B-Mommy-to-be in CO

[Chelbell26]

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to introduce myself to the group. My name is Michelle & my bf's name is John and we live in Colorado. We are getting a Basenji at the end of March and we are learning SO much from reading all the info in the forum!

We are currently in the process of "nesting" (getting getting ready for our pup & Basenji-proofing our place). I've got 2+ weeks to train/remind my boyfriend that he needs to pick up his socks, shoes, etc before the dog does it for him!!!

Looking forward to getting our little B-boy and sharing our joy (& frustrations) here on the forum.

Thanks all & look forward to talking with you guys!

[tanza]

Great and welcome. Who is the breeder that you are getting your puppy from?

[Ninabeana26]

Welcome! Basenji puppies are so much fun to have [a lot of work too…]

[Chelbell26]

We are getting him from a guy in Colorado (Phil Jones). We have already paid for him and we are already in love with our little pup and I KNOW that I'll probably catch grief for getting him from a BYB, (although, what's done is done), but I hope you guys will still welcome us to the forum

[Basenji_Boy]

Welcome, enjoy the forum and post a picture when you get your pup!:)

[lvoss]

Of course you are still welcome but please test submit blood to the U of Mo and have the Faconi DNA test done. It is much better to know what lies in your future than to have it sneak up on you. There are other health concerns that you will want to learn about, PRA, IPSID, hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia. If the breeder has not been testing for inherited diseases then you have no way to know if your pup is at high risk or not for these problems so will need to read up and be prepared, which is good advice for everyone.

[Chelbell26]

Lvoss-
I have been reading up on the diseases inherent to B's and was looking specifically into the Fanconi testing. I called the local vet clinic that is supposed to be fantastic (Alameda East - the clinic that is on Animal Planet's "E-vet Interns" t.v. show) and left a message with their lab person about the Fanconi test…but haven't heard back. They also have a vet there that specializes in renal diseases (which might be a good resource if we need it someday).

Do you know if there is another way to go about testing? I am 100% willing to do it (& my breeder said if the puppy comes back positive for it he will take the puppy back)...I'm just not sure how to go about getting the blood test done.

Thanks so much for your anticipated help!

[Janneke]

Welcome! Love to see some pictures of your little B-baby!

[lvoss]

You will need to enroll your dog in the Canine Phenome Project, http://www.caninephenome.org/ There are instructions on the website about how to ship blood to the lab and a form to print out after you enroll to submit with the blood and your payment for the test. Currrently only the U of Mo lab can perform the test.

[lvoss]

Some other good resources are the Faconi Marker FAQ http://www.basenjihealth.org/linkage-faq.html and the article Tails Up http://eldoradobasenji.com/Images/tailsUp.pdf

Please be sure to read up about the other diseases that are found in the breed. http://www.basenji.org/?q=node/17

[etzbseder]

I got Medjai from that same breeder, and so far, Medjai has been really nice as a pet. He even fits in well when we go to see a show. I have sent in his blood, and am just waiting until the middle of the month to send in money for testing, as the U of Mo will start testing again then. I like the breeder as he is really nice, and asked me a lot of questions before I got Medjai. He answers his emails quickly and is easy to talk to about any questions.

Don't expect your new puppy to be as large as the parents, as Medjai is a little on the small side and so is one of the half siblings that I know of.

[Chelbell26]

thanks to everyone so far for providing a WEALTH of information and I will keep looking into all of this! (Luckily I have one of those jobs that I can be at the computer quite a bid & do research when things are slow…but when things are busy I'm not at my desk at all...such is the life of psychiatric crisis evaluators!) :eek:

[WBL]

@Chelbell26:

Lvoss-
I have been reading up on the diseases inherent to B's and was looking specifically into the Fanconi testing. I called the local vet clinic that is supposed to be fantastic (Alameda East - the clinic that is on Animal Planet's "E-vet Interns" t.v. show) and left a message with their lab person about the Fanconi test…but haven't heard back. They also have a vet there that specializes in renal diseases (which might be a good resource if we need it someday).

Do you know if there is another way to go about testing? I am 100% willing to do it (& my breeder said if the puppy comes back positive for it he will take the puppy back)...I'm just not sure how to go about getting the blood test done.

Thanks so much for your anticipated help!

All you really have to do is find a vet that will send out blood samples, that is actually the harder part. When that is done, print off the forms from the Canine Pheonome Project (after you've enrolled) and take them in with you. You can have the blood draw done when you take your pup in for its check up and/or next round of shots (age doesn't matter for this test). The vet that does the blood draw will have nothing to do with the testing. Since it is a new test there are many vets that are not familiar with it, and/or won't send samples to outside sources. It took me 3 vets till i found one that would do it. I'm guessing you're in the Denver area (by the vet you mentioned) there is a good population of basenji's in Colorado so the vets should have some familiarity with them.

