Its not just a yorkie thing - it is a small dog thing. I have a toy poodle, about 9, that is down to three teeth. Even with yearly dentals and regular oral care, he lost at least a few every year. At his last dental in July, the vet pulled the rest of them and left just 3 out of 4 canine teeth to help hold his tongue in. In retrospect, I think he was always in pain from his teeth. He was scrawny, a picky eater and underweight his whole life. It took a few months for his gums to toughen up, but then his appetite took off and now he eats like a horse. He has filled out and gained a little weight and looks great. I feed him one wet meal per day (Primal Raw dehydrated but mixed with water) and he is free fed and happily munches on his kibble throughout the day. He could never chew on bully sticks or anything like that before, but now he goes to town on beef tendons and loves those Beems catfish skin chewies. Having those teeth removed was the best thing I've ever done for him, even though it was a tough choice.
Diana |