HEALTH TESTING + GUARANTEE
Creekside Golden retrievers are genetic health tested and certified as clear & non-affected by disorders known to the Golden Retriever breed. Because of this, we offer a lifetime health guarantee against your Golden Retriever being affected by any of the currently known disorders in Retrievers that we’ve tested for. We run the full panel of genetic testing available (see below under the genetic health guarantee section). Additionally, our dogs’ skeletal systems are examined and we also have their eyes checked by a board certified animal ophthalmologist every two years. We established testing submittals to the OFA Eye Registry in 2017. Visit our Lifetime Breeder Support tab for details about our lifetime support.
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Initial 48-Hour Health Guarantee Information + Requirements
It’s the buyer’s responsibility to get the puppy seen by a licensed veterinarian within 2 calendar days of receiving the puppy. Creekside Golden retrievers will not be responsible for Parvo, Distemper or Coronavirus after the pup leaves Creekside Golden retrievers. These are highly contagious diseases and they can be contracted immediately after leaving our home. We guarantee your dog’s feet only touch the ground at our disease-free home because we don’t even take our litters to a vet clinic; our veterinarian team comes to our house to do health certifications. Creekside Golden retrievers isn’t responsible for any illnesses or issues diagnosed after the initial 48 hours, except where stated in this health guarantee.
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We require a copy of the initial exam to be sent to us. The paperwork must be on the veterinarian’s letterhead and must include your name, the name of the puppy, gender, color, and date the exam was done. Typically all of this information is included on the initial exam so just be sure to look your paperwork over before you leave the vet’s office. We are not responsible for allergies, immunity levels, mites, pneumonia, mange, heat stroke, ringworm, conjunctivitis, intestinal worms and parasites, fleas, ticks, ear infections, coccidiosis, parvovirus, yeast infections, or giardiasis.
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Lifetime Genetic Disorder Health Guarantee Claims Policy
The puppy is guaranteed to never receive an affected test result for any genetic disease listed below:
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Centronuclear Myopathy, Degenerative Myelopathy, Exercise-Induced Collapse, Hereditary Nasal Parakeratosis, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration, Retinal Dysplasia/Oculoskeletal Dysplasia 1, Skeletal Dysplasia 2, Cystinuria (Golden Retriever Type), Elliptocytosis, Hyperuricosuria, Myotubular Myopathy 1, Narcolepsy (Golden Retriever Type), Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Cone-Rod Dystrophy 4, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Golden retriever 2, Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (Golden retriever Type).
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In the event the puppy is directly tested and it receives an affected result from a genetic testing company you submitted their DNA to, the puppy must be retested as we know from genetic testing that our breeding dogs are not affected. This will be done at the puppy buyer’s expense, through the genetic testing company of our choice. If the second test comes back as unaffected, that test will be the final determination that the pup is unaffected. If the second test comes back as affected, a replacement puppy will be offered. The puppy will be replaced with a puppy of equal value from a future litter. To receive a replacement puppy, the puppy being replaced must have proof of being fixed. If the puppy is not spayed/neutered within 18 months or we do not receive documentation of it within 18 months, no replacement puppy will be given. We as the breeder, have 12 months after receiving the documentation from you of spay/neuter to give a replacement puppy of equal value. The puppy buyer must have the original puppy fixed prior to receiving the replacement puppy. The following are the options we offer:
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You may keep your puppy and get a replacement puppy from a future litter. Must be the same breed and gender. This will happen after documented proof of spay/neuter for the first puppy has been provided. Must be the same breed and gender.
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You may return your puppy once it has been fixed and receive one replacement puppy from a future litter under the criteria cited above. Must be the same breed and gender. We must receive the puppy back to us within 7 calendar days of the second test result that confirmed an affected dog.
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We will not be responsible for any travel or shipping cost for either options.
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In the unlikely event of death due to genetic defect, confirmation & statement of cause from your Veterinarian’s necropsy team is required. Under no circumstances will Creekside Golden retriever be responsible for veterinary or medical bills incurred.
