Questions for Owners of Tiny Yorkies
 

Our little Logan is 13.5 weeks old. He weighs only 1.3 pounds! Both of his parents weigh 4 lbs. each. We have had Logan for three weeks now, and he has not gained ANY weight. As a matter of fact, when I brought him home, he weighed 1.5 pounds, so he's lost weight. He's eating OK, too. According to the food directions, a puppy his size should be eating about 1/4 c. food total a day. Logan eats a little less than that. I'm concerned about him not growing.

If you have a tiny Yorkie, does Logan's slow growth sound about right if his parents were small? Did your Yorkie go through a spell of staying the same weight as a puppy? Also, if you have a tiny Yorkie, how is his or her health? Any particular problems?

Also, at what age did you get your male Yorkie neutered? Should he weigh a certain amount before having this done? The vet said Logan couldn't get his rabies shot until he weighs 4 pounds, but what if he doesn't get that big??

Any suggestions or stories about your tiny Yorkie is appreciated.

Lucy weighed 1.10 at 13 weeks. She went down a bit the first few weeks she was home with us. At about 5 months she was up to 2.13 and now at 8 months weight 3.5 lbs. She is not a big eater but she is healthy :) I free feed her and she eats just under a 1/4 cup per day most days. What does your vet say? Does he/she think little Logan is healthy?

Cute name BTW

My Jo-Jo weighed 2 pounds 3 ounces at 16 weeks and he stayed that weight for a while, although I don't remember exactly how long. I've always given about a tablespoon of soft food for breakfast and supper and I leave a bowl of kibble down all day...that way he can eat when he needs to. I never went by the guidelines on a bag or can of food because they are only suggestions. Do you free feed during the day? What is your feeding schedule and what food are you giving him?

As for neutering...we waited almost a year for Jo to get neutered...partly because only one testicle had dropped and partly because he was so small. He finally hit 3 pounds and the vet felt comfortable going ahead...everything was fine.

Some vets will wait for the rabies shot and some will give a smaller dose.

As long as your vet said Logan is healthy I wouldn't worry about his slow growth...he can go through a growth spurt anytime...both of my boyz stopped growing by about 7 months. Riley is now 2 1/2 and weighs 4 pounds 3 ounces and Jo is 3 and weighs a hefty 5 pounds 3 ounces...he's my little chubby butt! Both of my boyz are healthy other than Jo having some allergy issues and I think that's more environmental because of where we live right now.

Hi there!

I have a tiny girl named Willow, who at one year weighs somewhere around 2 1/2 pounds. I can tell you that she did grow very slow because she didn't have much weight to gain, unlike our 10 pounder who grew fairly quickly throughout his first year. As long as your baby is eating nicely then I wouldn't worry too much yet.
Do you free feed him? Dry or kibble? I know that when Willow was smaller, she wouldn't eat straight kibble. She had to get started on something wet and only then she would eat her kibble.

As for the health problems, it depends. If the tiny was bred to be small, it will generally have more problems. Willow is a runt, her parents were 4 and 6 pounds and so far she has had no problems except for luxating patellas. She had only one hypoglycemic episode and she was spayed when she weighed just over 2 pounds and did just fine. She was about 7 months at that time. I would wait until he is at least two pounds to get him neutered.

I have not heard of vets waiting for the rabies until they are 4 pounds....Willow sure wasn't 4 and never will be! In fact she is about to get her one year booster. I just make sure that Willow's shots are given one or two at a time and not the big combo shots all at once, especially the rabies shot....

Hope this helps!

At 20 weeks Izzy was 2.2 and now at 10 mos she is still only 2.7 but I didn't get her for her size and no matter how big/little she stayed I'd love her just the same. I was really hoping for her to grow bigger within the standard but it doesn't look like it....we just have to watch where we step in our house...lol.

To answer some of the questions, I've been feeding Logan California Naturals lamb and brown rice puppy kibble. Today I bought a can of CA Naturals because he seems to like wet food better, and I wanted to see if this would make him eat more.

I don't free feed him. I had heard that was not good to do. If he's in his playpen, I will sometimes leave kibble in his bowl in the playpen. Otherwise, I put the food before him several times a day, and if he doesn't eat, I remove the bowl.

Thanks for the comments. I'm feeling better about this now that I know others have tiny Yorkies, and they are doing fine.

