Help! New yorkie owner with lots of questions and advice needed! :)

[megan_hubbard06]

Hey everyone! First of all, I want to say that I got my baby yorkie (Jake) on Friday evening and this forum has helped me SOOOO MUCH already!! I am so glad that I found a place that I can come to research and make sure I am doing everything to ensure that my little baby has a wonderful life....and know that all of the information comes from people who loves their little yorkies and much as I love mine already! (Crazy how fast I have gotten attached to my little guy!!!)






I have had several questions come to mind and thought i'd post them all to see if anyone could give me any suggestions/advice/or any comments at all!

Jake was born on 12/12/12 and when I took him to the vet Saturday morning, he weighed 1.4 pounds!

1. Are there any vitamins I am supposed to be giving my puppy? Right now I am feeding him what the breeder had him on....a mix of wet Pedigree puppy care and dry Pedigree puppy chow. Anything else I should/shouldn't be feeding him? I also have puppy treats I am giving him after he potty's outside. I also read that mini marshmallows are good to give them to keep their blood sugar up. He loves those!

2. I know they are very prone to hypoglycemia. Any particular things I should/shouldn't be doing?? How do I know if he is becoming this way and what should I do to prevent it?

3. I have given him a few baths with puppy shampoo. He LOVES baths!! He sits so calm and still in the sink. I think he likes the warmness of the water. However he shivers so badly after I take him out. I have been drying him off with a blowdryer and then snuggling with him under my electric blanket until the shivers completely go away.

4. He plays very well....but after playtime when he snuggles up on me to go to sleep, he almost seems lifeless. I can pick him up and hold him standing and his head will just bob over and he'll fall asleep. Is this a sign of low blood sugar? Or is he just tired? What should I do in this case? He seems to eat well throughout the day.

This is all I have for not, but, have no doubts that more will come to my mind so I will keep posting! Thanks to everyone in advance. I'm so happy to finally have my yorkie i've wanted for a few years now and I want to do EVERYTHING in my power to make sure he is always a healthy happy puppy!!

[Yorkiemom1]

"Yorkies For Dummies" and "Yorkshire Terriers: A Smart Owners Guide"....these are two wonderful books that are a super addition to your library....these are great reference material for the life of your baby! Congratulation on your new baby, and welcome to YT! You can not even imagine how much you are going to be consumed by the love you have for this baby! Lord knows, you have found your way into the midst of people that also are owned and adored by their Yorkies!

[Dukie Baby]

Congratulations! Jake is a cutie! My little guy, Cooper, is 13 weeks old, and my breeder sent him home with a puppy pack which included a tube of Nutri-Cal which she suggested I give to him first thing in the morning, after play time and before bed to make sure that his blood sugar stayed in check. The experts here will surely help you out with all of your questions. Enjoy your new little bundle of joy!

[megan_hubbard06]

Thanks!! Is Nutrical something I can get at a pet store?

[Lorraine]

Wow he is a little young and pretty small to be gone to his new home. Where is your breeder in this? Were you not provided with information on care and feeding of a puppy? Can you contact the breeder and ask your questions there?
I hope it all works out for you and your little guy.

[Lovetodream88]

Poor little guy should still be with his mommy. Small dogs need to stay with there moms until 12 weeks because she teaches them lots of stuff. Don't give him marshmallows you will need to give him nutrical. If he is a on a well balanced puppy food there is no need for vitamins. I would only bathe him once a week and use sensitive baby wipes for between bath clean ups. I used to wrap Callie in a towel and hold her close after her baths. Because he is so young it is very important that he eat every two hours or so and he really doesn't need to be left a lone for more then an hour or two because the younger and smaller they are the higher risk they have of hypoglycemia and if he has a hypoglycemic episode when no one is around there will be no one to give him nutrical and it will end very badly.

[megan_hubbard06]

Wow, why would she sell him to me if he needed to be with his mother longer?! I really hope that he will be okay! This scares me. The only thing I got from her was a paper with his first shots, his registration papers, and a paper of the foods that she was feeding him.

[Patti]

Congratulations! Since he is so young I would get the Nutrical as soon as possible. You need to watch him carefully for hypoglycemia signs. If he is playing hard make sure he is eating and resting enough. You may need to give him nutrical when he starts showing signs of abnormal tiredness.
I would not give him marshmallows. When I got Cali at 9 weeks the "breeder" was giving her marshmallows and told me to continue. She ended up in the ER vet with hypoglycemia and they told me to not give marshmallows it can cause more problems.
The best advice I can give is watch carefully for signs of hypoglycemia, know where the closest er vet is just in case, have nutrical on hand and make sure he is eating every few hours. He is adorable!!

