Among the smallest dog breeds, we can find are the beautiful Yorkshire Terriers. These are cute and loving animals that we will want to have at home to pamper and give them our love all the time. They stand out for their physical attractiveness mainly because they are very playful, calm, of small stature, mischievous, nice, and other characteristics that define their personality and make them incomparable to other breeds. However, like any pet, these cute canines require some care for which we, as owners, must respond to them. Although, there are other specific requirements and care tips that you must guarantee due to the conditions of the breed.
Why Is It So Important to Know the Care Tips for a Yorkie?
Regardless of the breed of dog that you have or want to have, you must give him the necessary care so that in the first place, he stays healthy, grows healthy, and manages to live on average his life expectancy in the best possible way.
But when we refer to the Yorkshire Terrier, it is essential to maintain and follow the care tips for them.
Because of the Frequent Illnesses
It is essential to maintain to follow the care tips towards Yorkies since they manage to develop certain common illnesses of the breed. For example, they can suffer from partial loss of sight or complete blindness due to the development of retinal dysplasia.
This is a severe problem because there is still no known treatment for it.
In addition, their blood from the liver can pass directly through the vein without first being filtered, resulting in intoxication, leading even to neurological problems in the dog.
Here only surgical intervention is required to save your pet because it is a portosystemic shunt in their organism.
On the other hand, they suffer from a patella displacement caused by a malformation of the patella.
This is medically known as patellar luxation. In some cases, it returns to its original place on its own, but in most cases, it requires the veterinarian’s assistance.
When we hear in our Yorkshire Terrier a dry and constant cough, it means that his trachea has suffered a collapse since it has closed a little and makes it difficult for your dog to perform simple activities such as eating or drinking water.
It is even more noticeable when they are agitated by exercise or after ingesting any substance.
Also, one or both of your dog’s eyelids will likely turn inwards, which is considered canine entropion.
This creates a degree of difficulty for the pet to see well and can only be corrected by surgery as an adult.
Because of Their Small Size and High Sensitivity
Being a small breed, they are much more vulnerable or sensitive to illness, pain, and other problems. Because of this, it is best to provide the necessary care to keep them in good spirits, keep them calm, and not be affected by the situations that may arise.
It will even be excellent to help them maintain a more stable immune system and higher levels of defense.
Because of Their Possible Respiratory Problems
When you notice a lot of frequent sneezing or coughing in your little friend, it means that he may be suffering from some complications related to his respiratory system.
Due to his small stature, his lungs will be constantly affected, even more so if sneezing appears in reserve or a collapse of the trachea, making breathing especially difficult. Therefore, it is essential to follow the care tips and properly care of them.
What Are the Most Common Diseases in Yorkshire Terrier Dogs?
Likewise, some pathologies tend to occur very frequently in this breed, either by its size, or physical condition, among other aspects. In the end, one way or another, it can happen to your pet.
Therefore, we will help you prevent this and provide your dog with the necessary care and protection.
Bone Injuries
A Yorkshire Terrier is one of the most sensitive pets to suffer injuries in its bone and muscular system because its structure does not support many blows nor resist very well to fall.
Yorkies’ skin is slack, and the bones docile, which results in those injuries in their body.
Therefore, one of the best recommendations you should consider is to provide them with protection when they are playing, going for walks in the park, running, or jumping with other pets.
Be aware of all these situations to avoid possible problems.
Bronchitis
Also, due to the narrowing of the trachea, everything related to the respiratory system is severely affected.
Their bronchial tubes will become diseased very quickly if they do not take the care and precautions suggested by the doctor when these cases occur, so you should contact them as they will help you avoid, diagnose and treat it as soon as possible.
Digestive Problems
Food and the digestive process are crucial points in the care given to a dog of this breed. As their digestion does not process all the food we believe, they will prefer certain products more than others.
Most of them have pains in their abdomen and digestive tract, derived from being given foods forbidden for dogs or abusing certain nutrients causing such discomfort. So you should maintain a balanced diet, consisting mainly of protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, carbohydrates, and fats.
Difficulties in Giving Birth
Due to the diminutive size of this breed, and especially of the females, their delivery is notoriously affected. It is therefore understood that giving birth is an arduous task.
A female Yorkie should be treated carefully during pregnancy, and when the birth arrives, the vet is there to prevent any untoward situation.
She can suffer hemorrhagic attacks, some infections, swelling of her breasts, poor production of breast milk, and other problems after giving birth.
In cases like this, medical control will be indispensable and should be maintained constantly.
What Care Tips to Pay Attention To If We Have A Yorkshire Terrier Dog?
To prevent the problems and diseases listed above and ensure optimal health for your Yorkie, you must consider several factors to take care of this beautiful breed.
The proud dog owners of the paperhelp.org collective have collected and shortened them below for your convenience, so take notes if you want:
Brushing and Coat Hygiene
Something very valuable and relevant in this breed is its beautiful coat, which varies in color but anywhere we see one, we will be able to distinguish it at a glance.
The coat is characteristically long if the owner does not decide to cut it shorter, so it is very likely to suffer from knots or tangles if we do not take good care of it.
It requires a minimum of two or three brushings per week. It can be more, depending on the time you dedicate to it, it would even be perfect if you do it daily.
However, you must do it with a special brush, as having so much hair will make it get tangled more quickly; it gets dirty and stiff in some cases.
In addition to this, you should give him baths a little more often so that his coat remains shiny, and smooth, and is the pet’s attraction.
It can be bathed every 3 or 4 weeks approximately, with two primary products, a suitable shampoo for its coat, and a conditioner that you will add afterward.
When bathing your Yorkie, it is necessary to dry him with a drying machine and at the same time pass the brush over him so that he does not get tangled and looks very lovely all at once when he is completely dry.
This way, you will keep his coat well-groomed, and he will stay very clean for the estimated bathing time.
Nail Maintenance
For its part, the Yorkshire Terrier’s nails grow a lot and should be kept in care to prevent him from hurting himself or doing it with other animals, people, or objects in the house and spending it scratching everywhere.
The best thing to do is to cut them once a month and keep them clean. This way, your canine will feel much better as sometimes they can cause pain due to their length.
Teeth Cleaning
Dental tartar is one of the main problems that appear on the teeth of these dogs, as their teeth are smaller due to bone structure and the overall size of the animal.
This is why they need to have their teeth cleaned very frequently to avoid the creation of plaque formed by the remains of their food.
To do this properly, you should educate and adapt the canine to the dental cleaning process since he is a puppy, making him not afraid and creating a habit.
Ear Hygiene
Due to the amount of fur these small pets have, it is customary to notice that their ears are not raised for long or on many occasions.
This is mainly due to the weight caused by the hair stored both on the outside and inside their ears.
So the best thing to do would be to take him to a beautician or vet directly so they can help you with the cleaning and hygiene of this part of the dog.
Conclusion
You should pay close attention to how the care tips are being done so that you can then do it yourself at home. This way, the ears are kept in perfect condition, healthy, and clean at all times without spending a lot of money on them.
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Some other articles you might find of interest:
See if your dog makes it to the list here:
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https://www.yorkiepassion.com/coolest-looking-dog-breeds/
Are you thinking about why your Yorkie feels blue lately?
Symptoms of Separation Anxiety in Yorkies
https://www.yorkiepassion.com/symptoms-separation-anxiety-yorkies/
Help your Yorkie with his eating problems here:
Older Dog Not Eating? This Might Be Why