London weighed 1.2 lbs at like 16 weeks and now s 2.6 lbs at a year.

I would really recommend free feeding him during the day while he is so small...it will help maintain his blood sugar. I even used to put a few pieces of kibble in Jo's crate at night just so he had something if he needed it. You can always change things later when he gains a little weight and gets a little older.

I would suggest that you give him puppy nutrical. Good luck!

Today is my Rickie's birthday, he is one year old and weighs 2.5 pounds. I got him at 5 months and weighed 1.9 lbs. He has never had a problem eating and has not been sick other than kennel cough when I first got him. He was fixed at 7months old and weighed about 2.25 lbs.

I have dry dog food down for him at all times which he nibbles on during the day, and in the evening I give him some Cesars dog food mixed with pieces of boiled chicken which he gobbles down.

Thank God, he is a happy, healthy little boy.

Hello

I Have A Little Boy Called Harvey, He Is 3.5 Lb And Is 20 Months Old Now. When We Brought Him Home At 8 Weeks He Weighed 1.8 Lb And Stayed That Weight For A Few Months - Only Gradually Increasing.

The Food Situation - Well What A Worry That Has Been, He Is Fussy, He Now Eats A Few Little Kibbles, Which We Leave Out For Him To Pick At, He Eats About Half A Pouch Of Ceaser Refined, Or Some Fresh Chicken In The Evening - Wont Look At Any Food Until About 4 Ish. I Can Honestly Say It Has Only Been In The Last 4 Months That He Has Started To Eat This Amount - Before That He Would Pick, Pick Pick.

He Is A Little Whirlwind And Very Healthy. I Have Not Had Him Neutered - I Am Still Undecided, And Really Scared Because He Is So Small. Need To Think On This Some More.....

Good Luck With What You Decide.

Gino is 31 weeks and weighs 3lb 3oz...2 weeks ago he weighed 2.12
He got his rabies shot last week and was neutered 2 days ago, and his one testicle didnt drop all the way either. They removed both and hes just fine! :)

The little stinker. I have to make sure he doesnt overdo it, because he acts like nothing ever happened. :)

Bella was only 8wks when we got her and she weighed 1.2 she is now 22 wks (tomorrow) and weighs 2.75 it seems she has gotten there rather slowly and has actually been 2.75 for at least a month now. I was very worried about her size and age when she first came home so watched to make sure she was eating. She didn't do great on dry kibble at first, I was giving her puppy ceasar (breeder had too) and then switched that to a better wet food slowly. If I felt like she wasn't eating I would give her cottage cheese, baby food meat sticks or veggies in the baby food jars. I would also give her some nutrical a couple times a day in those first weeks. I don't know if she needed all that but it sure did make me feel better. She has never had any episodes of hypo and has been a very healthy but little girl. I think alot of times they are stronger then we give them credit for.

BTW, she will be getting spayed in January or so... i'm so scared :(

Jake was 1.10 when I brought him home at 10 weeks. He gained slowly, but his gaining was consistent and he never lost any weight. He now weighs 4.4 which some don't consider to be a "tiny", but he is very very tiny.

Are you free-feeding? I'm a little concerned that he hasn't gained any weight, as puppies gain the most weight at this age. Jackson is 12 1/2 weeks and has gained alot. Of course, he's a little on the bigger side at 4 lbs.

I would ask your vet whether he thinks your baby is gaining adequately or not. I would free feed so that he can eat whenever he wants. Puppies tend to nibble here and there throughout the day.

Even the vet told me the other day to either free feed or give several small meals a day, she said when they're this young and this small, they need to have the food where it's available..I free feed the 3 older ones, well, I put it down first thing in the morning, and then pull it up at around 5:00 p.m

Hi- My little Lillie is full grown and only about 3.5lbs total. When we got her at about 13 weeks she was only 1.4 lbs. Howeve, I can honestly say that she is a healthy, strong dog. We run her a lot so she has a lot of muscles and she is a little bit of a picky eater and never eats much, but she checks out great at the vet.

I was just looking at some papers from the vet and at 5 months Teddi weighed 1 lb 10 oz. She is 1 year and 2 months and she weighs 2 lb 10 oz.

