3

I don't think they are all sick from puppy mills, however they don't take good care of those animals prior to entering a pet store, keeping their surroundings clean etc so there are some who can tend to become sick and have issues...when they are young their systems are not fully matured just as a new born baby so they can become sick easy and mills tend not to catch on to sickness cause they really are not educated/trained enough to know the difference of when something is normal or not! it's very sad, just have to hope when they are adopted they get good loving homes with smarter people who can tell the difference!

Answer 4

Oftentimes, yes -- they do come with a life threatening disease. These breeders only care about money, they don't care about genetic testing, proper conditions, socialization, etc.

Dogs from puppy pimps are so inferior in quality to dogs from reputable, responsible breeders, even a layman can tell the difference.

In the source box I've posted some good links. Please click on them and read the websites. There's alot of information in there.

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ADD:

Pet shops that sell puppies will always exist as long as people like you hand over your money to them. By buying your dog from a pet shop, YOU are as much to blame for the existence of puppy mill dogs as the breeders.

When people refuse to do business with pet stores that sell animals, they will NO LONGER exist.

Answer 5

I am glad you think your puppy has escaped all the genetic issues that follow puppy mill dogs wherever they go. A word of caution to you-your puppy may look great now, but many genetic issues don't pop up for a few years.
Proof? My 10 year old AKC puppymill Sheltie, Violet. She was a beautiful puppy, show quality coat, great temperament, etc. When she was diagnosed with hereditary arthritis when she was TWO YEARS OLD, she was deprived of the active life of a Sheltie. If she chases squirrels, she hurts herself. If she tries to herd, she hurts herself. It is heartbreaking to watch her climb stairs of get up from a lying position. Thanks to careful watching and vitamins and glucosamine, she has been able to escape the dreaded surgery on both of her shoulders, that would have put her on Rimadyl for the rest of her life (and don't get me started on the side effects of that drug), and will now not need it as she is old.

Most of the effects of puppymill breeding are not seen by the naked eye. It is in the genetics and can include epilepsy, arthritis, thyroid disease, luxating patellas, hip dysplasia, PRA, etc.
And most of these don't show in a puppy.
I wish you and your puppy the best of luck, but next time if I were you I would re-think where you buy.

Answer 6

You didn't rescue a puppy from the petstore.. You bought a puppy, and you supported puppymills and bybers. Rescue is something that you have come up with to me you feel good about the purchase.

Sick as in many things, but not necessarily disease. Although they are very often filled with worms, and other parasites. Very often die within days of parvo or distemper. Sick as in their breed specific health testing wasn't done, or cared about for many many generations. Inbred dogs producing dogs with hip / elbow problems, thyroid, heart and other health problems.

Yeah you might have removed the puppy from an environment where he wasn't cared for, but you also created an opening for a new puppy to move into that cage. And you also purchased a puppy that is very likely to have many inherited health problems.

Do the research.. Find out where your puppy came from.. NOT just the pretty petstore, but search on Puppymill..

Answer 7

Because their parents aren't good breeding stock. The parents are often sickly and poorly bred, the pups are raised in a poor environment and subjected to insane amounts of stress.

The problem isn't in the puppy's store. The problem is in the puppy's genes.

Laura is right - pet stores will sell puppies only as long as it is profitable for them to do so, which means that as long as idiots will buy them, they'll keep making more. Which means that dogs will be condemned to miserable lives in puppy mills, churning out pups to meet the demands of the idiot buyers.

Personally, I refuse to set foot in any store that sells puppies (i.e. PetLand).

Answer 8

Supply and demand. The puppy mills with continue to supply as long as the public continues to demand.
Puppy mills are mills that produce a product for profit. There is no regard for the animals. Health and breeding conditions are not monitored. Only the profits. Stop putting money into their operations!

Answer 9

Close & filthy quarters that the parents are forced to live in. Overcrowded housing. The puppies are normally sick due to the momma dog being sick.....it's carried to them while she's pregnant some times.

Lack of vaccinations make them likely to catch diseases from people who fail to disinfect their hands between puppies, etc.

There's a LOT of reasons. Some are hereditary, some are air borne, etc.

Answer 10

are you kidding?

puppy mill dogs do not undergo any health or genetic screenings before being bred. the dogs that the millers are breeding are poor quality dogs thus passing on poor quality traits to the puppies. case in point: my heather was rescued from a puppy mill auction in Missouri. she was 3 yo when they saved her. at that time she was so severely matted she had to be shaved and her teeth were so bad most of them had to be pulled. she also has wretched luxating patellas and requires daily medication for them to keep her comfortable, she has severe food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, and she is a very poor example of a papillon.

aside from the "treatable" diseases that most pet shop puppies have (intestinal parasites, parvo, kennel cough) most of them are extremely poor quality dogs and have genetic issues (ibd, allergies, heart murmurs, luxating patellas, hip displaysia, etc).

please do not ever buy from a pet store. all you will be doing is creating another spot for another puppy to go and you are ensuring the slavery and horrible lives of other puppy mill dogs.

add- pet shops will only keep existing if people like you keep buying dogs from them!