Last week, I had a "new puppy owner" phone call that started with a phrase such as, "The vet said . . ." and ended with a scared owner who was sure her new dog was either going to die, be lame for life, or require expensive surgery.

Throughout our years of breeding, we have had our fair share of incompetant vets misdiagnose some of our Shepherd puppies. These illnesses (and I use the term loosely) have ranged from irresponsible to just down-right bizarre. But this one call struck a chord.

First, a little history: This is an 8-month-old puppy from a litter of seven. He was purchased at 10 weeks old, strong, healthy, agile and fearless. The litter, although almost entirely German-bred, turned out to be quite angulated. As they grew, several new owners called to check with us on what they perceived to be a possible hip problem; some just said their dog was "walking funny."

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And that, ladies and gentleman, is where the trouble started. 

The owners' vet suspected an orthopedic problem and sent them to a specialist. The lyme tests were not done. No one checked for pano. And no one called us - until three months had passed and the owners were terrified. 

The first so-called expert manipulated this puppy's hips, made them pop until he yelped, and told the owners that the dog was dysplastic. Alas, xrays showed perfect hips. Still seeing a "funny" gait, they next took the dog to another "expert," who told them that the puppy suffered from a congenital disease affecting his hocks and would require expensive surgery. (A little research revealed that this same veterinary practice also happens to have pioneered the surgery they recommended.)

At this point, the owners contact us. After I regained my composure, I explained that I was simply awe-struck at the blatant idiocy of these vets. I strongly urged them to have the lyme test done - at a lab - and to check for pano. They did. The puppy has lyme disease. Oh, and it turns out that the congenital hock issue means he is cow-hocked.

If you're still reading, thank you. I realize this is a long story - and undoubtedly one most breeders have experienced in one form or another. But here's the thing: What can be done? How many times do we (breeders) have to listen to terrified owners at the other end of the phone? Or worse: angry buyers who are convinced they were duped by disreputable breeders? 

In this particular case, I don't think it is entirely the vets who are at fault. The buyers called for advice, initially, but didn't follow it. In fact, they are still convinced that the puppy has a congential hock disease. (When they send those xrays to OFA, however, I am pretty sure they will find that the puppy's knees were dislocated when taking the films. Won't that be a joy to explain?)

So what's to be done? No matter how much breeders screen buyers, no matter how often we recommend a particular vet or spend hours offering advice from our considerable knowledge bank on this breed, we still get these calls. We still end up defending ourselves, instead of helping the dogs. We still have to explain that although a vet has paperwork framed on the wall, he or she is not the sole bearer of wisdom when it comes to German Shepherds. We still remind owners to question their vets' advice the same way they would with their child's doctor.

A buyer is confused and scared. They understandably don't want to return a dog they are now very attached to. But they are unable or unwilling to listen to the very people who know the dog best.

Do we, breeders, band together? Form a coalition? Hold educational seminars for vets? Launch a website to educate the pet-buying population?

Ours is a breed built unlike any other. It is our responsibility to proactively approach this issue before it is too late. With AR organizations seemingly on every street corner, it is only a matter of time before we hear them liken rear angulation to tail-docking. Together, we can be part of the solution. It really is up to all of us.