wow i missed this whole thing but i have to say I wish i had known about this place before i got my two yorkies as i would have made better choices as I am about 20,000 in vet bills because I did not do my homework at all. I wish I would have had people to educate me on better choices
I have one from puppy mill lambriar kennels as he is from a pet store my first dog and he almost died of pancreatitis and has ibd. My girl yorkie is from a backyard breeder and she has mild luxating patella in one leg, horrible allergies (atopica dermatitis), hypothyroid, and mvd and my maltese is a rescue from petfinder and has done well but has periodontal disease so it is definitely not easy having 3 with health issues and had i had people warn me about things i might have avoided some health issues. There are no guarantees but you can at least decrease the odds of it by getting to a reputable breeder who is breeding for the betterment of the breed. Mine are all going on 5 and i joined 55 dog groups to learn and educate myself but it was after the fact and i feel it is so important to know upfront as i was shocked at cost of vet care and how things can turn so quickly with these little guys. I am so thankful i can afford to care for them and devote alot of time to them as i do not have skin kids but I wish i was much more informed.
I feel so bad that this person left as i was attacked on another forum not yorkietalk when i first joined and was hurt but i stuck it out and have now made some good friends so sometimes out of bad can come good things if you give it a chance.
I think what is so hard is we are so passionate about our dogs and what we believe that it can come across the wrong way in emails and posts when people are not meaning to so i always try to take things in stride and not get offended as it is just one persons opinion and we all ultimately have to gather the info we get from others and make our own decisions on what we feel is best for our dogs. I love that i can get alot of opinions and then take to vet or specialist and narrow it down and do what is best for my dog. It is hard being out there on your own and not having others around you who are as passionate about their dogs to help when things go wrong. I am so glad i found groups like this and yahoo to help me learn things to better care for my 3.