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07-02-2007, 09:52 AM | #1 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Minnesota
Posts: 479
| Woo-hoo! I adoped a Yorkie...now what? I'm so excited! I've been looking into Yorkies for a little while to try find a good breeder or a rescue. I found my new baby, Sugar, on Petfinder.com's classified ads. She was about 15 minutes away from my house and her owner was looking for a good home for her. She's a single mom w/ a 4 yr old and she's been working long hours so Sugar was in her crate most of the time. I asked all of the q's I could think of and she sounded perfect. We met her & brought her home Friday. She's 3 1/2 and she's adorable. She has a puppy cut & floppy ears. I have 2 daughters, they're 7 & 5. Everyone, including my husband, fell in love w/ her immediately. From the first time she stepped foot in our house she acts like she's always been here. There wasn't any adjustment time for her, she just fit right in. She even lets my girls give her rides in their doll stroller. I'm glad that we decided on a Yorkie and I'm glad that we were able to find one who needed a new home, and she had been well taken care of. I do have a couple of questions thttp://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/modcp/moderate.php?do=posts#hough. 1.) She had a flea bath the night before we brought her home because she had been around some other dogs who were scratching. Now she's scratching & has dandruff - but no fleas in sight, whew! I've read that they need a bath once a week so I'm going to give her a bath soon. Is there any type of shampoo & conditioner that will get rid of her dry skin? She's starting to get a couple of red spots where she's scratched so much. 2.) Her previous owner did not have her on any type of heart worm medicine. She said that she'd heard mixed reviews on whether to put her on any. I've always thought that all dogs need to be on heart worm prevention, is there any reason why Yorkies shouldn't be? She's not due for shots until November, but I'm planning to take her this week for a heartworm check & to get her on Heartgard or some type of heartworm preventative. 3.) She's a cat litter box snacker...gross! Does anyone know of a way to break this habit? I can't think of anywhere to put my cat's litter box where she wouldn't be able to get it. My cat's food & water bowls are now on top of my dryer. I've been trying to keep the door shut so that she can't get into the laundry room where the litter box is located, but I can't always keep it closed or my cat will start having accidents. I've heard before that dogs do this when they're missing certain minerals (or something) in their diets. I'm slowly switching her dog food, she was on Old Roy's kibbles & bits type food. It was full of fillers and coloring. I'm hoping this will help, but if not, does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks for all the great info on this site. I've learned so much already! Mindy |
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07-02-2007, 11:06 AM | #2 |
My Four Sweet Babies Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: South Jersey near Philadelphia
Posts: 5,452
| I just wanted to say congratulations on your new Yorkie. I would try putting up a baby gate to keep her away from the cat box, if that's possible. I've done that with Kalina and it's working fine. I don't know about the shampoo and conditioner for fleas. I was told by my breeder to use frontline once a month to keep her from getting fleas in the first place. As for heartworms, I will have her treated for them by my Vet. Heartworms are disgusting and they are the same size (the worms!!) whether in a Great Dane or a Yorkie! Also, if your dog does get heartworms, the treatment is pretty bad - almost like giving them a poison. I haven't heard anything about Yorkies not being able to take meds for Heartworm prevention.
