acquisition of a pet, so clients often begin and complete this process without appropriate healthcare advice (see 5.6 Adoption Source Options). Veterinary staff might be amused when clients come in with a “purebred cockapoo” that they purchased for a considerable sum (with papers?) and evidence of ear mites, luxating patellas, and an umbilical hernia, but most would‐be pet owners have no idea how to do a better job with the process. Interestingly, these new pet owners rarely price‐shop for their new pets – they typically pay in full at time of acquisition, and they often make the purchase on impulse.
In a much better process, veterinarians or trained staff could interview would‐be pet owners and help them select an animal that would best fit their lifestyle (Table 3.10.1), and then counsel them on where they might find suitable animals, health guarantees that should be requested, and terms that include a no‐questions‐asked money‐back guarantee following veterinary examination [1]. Veterinarians could even provide adoption questionnaires that inquire about health issues in the animals or their parents, and genetic testing that might have been done to mitigate healthcare risks (Table 3.10.2). Recommended tests to consider on a breed basis are available for both dogs (www.ofa.org/browse‐by‐breed) and cats (https://icatcare.org/advice/cat‐breeds), and breed predisposition information is available (see 11.4 Heritable Health Conditions – By Breed).
Table 3.10.1 A sample of dog and cat breed selector tools found on the internet
| Organization | Website |
|---|---|
| Animal Planet (dog) | www.animalplanet.com/breed‐selector/dog‐breeds.html |
| Animal Planet (cat) | www.animalplanet.com/breedselector/catselectorindex.do |
| American Kennel Club (dog) | www.akc.org/dog‐breed‐selector |
| DogTime (dog) | http://dogtime.com/quiz/dog‐breed‐selector |
| Hills (cat) | www.hillspet.com/cat‐care/new‐pet‐parent/choosing‐right‐cat‐breeds |
| Iams | www.iams.com/breedselector |
| Optimum Pet (cat) | www.optimumpet.com.au/cat‐advice/cat‐selector |
| Pedigree (dog) | www.pedigree.com/getting‐a‐new‐dog/breed‐match |
| Puppyfinder (dog) | www.puppyfinder.com/dog‐breed‐selector |
| Purina (dog) | www.purina.com/dogs/dog‐breeds/dog‐breed‐selector |
| Purina (cat) | www.purina.com/cat‐breed‐selector |
| Select a Dog Breed | www.selectadogbreed.com |
| Select Smart (dog) | www.selectsmart.com/dog |
| Select Smart (cat) | http://selectsmart.com/CAT |
| Vetstreet | www.vetstreet.com/breed‐finder |
| Whiskas (cat) | www.whiskas.co.uk/breed‐selector |
Table 3.10.2 Golden retriever adoption questionnaire
| INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED BY SELLER | ||||
| Name of Business: Website:Address: Telephone:Name of Dog (Registered):Date of Birth: Weight: □ kg □ lb Color:Identification: Microchip __________ Tattoo ________________ Collar/Tag ____________Registration (e.g., AKC, UKC, CKC, etc.):□ Show Quality □ Pet Quality □ Breeding □ Nonbreeding | ||||
| Question | Yes | No | Don't know | Documents provided |
| Did parents have prebreeding health screening? | ||||
| Are parents' health screens in a public registry? | ||||
| Are this animal's health screens in a public registry? | ||||
| Has this animal had genetic health screening? | ||||
| Have parents had genetic health screening? | ||||
| Has this animal received regular veterinary evaluations? |
| |||
