What did I do to deserve this one? My golden girl passed over Christmas and my husband has been determined to get another dog. I have been resistant, but he found a litter of beautiful dogs. I wanted a female, but fell in love with a little boy and took him home. As you can imagine, it didn't take long to get completely attached to him. What a great puppy he has been. We took him to the vet for the first time yesterday, and the vet heard a murmur. She sent us right over to a cardiac specialist who said he has a grade 4 murmur and did an echocardiogram. She found both a hole in his cardiac septum and a malformed valve. She says she has no idea what is in store for him, but he can end up in heart failure. We felt we had to return him to the breeder, but I feel so guilty. But I also feel that after my other dog's illness, I deserve a healthy dog to start. The vet said she thought the dog needed to go back to the breeder. After only 6 days with him i feel such a loss. The breeder promised me she will not put him down. I told her if she cannot find a home for him, I will. She immediately gave me back my money, which in the end I don't even care about.
I see years of worry, medication and vet visits....Was this a terribly heartless thing to do?

No, it was not a heartless thing to do ... it is probably what will be best for the puppy.... sometimes even when you do everything right as a breeder things can happen. I took a puppy back who was 4 mos old... he was very ill with a birth defect... we as the breeder are responsible for that puppy and we had the resources that his family did not. YOu did what was best for both of you. Now you can go and find a healthy puppy that will spend a nice long life with you ... I don't think you were heartless at all...

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Shalva and the Milbrose Retrievers and Irish Wolfhound
Milbrose Retrievers and Irish Wolfhounds

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I know it was very hard. I don't think it was heartless. In a perfect world with unlimited resources, you might have been able to keep him and provide him with lots of medical care. But to be that sick at such a young age...? I hope you don't beat yourself up too much about it. Some decisions are terribly hard to make. Don't start second guessing it. Try to move forward. I hope you can find another dog soon. Best wishes to tou and your husband. {{hugs}}

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Kathleen, mom to one human, age 17, three canines, and a bunch of fish.

I am so sorry you had to go through this, it must be heartbreaking.

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I'm so sorry that you have had to go through this. Please take good care of yourself and know that there is a great dog out there for you and your DH!

I'm so sorry...your puppy is still out there waiting for you...

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Misty & Gemma Misty and Holly
Sandy and Riley...miss you girlies

Sending you ((hugs)) What a difficult thing to go through..... I think you did the best thing you could. I do not know what else you could have done.

I am very sorry you had to go through falling in love and letting go. I do think it was for the best. Wish you luck in finding the next member of your family!!

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I am so sorry you have to go through this. Under the circumstances I would have done the same thing. I hope that something can be done for this poor pup and I hope that you take a chance and find another puppy to love.

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Such a terribly hard thing to go thru when you have already suffered a big loss.

You are not heartless, you did what you should have done for you and for the puppy. You are correct that the puppy will probably need medications and care for the condition and will absolutely need to be monitored closely. This does not sound like a genetic defect that is found in goldens but more of a congenital issue(meaning it happened while he was inutero and was not formed properly) Speaking as a breeder, too, I would want this puppy returned to me.

Everyone has the right to a healthy puppy from the start. I understand it doesn't take long to get attached, but you did what was best.

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