__________________ I LOVE MY BABIES |
07-02-2007, 11:19 AM | #3 |
Slave to My Rug-Rats Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Long Island
Posts: 7,247
| WOW - Congrats!!! I agree, try a baby gate at the laudry room door, they have small ones and the cat should be able to get in and out no problem. As far a scratching and dry skin, the food probably has something to do with it. You are right that the brand she is on now is pure crap!! I would suggest getting Natural Balance - Duck and Potato. There are alot of people in the same boat as you and they all swear it has done wonders. And you can get it at Petco I agree, I feel that all dogs should be on a heart worm pill. Good idea to get her checked out! I too apply Frontline Plus to manage fleas and ticks. Shampoo and Conditioner, since she has sensitive skin, try Espree: www.espree.com - they have all nature and sensitive types. Best of Luck! |
07-02-2007, 11:23 AM | #4 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member | CONGRATULATIONS! Vigilence is the only thing I can recommend on the catbox issue. (I have a 10-year-old Yorkie who likes to raid the 1-year-old cat's box on occasion.) It's in the bathroom so we are able to close the door most of the time. Definitely get a vet check. And we have always used puppy shampoo on Ozzie because his skin is sensitive. I share my Pantene conditioner with him and he doesn't tangle as bad as with doggy conditioner. It's very good that you are both switching her food and doing it slowly. Ol' Roy is definitely not the best food. |
07-02-2007, 11:27 AM | #5 |
Crazy about Kacee! Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kansas
Posts: 21,173
| She's probably so happy to have so much attention, whereas, previously she was probably by herself so much - that's why she seems to fit right into your family. Yorkies don't like to be alone. And, you're right. Definitely do the heartworm check and maintain the heartworm medication. Doggie oatmeal shampoo should help her dry skin. The flea bath may have caused her skin reaction. I never, ever would do that to a little yorkie. Could you possibly use a baby gate on hinges to keep her out of the litter?
__________________ Karen Kacee Muffin 1991-2005 Rest in Peace My Little Angel |
07-02-2007, 11:28 AM | #6 |
Crazy about Kacee! Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kansas
Posts: 21,173
| Oh! And congratulations to you for saving her. She was probably very lonely before.
__________________ Karen Kacee Muffin 1991-2005 Rest in Peace My Little Angel |
07-02-2007, 11:35 AM | #7 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member | Mandy, Welcome to YT. You have come to the right place. There are many people with lots of experience who hopefully will jump in and help you. But be careful, you could just get addicted to this place. We hope, we hope!!! Look for the search arrow above. Lots of wonderful information just a click away. Wonderful to hear you were able to give a new loving home. One thing I will tell you is we love to see pictures. So hoping you can share picture of Sugar with us.
__________________ Jack Jilly Bean Who Needs A Doorbell When They Have A Yorkie!!! |
07-02-2007, 11:39 AM | #8 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Minnesota
Posts: 479
| Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have to look into a hinged babygate, not sure my dh will want to screw anything into the door frame, but I'll run it by him. I do have a tension babygate around here somewhere, I'll find it and try it if she tries to get in there again. I've been trying to catch her close to the door & tell her "NO", she looks at me and walks away. Maybe she'll get over it. I'll have to run to the store later to find some oatmeal shampoo. I looked at espree.com and the products look great. I'll look into ordering some of them, I don't think she can wait for them to get here right now though.
__________________ Have a great day! ~Mindy~ |
07-02-2007, 11:46 AM | #9 |
Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: DFW, Texas
Posts: 11,003
| Congrats on your new Yorkie! So far as the dry skin, the food she was eating probably played a big role in that. From the time you switch her food, it will take 6-8 weeks to see results from the new food you're feeding. I would definitely suggest switching her food to a more premium diet. I feed mine Nature's Variety Raw medallions. A high quality canned is Merrick or Nature's Variety. Some High quality kibbles are canidae, Wellness, Innova, Merrick, and there are several others out there as well. I use Fresh & Clean Oatmeal shampoo and Conditioner on Lacy. Oatmeal shampoos tend to be more gentle and the oatmeal is good for dry skin. I just tried a V05 Hot Oil treatment on Lacy last night for the first time and it really made her hair soft so you might want to try that to see if it helps with dry skin. There is no reason a dog shouldn't be on Heartworm preventative. Heartworms are deadly and the treatment is expensive and very hard on the dog so it's best to prevent them. I'm sure your vet will do a Heartworm test first before you buy preventative which is very important. If for some reason the dog were positive for heartworms, it would kill her if you gave her preventative. So this way you'll know if she's negative or not and you can start the treatment. I use Heartguard for Lacy, but there are others out there as well. GoodLuck!
