Bichon Frise Puppy with weak knees

by Karen
(Blue Springs, MO)

Hi - I am about to pick up a Bichon Frise Puppy that I am purchasing from a breeder. I thoroughly checked her out and she is trustworthy I am just worried. She said that she "took the puppy to the vet today and wanted to let me know that he said she has weak knees(not bad) and a very small puppy murmer. That it's probably because she is so small - 1.76 lbs. and should outgrow it when she gets bigger.

We are buying this puppy for my kids who are 4 and 5 for Christmas and I am concerned about bringing an unhealthy puppy home for them to fall in love with! Do you think what she said warrants concern or no? The breeder didn't seem too worried about it and assured me that if she thought something was wrong she would never sell me the puppy.

Thanks so much for your time



Hi Karne
Well, my personal opinion is that you are right to be concerned. You need more information on the condition of this puppy before you finalize the purchase.

I would strongly suggest that you talk to the veterinarian who examined her yourself, and ask her these questions. Unfortunately I'm not a vet so I can't really give you answers to these questions myself.

Small breeds, can suffer from a condition called 'luxating patellas' which could be the cause of your potential pups' knee problems. This can vary in severity, but can cause lameness which requires surgery. It also has a genetic component, and dogs with this condition shouldn't be used for breeding.

You would need a vet to confirm this though, as there are obviously other conditions that could cause knee problems. As for the 'murmur', I'm assuming it's a heart murmur. Again, this can vary in severity, but is generally due to a defect in the heart. Further investigation would need to be done to find out the cause of the murmur and the prognosis.

This is purely my personal opinion, but if I were you I would not buy this puppy without talking in detail with a veterinarian who has examined her fully. You need to know exactly what you're getting into if you purchase her and what sort of veterinary costs you could be looking at. Not to mention the emotional ones if she should become ill.

I hope this helps. I wish you the best of luck with her and hope that her problems are indeed minor.