[LadyGemma]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

Most teacup Yorkies tend to be fragile, more easily injured by larger dogs/cats, birds of prey such as hawks, children or careless adults. You are never relaxed when you leave yours with anyone else to care for during vacation, hospital stays, etc. Should they leave your tiny on the couch and walk away for a minute, a simple jump off the couch could be disastrous if she lands wrong. A bigger dog can break a paw by just standing on it. Any jump or unexpected fall from the bed, couch or chair could cause a serious sprain, fracture or dislocation, especially as the dog ages. Yearly dentals or spaying - any procedure requiring anesthesia - is especially hair-rising for the owner of a tiny dog.

My late 3 lb. Jilly managed pretty well orthopedically(she did have a Stage I Luxating Patella) until at age 13 she was going down her doggie steps and a shoulder joint spontaneously dislocated from repetitive jumping stress on her delicate joints(according to her surgeon), requiring emergency reduction/casting under anesthesia by an orthopedic surgeon way across town - a terrible, nerve-wracking drive through heavy, fast-moving traffic with a tiny, beloved, suffering dog with a freshly dislocated shoulder - and her dislocation still didn't hold after casting was removed, x-rays follow-up done. Tiny dogs do tend to have many more vet visits for one reason or the other though some are undeniably hardy and healthy throughout their lives.

Google "medical problems in teacup Yorkies" and several variations of that search criteria and you can read for yourself testimonials and stories from many, many Yorkie owners of tinies. Nothing cuter, sweeter or more endearing than a tiny Yorkshire Terrier but be prepared to potentially deal with a series of problems and issues should you decide to get one.

I do not plan on it, mostly just wanting to learn/ understand. I will always rescue rather than go to a breeder and I imagine ppl rarely surrender tinys and also, I experienced what you described while caring for that sweet Chihuahua I mention in my OP. I loved little Oliver but was always a bit worried. He hurt his leg jumping off the bed while I was sleeping and he even limped a bit after I gently moved his leg to get his coat on. I like that Moxie is small enough to be portable but large enough to roughhouse a bit. That experience with Jilly sounds harrowing, bless her little soul.