__________________ ~Magnifique Yorkies~ Purchasing from backyard breeders, pet shops, and puppymills perpetuates the suffering of other dogs. Educate yourself and buy from reputable breeders or rescue. |
07-02-2007, 11:53 AM | #10 |
YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Rancho Viejo, Tx
Posts: 2,698
| welcome to YT and congrats on your new baby! about the litter box problem........get rid of the cat! just joking ...........I have never had to deal with cat problems due to the fact that I am allergic. sorry no help there. have your vet go over her real well and they will suggest a heart worm preventive along with flea preventive. we use interceptor and frontline plus. the dandruff sounds like it might be dry skin from the flea treatment. It is awful harsh. I would recommend the mane and tail shampoo and conditioner. you can get a big bottle of both for about $5.00 each at walmart. it is the best cheap stuff out there, in my opinion. I keep some around in case I run out of the better stuff. On those areas that are red from the scratching you can apply some neosporin. It will help heal almost over night. when Ahia gets a bug bite it sure helps her. One thing you have to remember to do when shampooing is to rinse and rinse until you think you have it rinsed good enough then rinse again.or she will get the itchies reguardless of the type of shampoo. I would get her on a good natural dog food. we have switched to natural balance. I got the allergy formula because of Ahia's allergies that make her itch. I think the corn filler in science diet was her problem. I bet Sugar is just as happy with you as you are with her.
__________________ Buckeye, Ahia, Tressie, Archie & LDenise Dogs are really people with short legs in fur coats Last edited by ldenise; 07-02-2007 at 11:57 AM. |
07-04-2007, 09:17 AM | #11 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Minnesota
Posts: 479
| lol, if I got rid of the cat Sugar wouldn't get as much exercise. She loves to chase Shadow around the house. Shadow is warming up a little more to Sugar so I'm still hoping that someday they'll be friends. I did put up a tension baby gate. It works, but I don't want to keep it there forever. I'm getting quite a workout everyday high-stepping over it to do the laundry and lifting my girls both over it anytime we need to go out through the garage to get into the car. I brushed her teeth yesterday and she wasn't very thrilled with the experience. I've been working with her now opening her mouth, saying "Open", and sticking a little piece of treat in her mouth so maybe she'll learn to open for me while I'm brushing her teeth. She didn't get agressive at all, she just wanted down and away from the toothbrush. As soon as she saw the toothbrush she jumped up on the couch, buried her head in the corner and put her paw over her nose. It was too cute! I've been brushing her hair every day and her hair is looking shinier already. She's such a pretty little girl. I feel so lucky to have received such a sweet baby.
__________________ Have a great day! ~Mindy~ |
07-04-2007, 09:28 AM | #12 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Franklin, TN
Posts: 11,145
| Quote:
i used to keep my litter box up on top of my dryer in my laundry room. this way, the cat could get to it but the dogs couldn't. anything up high would be good. cats can jump pretty high so i'm sure something like that should work if you want to take the gate down.
__________________ Anyone who does not know what soap tastes like has never washed a dog | |
07-04-2007, 09:32 AM | #13 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Minnesota
Posts: 479
| I've taken a few pictures of her, I'm hoping to take more today w/ my girls. I'll post some soon. She's sleeping by me right now, it's exhausting chasing cats, running around the yard, and being carried everywhere by my 5 & 7 year old girls!
__________________ Have a great day! ~Mindy~ |
07-04-2007, 09:48 AM | #14 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Knoxville,Tennessee
Posts: 3,073
| Hi and congrats on the new addition. There are wonderful knowing people on here.
__________________ PAWPRINTS AND DOG HAIR ENHANCE MY PERSONAL STYLE. |
07-04-2007, 11:43 AM | #15 |
Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: wiith my furbabys
Posts: 8,874
| HI on your new addition, cant wait for pics welcome to yt
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