Is 14 old for a Yorkie

Senior Yorkie Health Problems

Common Health Problems Facing Older Dogs

All dogs are different and, depending on their size, breed and activity level, will exhibit health problems differently. However, there are common health issues that may manifest in all senior dogs including the following:

• Joint and bone problems
• An overall reduction in their metabolism
• Difficulty with their eyes and ears
• Liver and kidney dysfunctions
• Skin becomes thin and less pliable while the coat becomes mottled and patchy
• Problems with teeth and gums

Unlike a little puppy who has an endless supply of energy, an older dog will tend to slow down and take longer to lay down or stand up. Instead ofbounding up the stairs your senior dog might take each stair one at atime. Your dog may develop arthritis, an inflammation of the jointscausing pain and discomfort, which is generally the cause of this slowingdown. There are a host of anti-inflammatory drugs that your veterinarian a suggest to reduce the discomfort caused by arthritis.

Yorkie Age Equivalent

Lets explore some important milestones your Yorkie will go through from early life through their senior years.

3 Weeks

At 3 weeks, a newborn Yorkie will be beginning to open his eyes. If your Yorkies tail was docked after birth, it will be fully healed.

4 Weeks

By now, your Yorkie puppy will have fully learned to walk, so you can expect them to be out there exploring the world. Also, weaning them off of a liquid diet and onto a solid diet will begin.

8 Weeks

A Yorkie puppy will be legally allowed to be given to a new owner at the age of 8 weeks and separated from his mother. If training hasnt yet started, then now is the time. By now, your Yorkie pup should be on a fully solid diet of puppy food, and completely weaned from his mother.

At this stage and for the next several months, you will spend more hands-on time taking care of your puppy. That means its time to start buying appropriate soft puppy toys and youll be ready to get a puppy leash to help your Yorkie explore the world.

3 to 6 Months

Youll notice your Yorkies ears begin to pop up during the 3 to 6 month period. The time this will happen can differ from pup to pup.

4 to 7 Months

At any point within the 4 to 7 months of age bracket, your Yorkie will begin teething. Make sure you have appropriate teething toys at home!

5 Months

While you may have seen the perfect bite come along by now, its not uncommon to see it go again around the 5 month point. Owners should be very aware of a Yorkies bite going awry, as a good bite is crucial to proper chewing and digestion, and overlapping teeth can be an ideal place for bacteria to grow.

5 to 9 Months

Around about now a female Yorkie will tend to enter her first heat. Spaying your Yorkie is highly recommended if youre not looking to breed. Spaying will also greatly cut down any potential of developing mammary or ovarian cancer.

1 Year

At 1 year of age, your Yorkie has left puppydom and entered adulthood. You can now introduce your Yorkie to adult small-breed kibble.

8+ Years

Your Yorkie is now considered a senior. Care must be taken to change dog food to a senior variety, and lots of other changes should be made, such as increased visits to the vet and extra care around the house.

Yorkies First Year: Training Timeline For a Yorkshire Terrier Puppy

Getting ready to welcome a Yorkshire Terrier puppy into your home for the first time? Be prepared for that high Terrier energy and many important firsts in your young dogs initial weeks, months, and year of life.

One of the most beloved and famous breeds of the toy group, Yorkiesknown for their diminutive staturerequire extra care compared to bigger dog breeds during this formative time, according to Judy Marksbury, a member of the the board of directors of the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America, a Yorkie breeder with over 30 years of experience, and owner of Happy Tails Pet Resort, which she has been running for over 24 years.

Here Marksbury shares the key milestones to look out for during Yorkie puppies first 12 monthsincluding socialization, losing their puppy coat, the process of their coat changing color, and more.

Key Milestones, Weeks: 1-12

A Yorkies earliest weeks are the most important, says Marksbury. At this time they learn how to be a puppy from their litter mates and their mother, she explains. That has to happen before they venture out in the world and become pets.

Thats why its important that the earliest a puppy should be brought home is at 12 weeks, though many puppies remain with their litter, mother, and breeder until 16 weeks or longer, according to Marksbury. Removing a Yorkie from its first home too soonearlier than 12 weekscould lead to anxiety and eating problems, she explains.

Before your puppy first comes home between 12 to 16 weeks, youll need to puppy-proof your home (similar to baby-proofing.) Potential dangers to be on the look out for include extension cords, plants, and stairsand find a vet so youll already be informed about where to take your dog in the event of an emergency, says Marksbury.

Weeks: 8-9

Around eight to nine weeks, Yorkie puppies are almost weaned, and thats when breeders should take them to get their first puppy shots for parvo and distemper.

Weeks: 9-10

While Yorkie puppies are born with black and tan coloring, this will change over your dogs first two years of life. Starting around nine to 10 weeks, the first sign of silver or gold should start to appear on the top of a Yorkies head.

Weeks: 12-16

Three weeks after their initial vaccinationsat around 12 weeks, Yorkie puppies will be ready for a repeat of their parvo and distemper shots and around this time they should also be checked for stool samples for parasites and have a complete physical, explains Marksbury.

