Daisy's story
Introduction
Towards the end of 2016 long term Vizsla owners, Geoff and Jill Charman from Hampshire, had recently lost a sugar faced vizsla called Lucy, leaving them with just one eight-year-old bitch, Poppy, so they planned to purchase a bitch puppy.
In previous Vizsla purchases, over the years they had bought from Abbeystag Affix, Sheila Gray, and Duncarreg Affix, Beryl Bugden, sadly both breeders had passed, leaving the conundrum, where do they go for a puppy?
Their preference was to have one with a docked tail, with dew claws removed as there was a strong likelihood, that they would want to “work” the Vizsla either on a shoot or possibly if things went well - in competition
In previous Vizsla purchases, over the years they had bought from Abbeystag Affix, Sheila Gray, and Duncarreg Affix, Beryl Bugden, sadly both breeders had passed, leaving the conundrum, where do they go for a puppy?
Their preference was to have one with a docked tail, with dew claws removed as there was a strong likelihood, that they would want to “work” the Vizsla either on a shoot or possibly if things went well - in competition
Advertisement
However, there seemed to be a scant number of puppies available in the South of England at the time of their search. The Charman’s made contact with other Vizsla people, but also scanned the commercial internet sites in their search. Pets4Homes had numerous litters advertised and one in East Sussex attracted their attention.
Hungarian Vizsla Puppies, £1,100, Private seller, 4 weeks old,
The checkboxes on the web site showed they were:
microchipped,
Vaccinated
KC Registered (Although only 4 weeks old)
The wording in the description,
“KC Registered with fantastic bloodlines, over 30 show champions between Mum and Dad, docked, dew claws removed, also microchipped and fully Vet checked. 3 girls and 3 boys ready for their new homes by 13th March. Ready to take deposits to secure your pup, first come……..
Hungarian Vizsla Puppies, £1,100, Private seller, 4 weeks old,
The checkboxes on the web site showed they were:
microchipped,
Vaccinated
KC Registered (Although only 4 weeks old)
The wording in the description,
“KC Registered with fantastic bloodlines, over 30 show champions between Mum and Dad, docked, dew claws removed, also microchipped and fully Vet checked. 3 girls and 3 boys ready for their new homes by 13th March. Ready to take deposits to secure your pup, first come……..
meeting the pups and the breeder
The very next day Jill Charman attended the breeder's premises, saw the bitch and the pups, and viewed a parchment copy of the bitches pedigree. On which some of the affixes were also those that had been in their previous vizslas. The sire was not present and questions about the sire were not met with detail, and no pedigree was available to be seen. They were told vaccinations would be a matter for the new owners so they would have the same batch number for both injections, and that the pups would come with KC Insurance, which could be extended at the cost of the purchaser. The breeder intimated that they would be Kennel Club Registered and provided with a 5 generation pedigree on collection. They were not yet microchipped but would be prior to collection. Jill Charman chose the puppy with a yellow collar and paid £70 in cash as a deposit. The breeder sent them a video of the litter two weeks later, and a date of 14th March was confirmed as the collection day.
collection day
On that day the puppies mother was not available to be seen, they signed the paperwork for the tail docking which had been done on the 19th January 2017. The microchipping had been done on the 8th March the week previous and those papers were in order. They were told that the pedigree and KC Registration papers were not yet available and would follow in the post in the next 24 hours. There was no puppy “welcome pack”, no changeover food and no instructions provided. Mr and Mrs Charman paid the balance and went off home with their new pup which they called Daisy.
chasing up the pedigree and KC Registration papers
On 23rd April 2017 after 5 weeks of not hearing from the breeder they fired off an email, voicing disdain and giving the breeder 7 days to provide the pedigree and the KC Registration papers.
Just over a week later the breeder responded by email telling them that he had now heard from the KC who stated that the sire’s parentage was another breed a Hungarian Wire-Haired Vizsla and that the litter could not be registered, saying he never had this trouble with the last litter he had from his Vizsla bitch.
