Breeders Opinions - ASAP - Health Contract

jamiekitty

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Hey,

As most of you guys might know I have a little Sphynx girl I adopted about 6 mths ago. Within the first month of owning her she started to break out in a rash. My breeder tried to blame it on me putting clothing on my Sphynx (which was not the case) and shoved off the issue. Now, the issue aka rash is really serve! The maternal grandfather Sphynx passed away from rash issues and I mentioned to the breeder about a possible connection since my vet and I have been doing everything to help my Sphynx. The breeder said it was a Staph or Strept infection and she'd send me clavamox and baytril (breeder's 'diagnose' from a picture via the internet *rolls eyes*). I wrote her back saying I didn't feel comfortable medicating my cat without my cat seeing a vet first and that it was an intense medication mixture to give her without seeing a vet and having a diagnose confirmed. I also told her the dermatologist that advised her on treating the maternal grandfather was a witch (i worked with her and she assaulted a coworker at the job site and constantly screamed at staff) and that this dermatologist saying that the maternal grandfather's rash was not genetic was VERY inconclusive. You CANNOT just look at something and say it is not genetic. The breeder even admitted she wasn't entirely sure if it was genetic or not (even though her website says its not).

So after writing her this email she sends me back a nasty email basically saying that my cat never had these issues until I adopted her and since I adopted her when she was 5 mths old that if it was genetic it would have been apparent right away since the maternal grandfather's was apparent at 14wks. Also, the other children/kittens of this maternal grandfather don't have this symptom(s) (the two she owns!) and so it is clearly not genetic. She said she would pay for a flight to send my cat back to her and I would have to pay for another flight to a replacement kitten.


First of all I do NOT want to trade my cat - I LOVE her!!! I am not shallow but I know I did pay $1500 for a show kitten and have a poor lil girl who's beautiful spots are being displaced with bumps and welts. Also, I think it is neurotic of her to say it's not genetic.
happens and no one really gets it - she is not vet nor specialist. I am not mad at her because genetics is something we have NO control over but I am mad at how she is treating this and her lack of helping me and checking on me. The more I talk to her the more I see what a complete idiot she is. The very first issue I had with my angel was diarrhea and I immediately contacted her and she didn't tell when she had an outbreak of a parasite until I questioned her about my lil girl's diarrhea (she also took her time to fess up - she kept ignoring my question until the 3rd time I asked). She also said my Sphynx mommy was a mistake!!?? Like by accident her grandpa mated and made my Sphynx mommy!? Like
!? So she is trying to say, "I knew he was sick and I wasn't going to breed him but it happened by accident". Sure mistakes happen....
BUT you bred the 'mistake' that could potentially be carrying a gene for 'on fire skin'! ALSO, she tried to defended herself about the self medicating by saying she would go to her vet and describe aka tell him/her what was wrong with my cat and he/she would give her medication - who ever this vet is should have their license ripped from them. You cannot medicate based on hearsay.

((((UGH)))))


What the hell do I do? I don't want to return my kitten... cat show season is starting here and I cannot take her to any of them EVEN though I paid the fees to registered her
It's more then just shows... my baby is sick and scratching her lil angel face to bits
 
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jamiekitty

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Originally Posted by mews2much

I will post over there again.
thanks mew for looking out for me *hugs*
 

ferriscat

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I don't think any breeders here can post a response without knowing what is in your contract. I don't know what terms you agreed to when you bought you kitten, and this situation may or may not already be covered in the contract. I would suggest you take copies of the contract and your bills to a lawyer and see if you have a legal claim in this situation.
 

goldenkitty45

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Will have to agree with Ferris - this is not a simple thing. You need to have someone go over the contract you signed and what is covered/not covered. Then go from there to sue the breeder for your money back.

Question - DID the Sphynx come to you with the bumps on her? You'll need documentation from your vet re the problems. How soon after you got her did your vet see her? Most breeders state that your vet must see them within a few days of getting them to verify health.

I know Sphynx breeders and their cats wear clothes in the show hall and non of them ever had a problem. I think its something genetically related. Some allergies can be passed on.

I'm sorry you are dealing with a breeder like this - its frustrating and costly!
 

kai bengals

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I know youre upset about this at the moment, but you need to forget about the breeder right now.
She's not helping, nor is she likely to, no matter what legal actions you take.

Worry about her later, treat your cat now.

You MUST have an allergy panel run. Find out what this cat is allergic to and start eliminating it from her environment.

Take this girl to a Vet who specializes in cats!
 

missymotus

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Agree with Ferris and GK, also if the breeders solution is for you to send the kitty back and you don't want to do that there might not be anything you can do.

Could she be allergic to the washing soap or fabric softener on her clothes?

Sorry you are going through this, hope she gets better.
 
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jamiekitty

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Originally Posted by mews2much

Jamie,
Is that the Adoption Procedure listed on the breeders website the same as the contract you got?


Yup it is the same. My contract has a genetic guarantee and such.


I am taking my lil angel into the vet this week for a allergy panel and another evaluation of this.

 
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jamiekitty

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I am taking my lil angel into the vet this week for a allergy panel and another evaluation of this (I had the topical ointment & antibiotics before and I was told the cream would last me a long time but I am close to running out :eek: and we need to either retake old tests or something). Clearly my lil angel isn't feeling well.

 
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jamiekitty

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Will have to agree with Ferris - this is not a simple thing. You need to have someone go over the contract you signed and what is covered/not covered. Then go from there to sue the breeder for your money back.