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Skeletal Guarantee
We provide a 12 month (from date of birth) Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) Guarantee.
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The Institute of Canine Biology published information found through studies and testing of Retrivers over the years & these findings show genetics are responsible for only a modest percent of dysplasia. We now know through research that environmental factors play a big role in the development of dysplasia. The ANKC talks about environmental influences & the important role of nutrition here. You can learn about appropriate nutrient levels for skeletal development in large breed puppies here.
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We make sure your puppy is appropriately nourished for proper skeletal development before they are born & during lactation by how we feed their mother. We then wean our litters to a canine appropriate raw diet & they are carefully monitored by a canine nutrition professional from day one until they leave to their new homes at 8 weeks old. This assures that appropriate levels of nutrition are being fed to the litter for proper growth. We also keep our litters housed and playing on non-slip flooring to help prevent injury. When the puppies are outdoors, they do not have access to anything that can cause them injury & they are under supervision at all times. We do not allow the puppies to participate in any activities that may impact their skeletal structure negatively. Our puppy room is on monitored video so we can watch them when we aren’t in the same room.
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For you to best protect your puppy from dysplasia, they should be fed an appropriate diet for their age and they should not participate in training or exercise that involving jumping, long distance running etc. Nor should the puppy be allowed to jump in and out of vehicles, jump on and off beds/couches/chairs etc. We understand that this is hard to keep puppies from doing but in order to do your best to prevent environmental dysplasia it is important that you monitor your puppy and keep them from environmental impacts that can negatively affect their bones development. The puppy should not be over fed causing stress on their skeletal frame and joints. Keeping the Retrivers from obesity is essential to their skeletal health.
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Creekside Golden retrievers is not responsible for environmental dysplasia. If a licensed vet validates genetic/hereditary dysplasia and our veterinarian team confirms genetic/hereditary dysplasia the puppy will be required to be spayed/neutered at the owner’s expense. Paperwork must be provided to the us proving the puppy was fixed.
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The puppy will be replaced with a puppy of equal value from a future litter. To receive a replacement puppy the puppy being replaced must have proof of being fixed as mentioned above. If the puppy is not spayed/neutered and or we do not receive documentation within 12 months then no replacement puppy will be given. We as the breeder, have 12 months after receiving the documentation of spay/neuter to give a replacement puppy of equal value.
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If our vet team determines the hip/elbow dysplasia is environmental and not genetic/hereditary no replacement puppy will be given. This guarantee is null and void if the puppy ever produced any offspring. We only allow limited registration on our dogs.
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Spay/Neuter Policy
It is our policy that none of our puppies are to be spayed/neutered (fixed) until 18 months of age or older. It is detrimental to the growth and the long term health of a Retrievers to be fixed before they reach adulthood. Any altering of the dog’s reproductive system prior to 18 months old will result in an immediate void of the health guarantee.
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Return & Rehoming Policy
We require our puppy families contact us about rehoming our Retrievers. Sometimes things happen in life and you need to rehome your dog. Creekside Golden retrievers requires the first contact to be us if this situation occurs. We do not allow any of our dogs to be rehomed without our knowledge or our participation or our permission in writing. We want the first option to take the dog back to help ease your burden and to ensure our dogs are safe. We will always take our dogs back if you need to rehome your dog. We don’t care how old the dog is or if we haven’t talked to you in a couple of years, we want the dog back. We will take the dog back and find a new home or if there is a situation that fits that we have worked with you to set up for your dog, then we will give written permission for the dog to be rehomed without first returning to us. We do not want our dogs in shelters or in homes that aren’t a good fit for them so we will do everything we can to help. The original owner is responsible for covering the costs of sending the dog back to us unless agreed upon by both parties. We do not give refunds when a dog is returned to us under these circumstances.
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We offer Lifetime Breeder Support and a Lifetime Return Policy on our pups.