Sheila, Or. wrote:
Ok so here it is in a nutshell; Our little Bichon is coming into estrus. We just had her checked out and she's in good health, a little tartar on teeth but otherwise healthy. She's nearly 6 years old now, has no known genetic disorders, etc.
Age Seven is a common cutoff for breeding. You can breed bitches past that, but it isn't recommended. There is a much greater chance of complications in both the birth and the health of the puppies. If you don't do it now, I wouldn't recommend it later.
We have limited funds for pup shots so would have to give them the shots ourselves, and our vet mentioned something about a Canine STD which they have shots for. I've never heard of that before, have you?
Was the vet talking about "brucellosis"? That is a canine STD that can be very serious. If neither dog has been bred before, there is little risk. *IF* the male has been bred to other females, it might be worth it to protect. You can request that the male get tested for this. There are some other, minor STDs that are more deadly to the puppies than the mother, but none that I can think of that have a vaccination for.
Also, I guess we wouldn't have to worry about all the AKC papers since the pups would be a mix instead of purebred. Ultimately, I think mix breeds are healthier and I love Maltese doggies as they are closely related to Bichons in that they don't shed hair, etc.
So what do you think?
Actually, AKC is accepting limited papers on some mixed breeds so they can compete in obedience, agility, etc.. But, I would leave that up to the puppy owners.
I'm not sure I agree that mixed is healthier than pure. Much depends on who is breeding the dogs and how carefully they have kept up the health, studied the lines, and ruled out breeding dogs with genetic health issues.
I've had purebreds that were exquisitely healthy--and mixed breeds that were not. Tazz, for instance, has always been very healthy...as has Sonnet. Dusty (pure) does have a heart defect, and has been neutered so that there is no chance of ever passing it on in the breed. If you go back in Dusty's line, there is no known case of a defect like his which goes to show that, even when you do your due diligence and check lines exhaustively, sometimes something just goes wrong...hidden recessives can pop up.
This being said, my Crickett (mixed breed lab/aussie) had epilepsy and the vet felt it was of the genetic type. Obviously, there must have been some on both sides of the gene pool...even if the parents weren't necesarily epileptic themselves (ruled out other forms of seizure disorders).
So, there you go. It's always a crap shoot. You can hedge your bets, however, by studying the lines and health of the lines behind both parents. You can keep dogs in excellent health and give them exceptional care. You can neuter any dogs that are not in excellent health to improve the health of future generations. And...you can discuss all this with your vet. Sounds like you have done this.
If you are going to vaccinate puppies yourself, be sure to do so under the vet's schedule of vaccination for puppies. Too early vaccination is wasted or too stressful on an immature system. Too late and the puppy is vulnerable and may not make it to the next vaccs. The most effective is on a very tight schedule which most vets can share with you--which vaccs are best at which time. Keep copius records and adhere to all protocols (refridgeration and safe keeping of vaccines or they can go bad). Be sure you review with your vet "how" to give vaccs...IM? SubQ? How do you give each kind? Have her show you if you do not know.
Be sure you read up and discuss calcium deficiencies in whelping bitches...pyrometriosis, signs of trouble, mastitis in whelping bitches, herpes in puppies (can be a killer), proper supplementation (ie: folic acid).
And lastly, make sure you compile a list of possible homes. Looks like you have a start, but for those you don't know...check them out (maybe a home visit), have them come and visit with puppies BEFORE they take them home--support them if they are new to raising puppies. Also, a good idea to have them sign a contract that if there comes a day they can no longer care for the puppy (or adult by then), that they have to call "you" first rather than dump a puppy at the shelter (or older dog), thus giving you a chance to rehome the dog, take it inn or make other arrangements.
A good breeder is responsible for what they bring into this world...and all the joy/or suffereing it brings.
Hope this helps