[SirTeddykins]

Teddy’s first vet visit went great so I thought I’d share some of the information provided to me by the vet regarding different issues as follows:

Weight-

Teddy weighed in at 4lbs 2 oz on the day of the visit which the vet said was “perfect”. He advised that Teddy is very small and probably shouldn’t weigh much more than the high end of 3lbs but his current weight is good.

Teeth-

The vet advised that he could tell that Teddy benefits from a good diet as there was only some plaque on his teeth at the age of one year. He did recommend 4-6 extractions as some baby teeth have been retained.

The vet confirmed that dental sticks were good for entertainment, as dogs have an inherent need to chew, but dental sticks and/or brushing do not assist with dental care. In fact, brushing is an “ineffectual waste of time” for small breeds, and Yorkshire Terriers (YTs) in particular, due to the size of their mouths and the resultant alignment of their teeth. Therefore, the vet recommended that Teddy have his teeth professionally cleaned in the office under gas and local anesthetic.

Ears/Eye discharge-

The vet advised that YTs have low immunities, when compared to other breeds, so have an elevated amount of bacteria on their skin. He confirmed that Teddy does not have a yeast infection in his ears/eyes but could see the presence of bacteria so prescribed a cortisteriod to be used 3x a day for 7 days. Furthermore, he advised that the eye discharge was caused by the same bacteria/immunity issue as his ears and that the presence of this bacteria would be lifelong and may extend to his skin at times. He advised that we may see symptoms of the bacteria on the rise during times of stress which is a response from his "fight/flight" system and this is normal. He advised that, apart from cleaning his eyes daily, there is nothing more which can be done for eye discharge which is not harmful in itself. He requested that we call him in a week to discuss the efficacy of the medicine prescribed for his ears.

Booster-

Upon gemy’s advice (thank you x), I queried the necessity of the

Leptospirosis injection. He advised that the bacteria is rare but this is due to the efficacy of the vaccination. He confirmed that the incident rate and chance of infection is extremely low but still recommended the vaccination as per the current medical standard. He is very much an advocate of preventative vaccinations. The

Leptospirosis vaccination was included in the Parvo booster and the brand of the booster is Vanguard.

Liver Shunt-

We asked about blood tests etc and he stated that he could feel his kidneys and his liver and there was no need for a blood test. He confirmed that he could run a blood test to check for high enzymes but this would not confirm the presence of shunt and because there have been no symptoms and his physical examination suggested no issues, he did not see the need for the blood test. He advised that if there is ever a change in his behavior e.g. he starts to eat less or more, then he would recommend we come back to discuss possible reasons for the behavior.

Luxating patella (LP) -

The physical examination confirmed no LP.

Separation Anxiety/General Anxiety-

He confirmed that the symptoms we discussed regarding Teddy’s behavior when we’re not home are consistent with Separation Anxiety. We also discussed Teddy’s inability to not panic during walks and rides in cars. He advised that the only way to fix these issues was medicine which he does not recommend. Although he confirmed that the medicine would “help” or “cure” the problem, he advised that the medicines prescribed for anxiety are potent narcotics which are addictive and change the chemistry of the brain. In doing so, the dogs personality will change and the dog we raised would almost certainly not be the dog that we have during and after medication. He was very passionate on this point and I respected him a great deal for being so honest about his opinion which is in line with the opinion of current neuropsychological research in humans.

Additionally, he suggested that a lot of Teddy’s behavioral issues are down to his age. He is, at one year old, still immature. He advised that he may grow out of a lot of his current behaviors by the age of five years. He stated that he may not grow out of all of the behavior but would definitely be “better” with time. He stated that, in his experience, YT’s who are smaller than their peers are often fearful of many things but “do not like to show it” which is exactly how Teddy acts when confronted with strange situations and people. He advised that “exposure therapy” where Teddy is habitually reintroduced to walking, car rides, etc. is not going to be helpful when he is showing signs of distress. However, the benefits of walking as exercise and meeting/greeting dogs and people as socialization outweigh any risk of lasting psychological harm during the events, so suggested that we continue to walk him etc but expect no signs of improvement until he’s older. In the mean time, when he is sweating, barking, etc. we should remove him from any fearful situation by picking him up or removing him from the scene altogether.

With respect to separation anxiety, he stated that if he is confined in such a way that he cannot hurt himself, then there is no lasting psychological damage for him when being left alone. Therefore, he would recommend we safely confine him when we’re away and to not feel guilty or upset about it as, during times of mania, Teddy is not aware of his actions hence his quick return to “normalcy” upon our return to home.

Microchipping-

Due to Teddy’s size, coloring, breed, etc. he would recommend chipping. He advised that YT theft is on the rise in England as a dog of Teddy’s standard (which is not show standard) is worth about 5000 Euros in Spain and other parts of Europe. He did advise that chipping would be extremely painful for Teddy due to the size of the injection which is needed as a result of the size of the chip. He did not recommend that we chip him on the day of the visit simply because Teddy was very quiet during the visit and the vet advised that his behavior suggested that Teddy had “gone beyond fear”. So, he felt that he’d had enough exposure to the vet’s office (including the booster) for one day and we will schedule chipping for another day soon.

Overall-

Teddy is a good example of the breed (but small). Please, my pictures do not do him justice! His teeth are in good condition, his size is good, his back is perfectly straight, his tail is aligned with his spine, there is no LP, his eyes are clear and bright, he is alert and intelligent. The vet is a specialist in small breeds, particular the YT, with 25+ years of experience.

I hope my vet experience has assisted anyone who is worried about their first visit. I’d again like to thank Gemy and others for helping me with some of the questions which needed to be asked.

Please forgive any typos – or anything which just doesn’t make sense – as it’s 5 a.m. and I’ve not had a coffee yet! Please feel free to comment or ask me any questions about Teddy’s vet visit.