New Doberman puppy owner here! Could by blue have VWD?

MELCHILD

New Member
Hey every one! My name is Mel, I am the proud new owner of a beautiful female blue doberman puppy named Blue (creative I know lol). She is 16 weeks old, and I had a few questions, as I have never had a doberman before. My whole life I grew up with German Shepherds.

I got her from a breeder in Quebec; her mother is also blue, and her father is a fawn.
She doesn't have any shots, the breeder for some reason told me to wait until she is 6mos? I never heard this before, but she said that it was best this way... Except her fawn sister from the same litter was given her first shots already, so I found this odd. She also told me that any future skin issues weren't a serious matter, and to not do blood tests or anything because it's all just because shes blue. I am aware blues are susceptible to skin problems among other things, however I found it suspicious she directly told me to NOT do any blood testing. She also said to not crop her ears because they wont heal because she is blue. She cropped the mum's ears as a pup but she said they became very infected and never stood up straight because "blue's don't tend to heal like normal". I have a suspicion that her mother may have VWD, and that it has been passed down to my pup. Why else would I be told to not do blood tests? Why she said to wait until 6mos for shots I am unsure though.. very weird. Since she is 16wks I wasn't planning on cropping her ears, however I did find a vet that is willing. He said hes cropped a 5mo old and even a one year old doberman. However, since she is blue and may have VWD, i'm not sure I would be willing to proceed. I mentioned this to the vet and he said it all comes down to how her cartilage is formed currently (it's very floppy and thin). Is it worth it to go through with cropping? They would be charging extra due to her being larger than the average patient and needing more anesthesia.

I am thinking of just going to the vet tomorrow to get their overall opinion on vaccinations/shots and not holding off. That just seems silly to me. I need to socialize her with other dogs and don't want to wait that long.

What is your overall thought about everything?
 
16 weeks is already to old to crop anyway, but not blood testing would worry me. Good Breeders usually don’t breed two dilutes together either that is a red flag to me also.
 
Hrm, yes, I agree: the breeding of two dilutes does sound unusual... was she after albino's I wonder??

And the vet said they would crop at 16 week old pup? Also suspicious, I think...

I've never heard blue's heal differently, either. There are folks on here who've dealt with issues that come from dilutes so you've come to the right place! Welcome and we need pictures of that baby!
 
I had a look at her Facebook before purchasing one of her pups and she did seem to talk a lot about wanting to find an albino doberman. She also really seemed to push to me how rare blue dobermans are, so she seems to want to come off as some kind of specialty breeder or something.. The parents seemed healthy and happy so that's what counted most at first, but as everything adds up i'm becoming more and more weary. So you wouldn't recommend cropping at this age? What are the issues that I might face? A lot of people have said since its only a few weeks off the regular date that I still have a chance, and that ears will stand at almost any age if you put enough care into it. I dont want to do anything to harm my pup though, and yes I'll try and get pictures up soon!
 
For cropping, the earlier the better. 7 weeks is ideal but after 12 weeks there is a good chance they may not stand. You would definitely be posting for a much longer time. Most crop vets I know won’t crop after 12 weeks.
 
Doesn’t hurt to have her blood tested, would give you concrete info if any future issues arise. I definitely would want to know especially since the breeder presents to be shady.

I agree with you- I would start vaccinations immediately, especially Parvo.

Crop ears?? If that was something I really, really wanted- I would prob go ahead and do it. But I would definitely heed the advice on this forum. These people know their stuff and have the experience to back it up.

Be aware that posting and care of cropped ears is not as easy as pouring dog food in a bowl. I don’t mean to imply you can’t do it.... it just takes ALOT of time, patience and work.

Good luck and yes, please post some pictures.
 
What is your overall thought about everything?


First look into pet insurance. Next get her tested. :)

I had a fawn girl that I had pretty good success with. She was a rescue girl that I was able to come up with at least a little info. on. Her breeder thought it would be a good idea to breed 2 dilutes :nono: in order to come up with a good coat. :scratch: Not sure the thinking there, but I do know she no longer breeds. :biggrin:
Have a look around the forum, I have posted lots of tips on maintaining the coat. ;)
 
I will definitely get on the shots asap. I'll try and book a consultation with the vet willing to crop to see if her chances of her ears standing are good enough. I will keep you all updated! Here is a pic of her the day we got her
 

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Please have your vet test her for vWD prior to consulting with a cropping vet. There is a lot more involved with any type of surgery with a dog that has a blood clotting disorder. Please do your research and know the risks involved.