The news was devastating in that they had paid full commercial price for a pedigree bitch that was now confirmed as a mixed breed, could not now ever be considered in its adult life for field trial competition as it was not registered, and was not, in fact, KC Insured, and even if it had been in force had now lapsed. The breeder offered to take the bitch puppy back, but nearly two months of being in their home and bonding, that was never a recourse they were going to accept. A lifestyle choice which the breeder must have anticipated before he made the offer. Their perspective was that they would keep Daisy but seek a refund of £600 believing that £500 for a mixed breed dog that had been sold as a pedigree dog, was not unreasonable.
Sadly the breeder broke off all contact, and Mr and Mrs Charman, were left to “fact find” the details of the sire, and research the previous litter, and established through the breeder of the sire, that he was indeed a Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla.
They later took a civil court action at the small claims court in Eastbourne, which had jurisdiction over where the purchase had taken place. Although they secured a Judgement for the claim awarded to them, the amount was the refund sought and did not cover the fees they incurred in court appearances being adjourned, travelling and overnight accommodation, but that did not matter - it brought closure to the purchase debacle and the deceptions and misinformation.
By this time Daisey, had become the heart of the household, and Jill Charman’s elderly, and vulnerable mother who lived with them with dementia, found the presence of Daisey comforting and heartwarming, and as only Vizslas can do, brought out moments of true happiness in the last few months of her mothers life. Dogs just give of themselves they do not judge frailties.
If the pain of dealing with a less than perfect breeder was not enough, round 2, was about to start and would be a rollercoaster of emotions and heart wrenching to the worst possible degree.
Just over a week later the breeder responded by email telling them that he had now heard from the KC who stated that the sire’s parentage was another breed a Hungarian Wire-Haired Vizsla and that the litter could not be registered, saying he never had this trouble with the last litter he had from his Vizsla bitch.
The news was devastating in that they had paid full commercial price for a pedigree bitch that was now confirmed as a mixed breed, could not now ever be considered in its adult life for field trial competition as it was not registered, and was not, in fact, KC Insured, and even if it had been in force had now lapsed. The breeder offered to take the bitch puppy back, but nearly two months of being in their home and bonding, that was never a recourse they were going to accept. A lifestyle choice which the breeder must have anticipated before he made the offer. Their perspective was that they would keep Daisy but seek a refund of £600 believing that £500 for a mixed breed dog that had been sold as a pedigree dog, was not unreasonable.
Sadly the breeder broke off all contact, and Mr and Mrs Charman, were left to “fact find” the details of the sire, and research the previous litter, and established through the breeder of the sire, that he was indeed a Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla.
They later took a civil court action at the small claims court in Eastbourne, which had jurisdiction over where the purchase had taken place. Although they secured a Judgement for the claim awarded to them, the amount was the refund sought and did not cover the fees they incurred in court appearances being adjourned, travelling and overnight accommodation, but that did not matter - it brought closure to the purchase debacle and the deceptions and misinformation.
By this time Daisey, had become the heart of the household, and Jill Charman’s elderly, and vulnerable mother who lived with them with dementia, found the presence of Daisey comforting and heartwarming, and as only Vizslas can do, brought out moments of true happiness in the last few months of her mothers life. Dogs just give of themselves they do not judge frailties.
If the pain of dealing with a less than perfect breeder was not enough, round 2, was about to start and would be a rollercoaster of emotions and heart wrenching to the worst possible degree.
Daisy photo gallery (click on photo to enlarge)
early signs of ill health
Daisy had her first season at 8 months of age, and this triggered episodes in her life which were ultimately to lead to her premature death.
On 1st November 2017, she was admitted to clinic and operated upon, she needed blood transfusions and they removed 12” from her gut, she returned home after three days, had local vet check-ups and all appeared well. For the next three months, Daisy kept in good health, but by April 2018 there appeared to be symptoms possibly linked to hormonal problems. She was placed on medication, and soon thereafter had her first fit or episode, lasting about 7 minutes. By this time she was off her food, her blood was still anaemic, and samples hinted at ammonia in her bloodstream which may be contributory to the fitting. She was placed on a meat-free diet, and then in August 2018, she had her next episode. The Charman’s had been told that nature had plumbed her with veins and blood vessels going all ways, some even pumping blood the wrong way on occasions, and because her liver was not normal sized it did not flush the ammonia out of her system.