Please ask if you have any more questions, we are all here to support each other and learn from each other.

Welcome to the forum, and a big thumbs up for doing your research into the breeds health and everything. Don't worry about that you got your pup from a BYB, we all have little "bumps", it's no big deal. I got my boxer from a pet store that sold just puppies, I thought that it was better than the ones in malls and such because the pups had more room and a whole list of other things I was clouded over. In the end, we learn, and help educate others. And I got lucky that Reggie is healthy and has no health issues. Stay enjoy the forum, and WE NEED PICTURES

[CyrusVirus]

Good luck with your new B puppy! I do have a word of warning for you. Our B-boy just turned 1 year old in December. When we got him, we already had one other dog (a non-B), Hemi. Hemi always slept in bed with us, so Cyrus started sleeping in bed too. We soon discovered that he had no reservations about peeing in our bed, usually right after we turned out the lights. We spent so much time washing our sheets, blankets, mattress pads, etc. that I cannot even tell you. He continued to have accidents in bed until he was about 9 months old. The moral of this story - if you are suckers like us who can't resist putting your B in bed with you, buy protective plastic sheets!

Jenn

[chiya]

Michelle!

Where in CO do you live? I live in Downtown Denver. If you need any advise with your new B, just holler!

Steffie

[Chelbell26]

Steffie,
We are the DTC area. We just moved to Denver last year (although I've lived in Colorado for 6 years). Previously in Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. Denver is "hands down" my favorite place and I plan to be here for a LONG time!

We are looking for a great Vet who knows about B's…do you have a vet you would recommend? Initially I was looking at Alameda East...but if you have a vet you really like that knows about B's...that would be a great resource!

Thanks,
Michelle

[Vanessa]

@Chelbell26:

We are getting him from a guy in Colorado (Phil Jones). We have already paid for him and we are already in love with our little pup and I KNOW that I'll probably catch grief for getting him from a BYB, (although, what's done is done), but I hope you guys will still welcome us to the forum

Welcome to Basenji Forums and we can't wait to hear all about your adventure. Please post pictures of your new pup. We here at Basenji Forums love puppies!!!!
Of course you are welcome to the forum. Please do not feel discouraged by purchasing your puppy from a BYB. You should NOT be receiving any negativity from any person on this forum. We discourage against that. This is a forum in which everyone can come together and share their love for the breed.
Again…welcome and congrats on your future fur-baby...How Exciting!!!!

Lastly...Dr. Fitzgerald is amazing. I used to take my pets there when I lived in Colorado a few years back. I have to agree with you...Colorado hands down is an amazing place..I miss it so much! Dr. Fitzgerald is great and he knows his stuff! I only wish he was in CA. He is a good choice and I think you will be happy.

[fountainhead]

hey, i got my puppy from phil too….mines a red and white male...i wonder if yours is his brother? i know that breeder catches a lot of crap because he doesn't test for fanconi, but he's had them for 3 generations and the gramps and grams are old....i know thats not an excuse and i'm going to have my puppy tested, but at least he really loves his dogs and was very knowlegable and helpful. some of the backyard breeders i talked to while i was looking for a puppy disgusted me...didn't know anything about the breed except the don't shed or bark, and only saw them when they were fed.

[tanza]

It is not only that a breeder doesn't test for Fanconi, but that they don't test for anything. And that is great that the "gramps and grams" are old, but that doesn't mean that they are not carriers for Fanconi and been passing the gene in all the litters coming down from them, there have been a number of responsible breeders that "thought" they had clean lines, never had a Fanconi dog and have been in the breed for 20 to 30+ years. When they started testing, 99% of all their breeding dogs were Carriers and now some of the younger stock is testing as Affected. It was only by the luck of the genes that they didn't have Affecteds before that. By not testing when there is a test available all puppies are put at risk as are their owners and they are set up for heartache. There are other important test, as we have other health concerns, that should be done, hips for one, eyes for another. Again anyone can say "my" dogs are healthly for if you don't test you done know. Hip Dysplasia is a problem in our breed, a small one now, but that is because people test their dogs and keep track of offspring. PRA is a problem (Blindness) and is late onset like Fanconi.. and unless breeding dogs and their offspring are tested, you don't know that you are passing that gene. There are Thyroid problems plus others. And responsible breeders tell potential buyers about all the problems in the breed, have the health testing to show why they have bred "X" to "Y".
And in the big scheme there are all kinds of breeders, from the very worst that sell to pet stores to the responsible breeders that do the health testing, temperament test, and breed for conformation correct Basenjis and those inbetween. There is no excuse for not being a responsible breeder and testing dogs "before" breeding other then money. And if you don't have the money to test, then you should not be breeding.

[etzbseder]

Good point, I still spend more on toys and fancy food/additives than I do on all my vet visits/tests.

If you look on the pedigree search, you can find all sorts of siblings and free pedigrees.