Question - DID the Sphynx come to you with the bumps on her? You'll need documentation from your vet re the problems. How soon after you got her did your vet see her? Most breeders state that your vet must see them within a few days of getting them to verify health.

I know Sphynx breeders and their cats wear clothes in the show hall and non of them ever had a problem. I think its something genetically related. Some allergies can be passed on.

I'm sorry you are dealing with a breeder like this - its frustrating and costly!
We did take her to a vet within the allotted period of time (within 3 days) and everything was fine EXCEPT the diarrhea & plaque on her teeth. Though it was about 2 wks (after adopting her) after that the rash started to develop.


Thanks so much for the information and kind words <3
 

mews2much

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I do not consider a kitten to be ok with diarrhea & plaque on her teeth.
Sorry you are going through this.
I have a very allergic cat and allergy testing helped.
There was a time when her fur came out in clumps.
We did Depo Medrol shots and pred for Coco which have side effects.
It is worth getting the allergy testing.


 

mews2much

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Jamie here are some replies to your post.
Regarding the breeder's wanting you to give the cat Clavamox and Baytril, it
> sounds to me like she often has the same issues with her cats and that's why
> she thinks she knows what will help them. I have never given these two
> medications at the same time, by the way. Both are broad-spectrum
> antibiotics used for various bacterial infections, and antibiotics can
> cause diarrhea. In any case, I agree that a vet should see the cat.
>
> Regarding the rash. Have you thought about the possibility of an allergy?
> Most skin allergies like the rash you describe are caused by food. Very
> often grains are the culprits.
>
> Good luck on finding a good solution for your cat's issues. I'm sorry you
> are having to deal with them, as I have been there, too!
>
 

magnoliachat

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Jamie,
First rule out allergies. That is the most common problem that it could be. It means washing everything with a different detergent and putting her in a different room (not the whole house) for a while. This way, you can try different things and rule out or rule in that it is a contact allergy to something.

Second, try a mild shampoo and use some baby oil after the shampoo. This will add necessary oils back to the skin. Sphynx need a balance on their skin - just like humans. If it is too dry, it will hurt their skin and cause rashes.

Third (and this is the MOST important) - this sounds like a fungal issue. On a cat with coat, you wouldn't notice it as much, but on a hairless, you would. Anti fungal creams can work wonders, but be careful of over the counter ones - they can be too strong and Sphynx absorb everything through their skin. Do a small patch test first with an anti-fungal cream.

Does she still have loose stools? If so, this could be related. Check for Gairdia. That causes loose stools and real stinky poop. It, also, can cause a rash. It is not routinely checked by the Vet. Ask for it to be checked. It is VERY treatable. If it were my guess, this is your culprit. While not genetic, it is passed from cat to cat and could have come from the cattery that you got her from.

As for the breeder, I hate that you are having a bad experience. Since you didn't ask for help with the diarrhea in the first 3 days after getting her, your hands are probably going to be tied on what you can do. However, go about talking to her again in a reasonable way. If that doesn't work, cut your losses and figure out the problem. You can be angry at the breeder, but the most important thing now is this cat.

Please let me know if I can be of any help. You can email me at [email protected].
 

magnoliachat

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Originally Posted by mews2much

Thanks for helping her Gary.
I hope I did. Figuring out what is wrong with a cat is like detective work. Takes lots of research on your own. Vets are invaluable, but it is the owner that cares the most and has the responsibility to dig further. Just like if one of us was diagnosed with something horrible, we would do everything we could to get information on our own and get other opinions. Our pets are no different for me.

Jamie,
Please keep us updated and we can all work together to help.
 

cococat

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did you see a holistic vet yet? I really think this is your best bet. They treat holistically, the whole cat, which you need when you work with an allergy cat, they do traditional allergy testing and then more. They are worth the drive and worth looking into for your pretty kitty.

About the breeder, that is upsetting.
I am sorry the breeder isn't standing behind the kittens they produce and helping you help your kitty. After all, they should be the most concerned as they should love the cat just as much as you do
 

epona

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I feel really bad for you about this situation - you adopt a kitten and fall in love with it and then something isn't right and it breaks your heart.

You said the maternal grandfather had a similar skin condition, or did I mis-read that part of the post? That is very relevant, if you have proof of that, print out or photocopy that information in the format you found it (make sure e-mail header or webpage URL are also printed) and keep it safe somewhere should you need to provide evidence of it somewhere down the line (not saying you will have to, in an ideal world it wouldn't be necessary, but unfortunately we don't live in one...)

Allergies have a strong genetic component in humans - asthma, hayfever, and excema are closely related, and if one parent suffers from one of them, children stand something like 25% chance of inheriting an allergy from that group. If both parents suffer from one of that group of allergies, then the chance of children developing a related allergy is far higher. There are also environmental factors, which makes it difficult to prove whether allergy has a genetic component or whether it has been brought on by other factors. Which is what makes this so difficult, because there are both genetic and environmental factors which play a part in allergy, and as such it would be difficult to prove (in a legal sense at least!) that the breeder is at fault.

I do have to say though that her comment about genetic condition being obvious right away as a kitten is false, I suffer from a genetic collagen disorder that gave me few symptoms apart from a sore shoulder until I was in my early 20s, and now in my late 30s I consider myself to have a disability (mobility problems). Completely different situation to your sweet kitten and I would not suggest any diagnosis or cause without medical investigation, but I just shared my story as an example of how genetic problems are not always evident early on.
 
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