Gizzie is only 2.7 lbs and she is 16 months old She weighed exactly 2 lbs when i got her at 5 months and she was spayed at about 2.5 and the vet just gave her one or two shots at a time I also free feed she just goes and eats when she wants she has no health problems so far but she also wasnt bread to be small, she was just the runt of the bunch and the most fiesty:D

Maggie is 6 mo and 1 week tomorrow. She weighs just under 2 lbs. I leave kibble out for her all the time and feed her wet food three times a day. She can be a little pig and then other times so finicky !! lol When I got her at 10 weeks she weighed 1.28. She's really been very healthy and active. I do keep nutrical on hand and give it to when she doesn't eat like she should. She wasn't bred to be big either, just the runt. I know it's time to get her spayed and it is just scaring me to death. But I would def give him nutrical and free feed him. Keep the kibble out too. :)

Someone else mentioned shots so I also wanted to add my vet's advice with that. We took Bella in for her first visit and from the get go they were proceeding with shots carefully because of her size. Or lack of rather. We just finished her puppy shots last week, we were going back for tech visits so she was only getting them one at a time. It ended up seeming easier on the pocketbook that way too ;)

We had a teapot and a tiny in our last litter...At 16 weeks, "Mo" weighs 3.9lbs and Tinkerbelle weighs 1lb6oz. She has gained 3 oz in the last month...6 oz since she was 7 weeks...so not much. She also wasn't bred to be tiny..just ended up that way.. mommy is 4.5-5lbs and daddy is 4.5lbs. She is also healthy, now that an allergy issue has been cleared up (with thanks to this board ;) ) and has never had a hypoglycemic episode..in fact, she is the rowdiest orneriest in teh bunch..but i dont see her getting over 2.5lbs.

We are keeping her.

Kristei

Pixie will be 6 months old on the 4th december and is around 2 pounds now i would say, I need to get her weighed at my vets to find out exactly what she is as it has been a few weeks since she was weighed last. I feed her 4 times a day, a little more than a tablespoonful at a time. 7.30am-scrambled eggs and a drink of goats milk. Lunch at midday,her canned meat & kibble and the same again at 4pm then her fresh chicken breast at 8pm. Little and often my vets have always told me.:)

weight gaining recipie
 

someone on this board gave me one... if you want it pm me. It really seems to be working w/ my tiny. I am going to weigh her tom. but I think she has gained. She never feels like a feather anymore and for a while sometimes she would. Anyway it has like 11cal. per cc. and that is more than puppy formula.

I know this is an old thread but it's the first thread I have seen wig yorkies that are Suri's size that gain weight slowly. Suri is 6 months and is 1 pound 14 ounces. She was 1 pound 9 ounces at 8 weeks.
I know she has grown because she has grown as far as measurements she just needs to feel out. Is it a good idea to add more calories to her diet like the above post? She eatsand drinks fine and is healthy. We are going to get another check up with the be to get some labs done to check again.

Marcel was 1 lb. 4 oz. at 4mths old -- he is now 2 yrs old and is around 3 - 3.3 pounds. His body feels wonderful; meaning, it "feels" filled out appropriately.

Does Suri feel bony - is that what you mean? If so, you could try feeding an add'l meal (like 7am, 5pm, 8pm) or you could give caloric treats like peanut butter, bits of cheese, add a bit of oil to her food (not a lot though). You could add some canned food, as that's usually highly appetizing.

I think tinies gain later and slower -- and your baby is reallllly tiny, so she *might* have some spurts later, hopefully. :)

I got Chloe when she was 4 months old and she weighed 2.2 lbs. She will be 9 months old (on Sunday) and she is now 2.5 lbs. So not much change...She's healthy and has had no problems aside from some extra teeth that need pulled. She also hasn't had any problem with her vaccinations.

We free feed our dogs , and they just eat a little here and there all day long. I did worry at first because she never seemed to eat more than a piece or two at a time , but since she nibbles throughout the day ...she gets enough. I do worry about her drinking enough water though, she never looks to be drinking enough , so I give her ice to play with so she gets a bit more, especially if her pee seems darker.

She looks healthy I just feel like she should have a bit more on her. It's almost like he last little spurt took her all her puppy chub away. I just want to make sure she is getting enough. I free feed Suri because I want to make sure she has what she needs. I have stopped giving her Nutrical but I may start again just to give her that little extra. Maybe I am just use to the little chunky pups and she is a string bean. :)

oh and to answer your question :) ... She looks healthy but since her last growth spurt has become a tad bony. Like a lanky teen. :) hehe...