So some days she appeared well and other days was very poorly, and she was on medical diets and medicated to improve her blood count. She would have the occasional fit but on the 10th January 2019 she fitted at 5.40am recovered well and was wagging her tail, and then a couple of hours later had a massive fit, and the Charman's knew then that it was time, to end her suffering. So just short of Daisy’s second birthday, they said their goodbyes, and she was gone!
- She was showing signs of nesting although no signs of milk.
- Her stool was getting darker and smaller.
- Blood tests showed her to be anaemic, but no lungworm diagnosis.
- Symptoms persisted and she was given to a referral vets for ultrasound, ct scans and diagnostics.
- This showed that her anaemia could be explained by a fistula within her gut which looked as if it was bleeding and may be the cause of her black poo.
- Her liver was small and not fully formed as you would expect of her age. (8 months)
- There was concern about the blood flow into her spleen.
On 1st November 2017, she was admitted to clinic and operated upon, she needed blood transfusions and they removed 12” from her gut, she returned home after three days, had local vet check-ups and all appeared well. For the next three months, Daisy kept in good health, but by April 2018 there appeared to be symptoms possibly linked to hormonal problems. She was placed on medication, and soon thereafter had her first fit or episode, lasting about 7 minutes. By this time she was off her food, her blood was still anaemic, and samples hinted at ammonia in her bloodstream which may be contributory to the fitting. She was placed on a meat-free diet, and then in August 2018, she had her next episode. The Charman’s had been told that nature had plumbed her with veins and blood vessels going all ways, some even pumping blood the wrong way on occasions, and because her liver was not normal sized it did not flush the ammonia out of her system.
So some days she appeared well and other days was very poorly, and she was on medical diets and medicated to improve her blood count. She would have the occasional fit but on the 10th January 2019 she fitted at 5.40am recovered well and was wagging her tail, and then a couple of hours later had a massive fit, and the Charman's knew then that it was time, to end her suffering. So just short of Daisy’s second birthday, they said their goodbyes, and she was gone!
what the veterinarians's identified?
The referral vets report shows that the symptoms were caused by “jejunal arteriovenous fistula,” a malformation of the vessels of the small bowel. This is a rare anomaly that affects arteries and veins, where an artery merges with a vein before reaching the target organ. These malformations can affect many vessels. The result of high-pressure blood meeting low-pressure vessels (veins) caused damage to the veins and surrounding tissues. This is an extremely rare event in dogs, but Daisy was found to have an issue with her portal vein, the vein that delivers blood rich in nutrient from the intestine to the liver. The blood after being filtered by the liver would then reach a larger vein called “caudal vena cava” that would then deliver the blood to the right side of the heart. This portal vein was much narrower in diameter than that of a normal dog, and this condition is called “hypoplastic portal vein. There is no cure for this condition. The result of having that smaller portal vein is a smaller liver with limited ability to filter toxins and thus they can affect the brain. This phenomenon is called hepatic encephalopathy.
So the surgery that dealt with the “arteriovenous fistula” that was causing poor perfusion to the liver through the portal vein, meant that she recovered from that aspect, but the underlying cause the “hypoplastic portal vein” is not curable or treatable, and euthanasia was the only option.
So the surgery that dealt with the “arteriovenous fistula” that was causing poor perfusion to the liver through the portal vein, meant that she recovered from that aspect, but the underlying cause the “hypoplastic portal vein” is not curable or treatable, and euthanasia was the only option.
so - how do we sum up the life of daisy?
As with any dog or family member that has to live with a debilitating ailment, she was very special, in the way that she coped with illness, in the way that she kept bouncing back, and in her canine interactions with the family melting their hearts with the true vizsla nature, vivacity occasional mischiefs and spontaneous magic. It was tragic that her death was so premature at such a young age, but in her short period of time within the family, she had brought comfort, safety and security to the solace of an elderly mother in her palliative care in the final phases of dementia. Had fitted in well with their other 8-year-old Vizsla Poppy, and was just a really resolute character that brought a smile to everyone's face. Throughout her illness, she always looked like she wanted to be there and always left those that loved her with the impression that there was always “hope” to be clutched at for her future, particularly when she bounced back on her good days.
The photographs highlight how well she fitted in with the family.
The photographs highlight how well she fitted in with the family.