All of this should be taken care of before they are placed in a new home, and you should get a health certificate with details about your Yorkie puppys overall condition from your breeder.

During your puppys first week with you at home, the goal is to ensure a smooth transition from the breeder to your house. Make sure you have plenty of time to be with your puppy at home, so they feel comfortable and have time to bond with your family. In other words, dont plan on getting a puppy one day and going to a full day of work the next, explains Marksbury. Another thing to keep in mind is that this should be a relaxing time. Dont take them everywhere the first week, she says, explaining that your puppy should first get comfortable at home with your family. Gradually take them out. Go slow. Dont overwhelm them.

Use this time to teach your puppy how to walk on a lead, and importantly for Yorkies, be prepared to use a harness, which is better for their small size than a collar. Learning how to walk on a leash usually takes about a week. Marksbury suggests using positive reinforcements, such as offering treats like Cheerios or shredded cheese, to encourage them to pick up the skill. She also warns that humans should be prepared to see Yorkies display their fighter instinct when they first see bigger dogs out on a walk.

They dont know theyre little, she explains. They think theyre huge. If they see a big dog, theyll try to go after them. Theyre a small package but they dont think they are. Thats the Terrier in them.

This should be a learning opportunity to correct the behavior early on.

Before its time to go back to work or go out of the house for an extended period of time, figure out where youll be able to safely leave your puppy unattendedwhether thats a crate or closed off room where they wont be able to get into anything dangerous.

Never leave a tiny Yorkie in a backyard unattended, says Marksbury, warning that, as small dogs, theyre more susceptible to being taken by predators (like hawks or coyotes) and are more sensitive to inclement weather, both hot and cold extremes.

Key Milestones, Weeks: 16-20

Week: 16

Around this time, a Yorkies color transition from black and tan to silver or gold may continue to progresswith the dark black color fading on the top of their back to a grey or light silver.

Weeks: 16-20

Between 16 to 20 weeks is also around the time your puppy will begin losing their thick, fuzzy puppy coat (called felting). They look like they have hardly any hair at this time, says Marksbury.

Expect your Yorkies adult coatwhich resembles human hairto come in within two weeks.

During this transition between hair types, as the fuzzy puppy coat mixes with the finer adult coat, theres likely to be matting, explains Marksbury.

By 16 to 20 weeks, your puppy should be ready for their first grooming appointment to get a bath, have their nails trimmed, and get a small hair trim as well, assuming theyre completely vaccinated. At this age, make sure its a short appointment, for an hour or less.

If theyre worn out and theyre tired of standing, they wont be happy about being there, says Marksbury, explaining that you want the first appointment to be as enjoyable as possible so they wont resist going in the future.

Do your research before selecting a groomer and make sure youve chosen one that requires proof of vaccination from all pets, that way you dont risk potentially exposing your dog to other unvaccinated animals.

After the first grooming appointment, your dog should be groomed every six to eight weeks.

In between that owners should bathe, shampoo, and blow dry at homeonce a week, she says, being careful not to get water in your Yorkies eyes or ears (to avoid eye and ear infections).

Around this time is also the first time its safe to board a Yorkie, once theyve become more fully developed. Boarding any sooner could be risky, especially if the boarding facility isnt familiar with small breeds like Yorkies.

If possible, try to board them with a kennel who is more experienced caring for Yorkies, says Marksbury.

Key Milestones, 6 Months and Beyond

By six months, youll likely know what color your Yorkie will be (although their full color transition will still take place over the next year and a half until age two) and this is also a good time to begin introducing your dog to more advancedtraining activities. And at around eight to 11 months, your puppy should have the stamina needed for a longer grooming appointment, says Marksbury.

Common Older Yorkie Health Problems

Although Yorkshire Terrier and other toy dog breeds have a considerably longer lifespan than larger breeds, aging is inevitable. And like humans and other animals, older Yorkie health problems are part of their old life.

Notably, the biggest challenge lies in knowing if your Yorkie is aging or not. They are pretty tiny and will remain that way for the rest of their lives. With a lifespan of about 17 years, you can consider eight years or older old enough to be a senior. At this stage, they tend to lose their attention-seeking and lively traits.

Worse still, health problems begin to show. We highlight the most common health problems you should look out for to ensure your dog remains healthier as they age.

Top 5 Common Older Yorkie Health Problems

Regardless of your Yorkies maintenance levels and daily activities, these five health problems are hard to ignore when they hit old age. The problems include;

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia in dogs, like in humans, is a condition whereby the bodys glucose or blood sugar is constantly lower than average. Older Yorkie breeds and hypoglycemia are inseparable. And since blood sugar is the primary source of energy, a drop in blood sugar levels affects your dogs neurological function.

Common signs of hypoglycemia in old dogs include trembling, seizures, lack of coordination, dilated pupils, and stupors. Other signs include general weakness, muscular twitching, extreme lethargy, and any other unusual behavior.

