Heartbroken, advice needed. :(

Gosh, what a situation.  As a breeder and now as a foster mom I always take back pups but I've gotten very few back.  One was abused by a 2 year old child....never made THAT mistake again....one was an elderly couple who just couldn't handle the puppy energy and the third was someone who didn't want to be bothered.  The third boy came back to me with a number of medical conditions that he didn't have when he left and I, as the foster mom, am treating and bearing the medical expenses.  I had him nuetered, I took care of the numerous problems.......and he has a forever home with us.  This is the way it should be. And sadly, not the way it IS with those folks.
 
I do agree that this requires a sitdown with the vet and a long conversation.  It's really HARD not to do whatever it takes to save such a young dog,no matter the cost, but you also do have to consider his quality of life.  Will the surgery do enough good that he can HAVE a good life, or will he just exist?  Sometimes, even with the young ones, we have to love enough to let go, and I know how very hard that is.
 
There certainly are a LOT of holistic options that can be used in conjunction with traditional treatments and it would be worth your while to look into those.  Accupuncture is supposed to be beyond belief in helping with pain. 
 
I wish I could offer some sound advice and words of wisdom......sadly, I can't.   So will offer prayers for the best outcome for everyone.  And, gosh, I can't help it, I'm human....some evil wishes going out to those nasty breeders!

ORIGINAL: glenmar

There certainly are a LOT of holistic options that can be used in conjunction with traditional treatments and it would be worth your while to look into those.  Accupuncture is supposed to be beyond belief in helping with pain. 

I completely agree. Acupuncture, chiropractic, hydrotherapy, and massage are some that come to mind. I'm heartbroken reading your posts but I do feel your love and devotion. When facing something as dramatic as euthanasia sometimes things you wouldn't normally consider become viable options.http://www.holisticvetlist.com/

Also, Callie usually recommends finding a Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine vet to work in conjunction with your traditional vet.http://www.tcvm.com/

What a terribly sad situation. 

Does this breeder show her dogs in conformation?  Do they belong to an airedale club(local or national).  If they do I suggest you contact the president of the club and let them know what they're up to.  Thier membership could be revoked based on them simply wanting to breed a dog with known health problems. Not that it makes things right, but it could prevent others from buying puppies from them in the future. And actually it could really inhibit thier breeding program too since more reputable breeders will not breed to her dogs.  I just can't understand why people like this don't understand the repercussions of thier greed.  I'm so sorry you're going through this.  Does Hawaii have a puppy lemon law?  You might be able to get your money back from her.  And since you know his sister has issue too you have a good testimony against them. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is to let them pass on to a place where pain doesn't exist. My thoughts and prayers are with you as you make this difficult decision.

I'm so sorry that you're in this situation. [] I can't give you better advice than everyone here already has (and it is all good advice - don't take the dog back to the breeder, talk to your vet about quality of life, etc.) Think of it this way, at least - had your little guy gone to a different home, he may have ended up in a horrible situation w/an abusive or neglectful owner, or he may have ended up with someone who would not think twice about giving him back to the breeder, sending him off to help create more pups with genetic problems. You may not be able to solve his problems but you are able to give him love.

Sorry to hear about your situation.  I would speak to the vet about treatment options and possible outcomes of treatments and surgery.  Also seeking a Holistic vet would be a good bet.  If you talk to the vet maybe he can offer a payment arangement.  There are places that will give you loans for veternary services.

I am so sorry to hear of your dilemma.  What an awful place to be.  [sm=sad.gif]
 
You have received good advice from everyone but wanted to add that if your vet does think he will have a good quality of life with treatment check out this thread for help on paying for it [linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=75789]http://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=75789[/link].  There may be an organization to help you with the costs. 
 
I hope things turn out well for all involved (you and the pup - the breeders can go to [sm=evilfire.gif].) 

For the diarrhea try putting Missing Link Supplements into his food (petsmed sell it too).  My dog had intestinal issues and when I added Missing Link (powder) to his meals he improved so much.  It is full of fiber and there is a hip and joint supplement too.  My dog is very large at 150 pounds and the joint supplements are good for future growth.

As for your other issues – how sad.  The only reason I can see to return the dog would be for a refund and that dosen't seem important to you.  I believe they will either put him down or treat him very badly.  If he came to you witr fleas and problems they won't properly care for any health issues.

I know that the cost to keep him going relatively pain free may be extenuating and for most of us we can't afford that.  Personally, I would put him down myself before taking the chance that someone would possibly treat him badly.  Good luck in what ever your decision is what a terrible situation.

To loveyoukaykay: Many great points. Never considered about the difficulties in getting him placed or the fact that the breeder might euthanize him anyway. Thank you for posting.

To ron2: I thought the same thing, that breeders with take-back policies were the ones to look for. Guess I was wrong. Yes, they should stop the line, but I don't think it will be happening anytime soon since black Airedale's are a rarity, and also since purebred dogs are even more rarity in Hawaii. The picking's are mighty slim here and we've got the toughest quarantine laws, which makes importing puppies from the mainland impossible. I'm concerned what you mention--that the breeders might euthanize him, this thought just terrifies me. Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. Also, your dog is gorgeous by the way. I've got such a soft spot for intense black dogs.