So what is the learning from this experience?
What legacy can Daisy leave for future puppy purchasers?
The Hungarian Vizsla Society has as its primary aim, the safeguarding of the Vizsla, and promoting its health quality and welfare.
In partnership with the Hungarian Vizsla Club and the Kennel Club, they publish a Code of Conduct that sets down minimum standards for breeders and sets expectations for puppy purchasers.
The aim is that whether the breeder is a member of a breed club or not, the minimum standards they should be aspiring to is compliance with the Code of Conduct. The aim is that the purchase of a puppy should be a very safe transaction.
The Hungarian Vizsla Society has as its primary aim, the safeguarding of the Vizsla, and promoting its health quality and welfare.
In partnership with the Hungarian Vizsla Club and the Kennel Club, they publish a Code of Conduct that sets down minimum standards for breeders and sets expectations for puppy purchasers.
The aim is that whether the breeder is a member of a breed club or not, the minimum standards they should be aspiring to is compliance with the Code of Conduct. The aim is that the purchase of a puppy should be a very safe transaction.
The aim is twofold, first to safeguard the efficacy of the purchase of the puppy as a safe business transaction, with mutual expectations of support, honesty and integrity. If they are a breed organisation member, breeders have much to lose if they treat you with disdain.
Secondly, the aim is making the purchase of a puppy a safe purchase.
You can only do that if the Breeder shares high values that care for the Vizsla, and is clear about expectations, and what the purchase entails. It should mean that if a puppy has been bred outside of the minimum standards, it should not command a high premium price.
None of us would buy a car without first thinking about what model, would suit us, and where do we buy it from. You probably wouldn’t buy it without having a test drive, and you certainly wouldn’t buy it from a dealer who met you only in a lay by or supermarket car park for the handover.
Secondly, the aim is making the purchase of a puppy a safe purchase.
You can only do that if the Breeder shares high values that care for the Vizsla, and is clear about expectations, and what the purchase entails. It should mean that if a puppy has been bred outside of the minimum standards, it should not command a high premium price.
None of us would buy a car without first thinking about what model, would suit us, and where do we buy it from. You probably wouldn’t buy it without having a test drive, and you certainly wouldn’t buy it from a dealer who met you only in a lay by or supermarket car park for the handover.
research - research - research!
So the hard part about buying a vizsla pup is not seeing the litter of pups and having one picked for you. If you go straight there and do that, you have not done any research.
Without research, what the law refers as “due diligence” the courts may consider that the Latin term “caveat emptor” applies, (buyer beware) because you have not equipped yourself of all the facts before you part with your money. So research is about the breed, its progeny, the breeder, its sire and dam, and the checking out of material facts BEFORE you see the pups.
Nearly all of this can be done with online digital research, from Breed Organisations, Kennel Club web pages, assured breeders databases and the international vizsla database. The Kennel Club also has an open database that shows the health tests each vizsla has gone through, and if you register for myKC you get access to other KC databases which will help you form your decision.
It could take you many hours of research and study before you can be considered “knowledgeable” and ready to be exposed to the wonderful sounds, smells and heartwarming contact of seeing a litter of healthy pups before they leave the dam. For without all the research you will have not asked enough questions, and not protected yourself from possible harm in the months ahead.
So the bullet points that follow as Daisy’s legacy are:-
Without research, what the law refers as “due diligence” the courts may consider that the Latin term “caveat emptor” applies, (buyer beware) because you have not equipped yourself of all the facts before you part with your money. So research is about the breed, its progeny, the breeder, its sire and dam, and the checking out of material facts BEFORE you see the pups.
Nearly all of this can be done with online digital research, from Breed Organisations, Kennel Club web pages, assured breeders databases and the international vizsla database. The Kennel Club also has an open database that shows the health tests each vizsla has gone through, and if you register for myKC you get access to other KC databases which will help you form your decision.
It could take you many hours of research and study before you can be considered “knowledgeable” and ready to be exposed to the wonderful sounds, smells and heartwarming contact of seeing a litter of healthy pups before they leave the dam. For without all the research you will have not asked enough questions, and not protected yourself from possible harm in the months ahead.
