Whether you’re welcoming your Yorkshire Terrier for the very first time in your home or they’ve been around for quite some time now, there’s still so much you can learn about giving your Yorkie the best care possible.
It may seem quite overwhelming to think about everything you need to do concerning their care. But, once you get the hang of it, caring for your little Yorkie doesn’t have to feel like a chore.
One of the core aspects you need to focus on is giving them diapers. Such can be heaven-sent both to you and your Yorkshire. Also, disposable or reusable dog diapers both have their pros and cons, so that’s another thing you must look into.
While you may still be on the fence about whether or not your Yorkie needs to wear diapers, here are instances in their life when dog diapers are an absolute must:
1. Urinary Incontinence
Unfortunately, there might come a time in the life of your pet Yorkie when they’d start to suffer from urinary incontinence. Typically, this can happen in three situations:
- When your Yorkie is still young but is suffering from genetic health issues relating to their bladder
- When your Yorkie has recently been sick
- When your Yorkie is old and nearing its end of life, and urinary incontinence is more prominent.
Urinary incontinence refers to one’s inability to hold their pee. This shouldn’t be much of a problem if your Yorkie stays outdoors and urinates in the garden. If they’re an indoor dog, however, accidents are bound to happen even if you have a potty-trained dog.
Letting your Yorkie wear a diaper can save you the trouble of routinely cleaning multiple spots in your home, especially when you’re busy. It can also save your rugs and carpets.
Most importantly, it significantly reduces slip hazards, especially when you also have young children at home.
2. Heat
If you have a female Yorkie, a dog diaper is a must when they’re in heat. This can last for around a month, so you’ll want to be ready for, at least, one to two diaper changes in a day.
Having your female Yorkie wears a diaper when they’re on heat is a sanitary practice, especially when you have an indoor dog. The last thing you’ll want is to have blood stains all over your house.
3. Illness or Injury
Like human beings, dogs may also find it difficult to control their urges to pee when they’re still recovering from an illness or injury.
Or, perhaps, their injury has rendered them incapable of moving fast that they can’t reach the area in your home you’ve designated for them to pee as quickly as they should.
If that’s the case, then dog diapers are definitely a must. A dog diaper can help make their recuperation from the injury a lot easier.
4. Traveling With You
Some Yorkie owners love to take their dogs with them when they’re traveling. After all, their size makes it quite easy to take them around. When you’re traveling with your Yorkie, it’s a must to have them wear dog diapers.
This is true whether you’re traveling by car, boat, train, or, most especially, airplane.
You wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience to other passengers just in case your Yorkie urinates or poops. Remember that when you travel, your Yorkie is going beyond their safe zone, which is your home.
Because that’s unchartered territory for them, it’d be normal for them to pee and poop here and there.
Along this line, some hotels also require dogs to be in diapers. When traveling with your Yorkie, be sure to check the hotel or apartment policies, too.
5. Senior Years or End Stage
When your Yorkie is in their senior year or end-of-life stage, it’s normal for them to experience loss in muscle control. This means it’ll be harder for them to contain and control their poop and pee.
If you’re always at home with your dog, then this shouldn’t be much of a problem. You can give those diapers a break.
If you leave your elderly Yorkie for an extended period, like when you go to work, then dog diapers are definitely a must.
Otherwise, you may only be overwhelmed at the pee and poo mess you have to deal with after an already long day at work.
6. Under Medication
When you have a sick Yorkie, it’s important to ask your vet, too, about the effects of their medication. Some may lead to increased urination.
If this is the case, then it’s a good idea to let your Yorkie wear dog diapers while taking their meds. You can make life easier for you and your dog when you don’t have to keep up with their frequent urge to pee due to the medicines they’re taking.
Conclusion
There’s a very good reason why Yorkshire Terriers, fondly referred to as Yorkies, are very popular lap dogs. They’re small, cute, and adorable.
Among the many decisions you have to make regarding your Yorkie’s care, one that’s highly debatable relates to the matter of dog diapers.
While you may not want to give dog diapers to your Yorkie baby, instances like the ones mentioned above are non-negotiable.
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