The results of hypoglycemia often include tremors, disorientation, or a coma. Even more, dogs can succumb to severe hypoglycemia if not treated in time. You can help prevent this problem by feeding your aging Yorkie at closer intervals and reducing physical activity. However, you should contact your vet if the signs persist.

Sight and Hearing Difficulty

Loss of vision as dogs grow older is a significant problem for many pet owners. Seeing your longtime friend lose sight can be traumatizing. Degenerative changes occur as your Yorkie friend ages, which often leads to eye diseases such as cataracts. Cataracts are untreatable, though a few vets can remove them surgically.

Likewise, older dogs will gradually lose their hearing, which results from degenerative changes, and you cannot do much about this. Dogs will show confusion from time to time as they develop hearing difficulty, and you should not mistake it for dementia.

Both you and your Yorkie must change considerably to continue living a near-normal life. Notably, dogs have incredible instincts and will adapt to life without vision. However, you will need to take them slowly. And since dogs lose their hearing senses pretty gradually, you two will have sufficient time to adjust to the new life and ways of doing things

Loss of Cognition

Dementia or cognitive dysfunction is another major older Yorkie health problem. And like in humans, loss of cognition in dogs will lead to low quality of life. This condition is pretty subtle from the onset. However, it gets more severe as your toy dog continues to age.

Common cognitive dysfunction signs and symptoms include confusion that worsens with time, disorientation, wandering or pacing around, and attempting to exit or enter a door from the wrong side. Other signs are withdrawal from the rest of the family members, vocalization, fecal and urinary accidents, and changes in sleeping patterns.

The fact that these problems also cut across other diseases can be confusing to make the correct diagnosis. And we know of several Yorkie owners who wrongly thought that their dogs had dementia when they saw a few of the mentioned signs.

The best way out of this is to contact your vet for a correct diagnosis. Besides, a vet will also provide you with supplements and medications to help you manage this condition.

Kidney Disease

Aging takes a toll on kidneys. And Yorkie breeds, like other dogs, will develop kidney disease when they get older. Kidney disease or renal disease is chronic. It is gradual and will often start as a renal inefficiency and progress to renal failure.

You need to be very keen when your Yorkie hits ten years as it could start after your dogs 10th birthday or later. While renal failure is incurable, remarkable success lies in early detection and management. The aim of managing kidney disease is to slow its progression.

A more accurate way to detect kidney disease is through urinalysis. You can look out for signs such as lethargy, loss of appetite, increased urination, increased thirst, and nausea. You can effectively mitigate the progress by putting your dog on prescription kidney diets.

Arthritis and Bone Problems

Another problem that a senior Yorkie will most likely face is related to joints and bones. Bone and joint degeneration are synonymous with old people, and dogs are not an exemption. Joint problems could worsen and develop into arthritis.

Pay extra attention to how your dog runs or goes up and down the stairs to know whether there are any degenerative bone and joint changes. If your Yorkie takes stairs one at a time, that could be a warning sign.

Arthritis is generally the inflammation of joints. Notably, this condition often comes with a lot of pain and discomfort. Movements of joints will equally be a problem. While the situation is not reversible, it is manageable with calcium and iron supplements. Your vet may also consider analgesics to ease pain and discomfort.

Tips for Caring for Your Senior Yorkshire Terrier

Some of the above problems are inevitable. However, we feel that you can successfully improve your Yorkies quality of life and prolong its life with the following tips;

• Veterinarian Visits- You need the help of a professional to get the best for your older Yorkie. Ideally, most of the health problems highlighted may not be easy to detect until symptoms show. That can be too late. Geriatric checkups twice a year are ideal for Yorkie breeds over eight years. Checkups include urinalysis, a complete blood count, and a chemistry panel.
• Prescription Supplements- There are lots of nutritional supplements you can consider for your dog. However, this may often be unnecessary for old Yorkie breeds because each dog has specific needs. Talk to your vet about the necessary supplements after every visit.
• Long and More Sleeping Hours- Seniors will have more extended sleeping patterns than when they were younger. Add frequent naps to your dogs schedule and allow them to sleep longer in the morning or retire to bed earlier in the evening.

• Change Your Dogs Exercise Schedule- You are wrong if you think your dog does not need exercise because of age and the resulting health issues. It would help if you still took your old Yorkie out for exercise. However, you can modify the schedule by reducing the duration of each session and possibly increasing the number of sessions.
• Grooming Changes- The quality of life of your Yorkie goes down with more health challenges. You do not want your dog to look shabby despite the issues. Consider using grooming products that are friendlier to the skin as the skin gets more sensitive with time.

Always Keep an Eye for Your Older Yorkie Health and Behavioral Changes

We cannot stop our dogs from aging. However, knowing the common Yorkie health problems is an incredible start if you want to maintain its quality of life at old age. Look out for any changes and prioritize early identification of any potential health problems. Finally, always stay in touch with your vet.