So the bullet points that follow as Daisy’s legacy are:-
- Learn, research and obtain facts before going to view the puppies.
- If the breeder's circumstances are less than perfect “go with your instincts” and walk away, it is not your life’s mission to get a pup out of the hands of a breeder you don’t trust - it only generates more revenue for them.
- If you have done your research and the answers are not what you expected, or are unbelievable, then walk away, the same as you would from an untrustworthy car trader.
- The fact that this was a mixed mating did not become apparent until much later and by then the impact was too great. Database research could have picked that deception up at a preparatory stage.
- If promises are made by the breeder, make sure that there is a record of those promises and whether they are delivered.
- Walking away on the day of collection may mean you have lost your deposit, but it could also save you heartbreak in the future.
- If documents are not available as promised, look at the impact of that before you leave, not in the weeks after.
- If insurance coverage is not provided, immediately Insure your pup privately to the best cover you can get, preferably a lifetime policy, as any serious illness will appear before the pup is full grown. You will not be able to get a competitive insurance deal once there is a known or even suspected life-limiting illness identified.
- If you suspect something is amiss, contact the Breed Clubs, the Local Trading Standards, the Local Authority Licensing, and if necessary if you suspect puppy farming, the RSPCA.
- Do not shy away from civil redress, if the breeder is treating you unfairly, and make sure the registration authorities and breed organisations are aware.
- Document all trips to your veterinarian, and map the course of the prognosis so that you can get the best response for your pup.
- Always avail yourself of the imaging and diagnostics of a referral veterinary practice so that you know the extent of the illness at the earliest stages.
So- the charman's............
- Brought a pup home without the promised paperwork, or puppy pack..
- Subsequently established the deception that they had not bought a pedigree vizsla pup but a mixed breed mating.
- Didn’t separately insure the bitch when the insurance papers from the Kennel Club did not arrive.
- Had to take the breeder to a civil claims court, when contact was lost.
- Spent upwards of £23 Thousand Pounds over 12 months on the medication, dietary foods, surgery, imaging and diagnostics.
- Gave their heart and souls to Daisy in the hope that she could at some point lead a near-normal life, that was not to be.
They have given their permission, for Daisy’s story to be made public, so that you can see that she was well-loved, and they did everything they could for her. The idea of going public is to make sure that others can learn from this so that the trauma of a similar journey for future puppy purchasers is much reduced. We thank them for allowing their story to be published, and for Daisy to be remembered as she was in life, not in death. They have no regrets about having Daisy in their lives.
the factual stuff
Dam of the puppies was Golden Lucky Lady born on 20 August 2011, she had a previous litter of 7 pups on 3 January 2014 from a Smooth Hungarian Vizsla.
Sire of the puppies was Dalemews Brora born on 21 December 2009 a Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla
Pets4Homes provide lots of online resources in equipping yourself about the health and welfare of the Vizsla. They have shown themselves to be responsive when canvassed about health issues and include this in their advice to purchasers. Their terms and conditions allow some breeders advertising on their portal to have only partial personal data or aliases, visible on their listing which makes it difficult to do the full research, on the breeder, their affix, and premises, before you get to visit the pups. That is something that does not happen in many other marketplaces, and the HVS would like that loophole resolved. No breeder has anything to fear from transparency unless it is a covert transaction, unlicensed and untaxed, and unregulated.
Sire of the puppies was Dalemews Brora born on 21 December 2009 a Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla
Pets4Homes provide lots of online resources in equipping yourself about the health and welfare of the Vizsla. They have shown themselves to be responsive when canvassed about health issues and include this in their advice to purchasers. Their terms and conditions allow some breeders advertising on their portal to have only partial personal data or aliases, visible on their listing which makes it difficult to do the full research, on the breeder, their affix, and premises, before you get to visit the pups. That is something that does not happen in many other marketplaces, and the HVS would like that loophole resolved. No breeder has anything to fear from transparency unless it is a covert transaction, unlicensed and untaxed, and unregulated.
Health advisory panel
The Health Advisory Panel which supports the Hungarian Vizsla Society, confirms that the incidence of this condition is just so rare, as the referral veterinarians commented, that it should not be a worry to future vizsla puppy owners. There is no way of determining this condition at the age the puppy leaves its dam.