Dumbo
Dwarf
When I first got him I was thinking I wouldn't breed him because of the health issues he had when I acquired him. But I don't think these were/are genetically based problems, so I won't hold it against him and I'm willing to give him a chance based on how sweet his personality turned out to be.
I thought it only fair to report and update on the breeders I was mentioning earlier in this profile. I've continued to stay in contact with this rattery. They realized they may have made some errors just because they were new to running a rattery and have continued to make improvements and gain knowledge.
They have been working with a very reputable, long standing rattery mentor (BVR) who in my opinion is one of the most knowledgeable breeders in the country, especially pertaining to medical knowledge. They are in good hands.
We all make mistakes when we are first learning and the most we can do is keep bettering ourselves and our processes. And in fairness to them they pointed out to me things they felt I could have done better also and I listened to that feedback and have made improvements in my own practices since associating with them.
Nobody is perfect. All we can do is keep trying to improve when we make a mistake. Past mistakes should never be held against someone when they are taking strides to make it better.
Update: 06/09 Poor little Warner had a severe myco infection, bordering on pneumonia when I first received him for adoption. The sad thing about this is, he had had the infection for a long time and the breeders didn't even know he was sick!
They brought him to a club picnic sick and several long time breeders listened to his lungs. He was making a chirping sound. This is a sound a rattie will make when their lungs are congested.
The novice breeders thought he was, "trying to talk!" When I mentioned he was ill they stated, "he's always sounded like this."
It's against our club rules to bring any sick animals to events. These breeders were going to be asked to resign but they submitted their resignations before formal charges could be brought against them. I was then informed they were trashing the club and it's members on national forums or in chat rooms making us look like we were the bad guys!
As of August 2nd 2009, I'm now receiving an email where they are stating this information is not accurate. I'm waiting for them to supply me with the actual data of the conversations to prove their innocence.
This is "political" breeding nonsense I simply don't care to be a part of, this is why I'm no longer associating with these breeders and will no longer recommend them to other people.
I don't have anything against them personally, they are just too inexperienced, and their lack of knowledge may be hindering the animals they are raising. I also don't like the political games they seem to want to play.
I've always felt when a person makes a mistake they should own up to it instead of making everyone else around them look bad, so they will look good.
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To get Warner well again I immediately started him on doxycycline for fourteen days.
Also, he had a condition known as priapism, where his penis would not retract. This condition can be caused because of dehydration which may have happened because he was not breathing easily and maybe was not drinking enough water because of this.
As he's matured this problem has subsided and he appears normal. The condition never seemed to hinder him. Once he was treated for his myco infection he has been healthy and is a sweet and loving guy.