To spartanpele: Excellent points. Quality of life is something we now will discuss further with our vet. We've already realized that Dieter could never be a true working dog--not only because of his health, but because he's proved from day one to be the wackiest that the terrier breed has to offer. He's more like Jim Carey, which always proved for lots of laughs. For this reason we thought of getting a second dog for work and as a companion for Dieter. As you mentioned, I thought the fleas and worms were a travesty, but my husband and our vet said this was oftentimes common in puppies. Thanks so much for your reply.

To Auburn: Yes. We've practically lived in our vets office ever since we've had Dieter.

To tashakota: I hear you, but the thought of euthananizing Dieter terrifies me--I don't know why. Has anyone ever had success with surgery for dysplasia? Seems like most of what I've read appears as if surgery is just for the sake of surgery and doesn't really cure the problem. Or maybe it's just a temporary fix, I'm not sure. Thanks so much for that support from thousands of miles away, I feel ya!

To glenmar: So sorry to hear about your puppies. We usually hear so much about unethical breders, but not those new owners who imagine a dog is like some kind of stuffed toy. Your advice about holistic treatment is sound, as I've explored alternative treatments about as far as I can on this island. I've read about gold acupuncture and the amazing results, but haven't found anyone on this island that can perform the treatment. I've also switched his diet from Science Diet, to include more raw meat and veggies. I heard this works wonders with dysplasia, but who knows what kind of effect this will have at Dieter's stage in the game. I've also got him on glucosamine, which is supposed to help with pain and to actually rebuild cartilage. Again, I hope this somehow helps. Thanks so much for your kind words, they mean a lot.

To sooner: Thanks for the links, I'll certainly look into these. I'd love to get the boy some acupuncture, but as I mentioned earlier (from what I explored), there's nothing here on the island. We are utilizing massage, as my husband and I massage his joints at least twice daily. I believe strongly in magnet therapy and sleep on a magnet mattress to help with aches and pains. I thought this would be good for Dieter as well, so we cut a part off of our mattress to fit his dog house, but he ended up chewing the thing to bits. I know the magnets would help him, but how do you get a dog to know this as well?

To sharismom: Thanks for your concern.

To ewin0210: Excellent points! I will look into reporting them and also into the lemon-law. Is there really such a thing for dogs? Can people actually get their money back WITHOUT giving up the dog? Gosh, that would certainly help with his bills. Does anyone here know more about doggie lemon laws? Thank you so much for replying to my post.

To A_K_S: Nope, he's not going back there now. You're so right about the way to think of it. I often imagine what would have happened if Dieter had ended up with someone who couldn't care less or wouldn't have had the patience to deal with his numerous conditions. Thanks so much for thinking of my boy.

To Firestorm: Thanks for all the great advice. I didn't know there were places that could make loans or that vets even had payment plans. This is why I came here in the first place--for some knowledge and info!

To rredbird: Oh my gosh, thank you so much for that link!

To luvmywissy: Thanks for the info on the supplement, I'll place my order right after I'm through replying to these threads. I strongly believe in supplementation. As I mentioned earlier, Dieter had the WORST recurrent UTI's and all the vet kept doing was expensive testing and antibiotics. Every single time he came in with blood in the urine it was another $200+ of testing and meds and he's had 8 of these infections! You'd think the vet would just let us pay for the meds when he had the same da%& infection only week ago. Well, I suppose they need to make their money too. But his UTI's nearly broke our bank. I then scoured message boards and vet pages and discovered the benefits of acidifying the urine--but only if he's too alkaline, which he was. He's got absolutely no more urinary problems to speak of thanks to Methioform. Now only if there was something for this da*&%@ dysplasia! You last sentence is one that struck me. I've never heard it put this way, but it makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

[linkhttp://www.animallaw.info/articles/ovuspetsales.htm]http://www.animallaw.info/articles/ovuspetsales.htm[/link]
 
Has info regarding animal laws, unfortunately Hawaii is not a state that has specific laws in place but purchase falls under the UCC guidelines.  Even in states where -there are lemons laws the time period is usually 7-14 days to demand a refund and I think you have had him a lot longer than that.
 
Everything depends on the contract and warranty signed when you purchased the pup.  What exactly did your warranty state? 

How sad, I'm sorry for Dieter and you and your family. To me it's quite obvious that you love your dog and want to do what's best for him. I think it's pretty easy to tell someone to do all they can, and spend all they can, to try to 'fix' their pet... but it's a harsher reality when it's you, your dog, your finances, your life. sconnor, if I were you I would look into those organizations that help people out with vet bills... and honestly I also wouldn't rule out rehoming in the right circumstances. Rehoming doesn't have to mean just dumping a dog at a shelter (as I'm sure you know)... talk to people, ask around, see if you can find some Good Samaritan with a deep pocketbook who takes in animals like Dieter and would let you stay in touch throughout his life. Down the road if you are penniless and stressed out, you really may not be able to provide the happiest possible home, and that doesn't make you a bad person. There are options out there.

Knox nutra joint or joint therapy......is another one Callie recommends and if I'm not mistaken she uses that on herself.  If I recall correctly she likes the results from that better than glucosimine....

Some other ideas. 
 
Cranberry pills are used often in my breed because of inconidence and high PH in the females.  You can buy them at GNC and it may help overall urinary issues.
 
2nd.  I would go to some of the "large breed" forums and research methods for hip displasyia treatments.  Large dogs like my Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Great Danes, Rotties, Bermise Mountain Dogs and others are prone to displasyia and I bet you can find a lot of topics on those forums regarding your dogs displasyia and alternative for treatement.