Also have your vet space out the shots don’t let them do everything at once just to catch-up - at the very least do not let them combine the rabies shot with anything else.
 
Yes, I second the pet insurance! Before she get's tested! We use Nationwide and have nothing but good things to say about it but there are tons of options out there, nowadays. I would look sooner rather than later because it takes 14-30 to kick in.

Unfortunately, any 'breeder' interested in getting/breeding an albino is no reputable breeder. I (stupidly) went and looked at a litter of Amish puppies once. They bred for dilutes because they thought they'd fetch more money for them. Their little blue girl was obviously not well but they were asking ABOVE reputable breeder prices for her based purely on the fact she was blue.

Did you get any lineage or registration papers with Blue? Not sure how that works in Canada, exactly.

At least she's in a good and caring home now and you'll give her her best life!
 
Welcome! :welcome:

Wow that breeder is feeding you the worst line of false information I've ever heard so I'm glad you're doing the research yourself and know better than what they told you.

I would definitely get her started on her vaccinations since they are very important when they're pups.

As for the vWD, you can order a DNA test yourself and it's just a few mouth swabs that you send back to them. I'd definitely want to know her status since they can bleed out during surgery or injuries if they're affected. If you're aware she's affected you can let the vet know before any procedures so they can take precautions.

Here are a couple places you can order the vWD tests.
http://www.vetnostic.com/doberman-pinscher.html
VetGen: Veterinary Genetic Services - Canine - Order Tests
 
Welcome! Your pup is wonderful and I know she'll have a great life with you; but that "breeder" is a wreck of misinformation and deceit.

The vet says he has even cropped a 1 year old Dobe? My biggest question is do they have a special technique to get them to successfully stand?
 
If there's a chance your dog has a bleeding disorder, I would put the priority on figuring that out and start with slowly getting all the shots done. For me, the ears would not be a high priority item as it's quite late. An ethical vet should not crop after 12 weeks. It's also an art form, so not just any vet can do a good job of it. I agree that posting is a lot of work and most crop vets also don't know how to do that properly.
 
That breeder has fed you multiple lies. Blues aren’t more prone to vWD or thinner ears than any other color of Doberman. Poor breeding of any kind begets lack of quality and promotes contributing towards health issues.

Bleeding status has nothing to do with whether or not the ears stand. I totally agree that more than likely she was using that as an excuse to hide behind her poor breeding practices.

My main issue with this is the breeder urging you to neglect to give vaccines during a crucial vaccine period. This has caused your puppy to be horribly susceptible to some serious diseases. Normally vaccs should be given from 8-16 weeks. Yours hasn’t even started. You need to contact your cet asap and start the vaccine series. Until then, no social contact with other dogs or taking her to public areas. Catching up on vaccines should be your number one priority atm, not ear crop. Next should be checking vWD status. Breeder should have started both for you.

As far as cropping, we as breeders don’t crop past 10 weeks and 12 is pushing it. Ideal time is 7-9 weeks. If her ears have thin leather there is a big chance that they won’t stand since they weren’t cropped early enough. I would never trust a Vet who cropped as late as 12 months. Cropping is an art form. Just because a Vet can crop doesn’t mean they know how to, or can crop properly.

She will need to be DNA tested for vWD (Von Willebrands Disease) prior to any surgery as I doubt your breeder health tests parents prior to breeding. Although the risk of a dog being clinical at this age is low, it does and can happen. In addition to vWD DNA test she will need a clot time checked prior to surgery.

Also ALL dilutes have a condition called color dilution alopecia. They don’t show signs until adulthood. Your breeder’s claim of “not needing to see Vet etc bc she’s a blue” is also negligent. The dogs this breeder produces aren’t immune to this condition. You will need to stay on top of her skin. Care will require diet, supplements and regular vet visits for the chronic staph infections that can ensue.

Reputable breeders breed away from dilutes except for rare situations when they feel a breeding that results in producing dilution would contribute to better the breed. This breeder is breeding them intentionally. I know you have your girl and love her, but you will have your hands full caring for her health issues. You are a very astute owner and no doubt you will love her and care for her in the best way possible. We are here to help if you need.

Sorry if I sound rude in my post, I am
just infuriated for you and hate to see nice people lied to.

Super cute puppy btw. Welcome to being owned by a Doberman :)
 

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