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by megan_hubbard06

Wow, why would she sell him to me if he needed to be with his mother longer?! I really hope that he will be okay! This scares me. The only thing I got from her was a paper with his first shots, his registration papers, and a paper of the foods that she was feeding him.

They sell them early because puppies that young require time and work. Also, once they sell them, all the responsibility is yours. These little ones can go downhill VERY rapidly. Please keep food out all the time, they can develop hypoglycemia from just a few minutes of activity. If no food is available, the low blood sugar worsens and can even make them lose their appetite, so that they will refuse food. I know lots of people give nutri-cal, but that's to treat hypoglycemia, not prevent it. Available food will prevent it. Don’t do any food changes, and don’t give any "dog treats", one snack that causes diarrhea could kill your dog. At least she gave you a paper of foods that were safe for him.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Patti

Congratulations! Since he is so young I would get the Nutrical as soon as possible. You need to watch him carefully for hypoglycemia signs. If he is playing hard make sure he is eating and resting enough. You may need to give him nutrical when he starts showing signs of abnormal tiredness.
I would not give him marshmallows. When I got Cali at 9 weeks the "breeder" was giving her marshmallows and told me to continue. She ended up in the ER vet with hypoglycemia and they told me to not give marshmallows it can cause more problems.
The best advice I can give is watch carefully for signs of hypoglycemia, know where the closest er vet is just in case, have nutrical on hand and make sure he is eating every few hours. He is adorable!!

Marshmallows are actually about the same thing as nutria-cal, they are made from corn syrup and that's the main ingredient of Nutri-cal. Nutrical also has a minimal amount of vitamins thrown in, but they do nothing for hypoglycemia. Corn syrup is sugar that reaches the blood stream fast, the main problem is sugar causes an increase of insulin, and insulin, causes the blood sugar to drop, so it's a vicious circle, if no REAL food is given. By giving the marshmallows or Nutri-cal and not following it with food, you were causing more episodes of hypoglycemia. Protein and complex carbohydrates, raise the blood sugar at a slower rate, so there is no big increase in insulun. The good thing about Nutrical, and other such products is they treat hypoglycemia FAST, and can bring back the appetite, but just a small amount should be given, and then food should be made available.

[Patti]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

Marshmallows are actually about the same thing as nutria-cal, they are made from corn syrup and that's the main ingredient of Nutri-cal. Nutrical also has a minimal amount of vitamins thrown in, but they do nothing for hypoglycemia. Corn syrup is sugar that reaches the blood stream fast, the main problem is sugar causes an increase of insulin, and insulin, causes the blood sugar to drop, so it's a vicious circle, if no REAL food is given. By giving the marshmallows or Nutri-cal and not following it with food, you were causing more episodes of hypoglycemia. Protein and complex carbohydrates, raise the blood sugar at a slower rate, so there is no big increase in insulun. The good thing about Nutrical, and other such products is they treat hypoglycemia FAST, and can bring back the appetite, but just a small amount should be given, and then food should be made available.

I agree. The "breeder" was feeding her mini marshmallows every few hours all day. In hindsight I think it was because she was a poor eater and rather than address that they were giving her marshmallows all day. She did have 3 bouts of hypoglycemia in spite of everything I did.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Patti

I agree. The "breeder" was feeding her mini marshmallows every few hours all day. In hindsight I think it was because she was a poor eater and rather than address that they were giving her marshmallows all day. She did have 3 bouts of hypoglycemia in spite of everything I did.

Oh wow, she probably preferred the marshmallows too and they would fill her up, glad you were able to straighten it out. Hypoglycemia is a common condition, but should be taken very seriously because it can lead to death.

I always recommend that new puppy owners familiarize themselves with the symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Most common clinical signs of hypoglycemia are drowsiness, shivering, collapsing, disorientation, seizures, listlessness, depression, muscle weakness and tremors. Lee Weston, author of the article about hypoglycemia (Pomeranian Club of Canada) says that "the entire sequence of clinical signs is not always seen, so close observation of your pet and knowing when your dog is going into a distressed state can mean the difference between life and death of your dog. Immediate treatment by a veterinarian is imperative, as recurrence of, or prolonged attacks, can cause permanent damage to the brain." Hypoglycemia