Hi  we are interested in a Lakeland terrier puppy bitch - she is 10 weeks old and KC reg'd, but the breeders have advised us that she very slightly shakes her head - apart from that she is as lively and playful as the others and will grow out of it - does anybody have any thoughts on this?  Thanks

My friend has a boxer who shakes his head.  This has always been attributed to slight brain damage at a difficult birth.  He is now a good age for a boxer and it has never seemed to cause him any difficulties.  It does get a little worse when he is excited which, of course, being a boxer is quite often :)  

Why not ask your vet?

Could be brain damage or problems with the ears, could be many things!  I wouldn't go for it if it was me to be truthful.

Hi - thanks for your previous replies - we went to see the pup today and have brought her home.  Apparently she wasn't born like it she is 12 weeks old and approx 3 weeks ago she got her head caught in a chair and has been like it ever since.  When she shakes, it is her whole body - like when a dog is shivering and then i have noticed sometimes her head will twitch slightly.  It doens't affect anything else about her - she has no loss of balance, is very alert and lively, eating well etc.  When she was running around with the rest of the pups there was difference between her and the others.  I am going to book her into the Vets tomorrow of course for a proper examination etc and the breeders have said that if the problem is serious or whatever they will pay for part of the vet bills or we can return her.  I was just wondering in the meantime if anyone has an opinion on the symptoms?  Thanks

Can't help on the symptom front but I certainly wouldn't have taken the pup. You don't know if this could develop into a serious long term condition requiring expensive medication also as you already have another 3 young terriers....I just can't see the sense. But then that's not my choice, and as you've already made it then good luck - I do hope it's not anything serious :)

Thank Chamsong - You are right we don't know if this is going to develop into a long term condition - that is why we are taking her to the vet for a diagnosis - it doesn't appear to be brain damage.  We do have three young terriers but they are very well trained, exercised and loved - and listen to my words ( i love training, grooming and being with them) . You may be confused as to why we have brought her home - but there does not appear to be anything else wrong with her apart from the shake and not mentally or developmentally - hopefully it is nerve damage that will repair itself or she may live with a shake (so what?) - so long as she is healthy otherwise - I also hope it is nothing serious. xx

Have the breeders not sought a veterinary opinion?

If I had bred a puppy that had an accident then it would have been at the Vets the same day to check if she was okay.

No she has not seen a vet - and I know what you mean --- we stayed there for two hours, met both parents and saw her amongst the other pups.  Everything else about her is spot on - if it wasn't for the shake every now and then - even when she has had a shake she just carries on walking, running, jumping etc - I am positive it's not brain damage - could it be nerve damage? and does anybody have experience of this?  Like I said before we are taking her to the vet tomorrow for a more detailed evaluation - I was just wondering in the mean time if anybody else had exprienced this?  Thanks x

I would expect the breeders to pay all of the vet bills, not just part.

And hope you didnt pay full price for her??????
I know alot of breeders on here would find the perfect home, reduce price for the perfect home and pay vets bills for that condition.
Good luck
Lea :)

The price has been reduced - and we also have not yet paid for her (lets wait for the vet opinion) - but we offered to pay for half the vet bills if we choose to keep her - otherwise return her.  She has so far fitted very well into the 'family' - I must say again if it wasn't for the shake you wouldn't know there was anything wrong with her - let's hope it's a happy outcome

sounds as if you have most things covered then.
Good luck with her, and I hope the vet gives a good outlook.
And hope the breeder will back you up all the way :) :)
Good luck
Lea :)

Our girl shakes her head and ears and she has a reacurring ear infection cause by the buildup of wax, worse in the summer as her ears get warmer and more likely to catch dirt in them as well, no serious problem just flares up now and again and we now know the signs early enough to get her to the vets for her neds and shes clean within a week, she always shakes her ears and head as a sign the infection is coming on again.
This will happen for the rest of her life just happened that we chose the pup with more ear wax then normal! :) but everything else is fine!
could be that possibly, but get the pup checked by the vet as soon as you get it as you usually would but maybe get a confirmation from the breeder that if you want to return te pup due to health reaosns  you can as they have made you aware if it. :)

Hmm , could be something could be nothing.  However as there are zambillion dogs out there, why take home one that could be a medical problem for the rest of its life.  Let us not forget that long term care could be very expensive and of course as you knowingly bought the dog with a condition, uninsurable..............

Yeah but if someone doesnt take the dog as a pet the owners may cull it for no good reason other then a small problem or like you say no problem.
If we had known about Mitzs ear infection before we got her and known it would cost £35 a treatment every 3 months or so we would of still had her as shes only for a pet, we bonded so brought her, ear wax an all!! :) :)

If the pup has a neurological problem then it would be best that the breeder dealt with it, and had it put to sleep if necessary. 

There are plenty of perfectly healthy dogs that need homes and will have a better quality of life.

As a breeder I could not send out a pup knowing it had a defect that might be a lifelong problem, either the pup would be put to sleep (if a serious problem) or it would be treated and cured first.

my puppy used to shake her head after we had bought her home, and all it was, was an ear infection which was treated with drops and she was back to normal in a few days.

Point is that a pup showing symptoms already at the breeder should not be sold until the problem is diagnosed and preferably treated. 

If your pups already had an ear infection when you picked it up I hope the breeder paid your vets fee?

If it had turned out to be really serious you would have been heart broken.

yeah i would have been, i think mags did have it when we got her, but at first we did not realise there was anything there, the ear drop only cost £14.but your right if i had of noticed it when i went to look at a pup you prob would avoid it cos it could be more serious.

Please have her titre scored for Neospora Caninum.  I was involved with a breed which was tested en mass by Liverpool Veterinary University as we had a relatively small gene pool.  One of the main symptoms in puppies and young dogs was a head shake - sometimes almost constant, sometimes rarely - and it varied in severity too.

Debs

How did it go at the vets Casey?

I didn;t know what that was so googled,  (some results here: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Neospora+Caninum&meta= ) interesting