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If the pet has a defect, it is more than reasonable to
expect some sort of financial recompense from the breeder
– particularly in some cases where an operation may
be needed to correct the defect. Prime examples of this
are 2 puppies I recently examined, who needed surgery to
correct entropion – a congenital condition where the
eyelid has folded under so that the hairs from the skin
rub on the eye. Both pups had cost over £500, and
at least this amount again was required to correct the problem.
If animals have major congenital problems, we sometimes
go as far as recommending that the animal is returned to
the breeder and a full refund sought. Unfortunately, owners
have often already bonded with their new pet, and are loathe
to do this, but it is reasonable to expect the breeder to
pay for the corrective surgery, or refund part or all of
the purchase price of the pet.
I recently saw “Tara”, a 1 year old British Shorthair
cat. Her owners had traveled all the way to Scotland to
get her. My first comment was how pretty she was, but on
closer inspection I saw she had a congenital condition called
persistent pupillary membrane – this is where some
little blood vessels, which should have disappeared before
birth, are left attaching the pupil of the eye to the lens.
It looked rather like Tara had cobwebs in her eyes! Fortunately
for Tara, this particular defect is of no significance whatsoever.
It requires no intervention and doesn’t give her any
problems. If Tara had been bought to be a show cat, I would
have suggested asking for a refund, but in this case, she
was perfectly fit to be a much loved family pet!
Geraldine
Young BVSc CertSAM MRCVS
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