Some questions about my Yorkie.
 

Hey everyone, I am new here as well as a new Yorkie owner.

I recently adopted my little baby, she will be 11 weeks old on Monday. I've had her for almost 2 weeks now, and she is an absolute joy. She is extremely small and delicate, she weighed just about 1 pound when we got her, but she was up to 1.3 pounds when I took her to the vet last week. When I got her, she looked healthy, she came with a health certificate that was dated about 5-6 days prior to when I got her. She was the smallest out of the dogs there, but the ones there were not her litter siblings. Just playmates from different parents. We had her for a little over a week, when she had an episode. I left the room for about an hour or so, and when I went back, she was just laying there and acting funny. She is usually extremely playful and always hyper. But she was just laying there. We tried to feed her and give her water as well as Nutrical, but she wouldn't touch it. She began closing her eyes and was moppy. It was around 11 at night and we called the vet but they were closed, We rushed her to an Animal Hospital about 15 minutes away. I was worried sick, The Vet said that she had low sugar and was cold. I didn't understand that as I give her the nutrical 3 times a day, and my house is always warm, let alone she is always wrapped in a blanket when she lays with us. She had an IV put in her, and she stayed over night. Now, she is doing well. She still has some loose stools now and than. But I am worried. She urinates an awful lot, and someone mentioned that is a sign of Diabetes. I got her from a breeder but she never mentioned anything like that.

Now my questions are...
1) Is it possible the breeder knew about it and didn't tell me?
2) Is it normal for a dog so small to have episodes like that?
3) What can I do to prevent that from ever happening again?

Sorry for all the questions, I am a new Yorkie owner, and I've called the breeder but she has yet to return my phone calls.

She still very little so she will be going to the bathroom a lot, nutrical is good, I will recommend getting a good yorkie book, and feel free to call your vet anytime is any concern, make sure she is eating enough, and rest enough they run out of battery so quick.
PS. Welcome to our site:p

Thank you for the welcome!

Thanks for the advice as well. I am just a bit worried, she is so small and it's a HUGE responsibility. I just don't want anything to happen to her, I spoke with the man at the pet store where I buy all of her things, He said that I can give her back if I wanted, But I could NEVER do that. Although I've only had her for a short time, I love her to death and I can't picture not having her happy hyper self around. I also called the vet that the breeder used. I don't use the same vet, but my vet recommended calling hers to get some records, the receptionist wasn't the most friendly person once I mentioned the breeders name. It just bugs me that when I call and left messages she isn't answering. It gives me a bad feeling. But I am just looking out for the welfare of my puppy. I have never seen a Yorkie that small and it worried me.

You are such a good mommy, keep the good work.
I just don't understand why she is not calling back, perhaps she is buss who knows:rolleyes:, get the records and give it to your vet, keep the eye on her, make sure she is drinking water too, does she has a healthy stool?

Hi and welcome to YT!

Smaller yorkies are more likely to have episodes like this with low blood sugar. There are several medical issues tiny yorkies are more likely to suffer....that's why it's generally not a good idea to promote buying, or breeding for them.

I would make certain she gets a good quality food and has it available to her at all times. Try to make certain she is eating several small meals during the day and evening until she is a little older and hopefully bigger. In the future when she won't eat the Nutrical, rub it on her teeth or gums, she will have to lick it off.

Yes, the breeder is aware that tiny yorkies are more likely to suffer medical problems...but they usually don't care (especially if they are selling to pet stores!).....it's all about the $$ for them!:( And it's not unusual for them not to follow up with return phone calls, I'm sure.

Thank you :)

I don't get why she is not answering either, and it's annoying me. I called her twice yesterday and left a message, as well as three time today and left another message. It makes me think that there was a problem with the dog, and she knew about it and now she knows I know and is not answering. The vet wasn't in, but I spoke to the receptionist. When I got her, I got a free vet visit from the vet, it was a small vet's office not known my many. I decided to take her to the vet I already used with my previous puppy, just because I felt more comfortable and you never know. But my vet had suggested calling, and I didn't call right away, but once she had that episode I knew I had to call. At first the lady was nice, and said she could get the records, but once I mentioned the breeders name, And I didn't even mentioned her full name, just first name, she got very snippy, and rushed the conversation, telling me that her puppies are healthy and what not, and none have any problems, and she could call her for me, and I simply said No thank you and I would do it myself. That just seems so shady to me. I don't know what's going on, Maybe I am just overly worried, but with a puppy this tiny, I don't want to take any chances.

I agree don't take any chances:aimeeyork

Thank you :)

See, I knew there are no such thing as 'Tea Cup' dogs and that they're toy breeds. She didn't push me to buy the dog, but I wanted her. Not because of her size, as I don't care about size. But the fact that as soon as I went to see her, she ran up to me and came into my arms. It was the cutest and from than on, I fell in love with her. I feed her several times a day, I usually feed her every 3-4 hours, just to make sure she is getting everything she needs. I am so disgusted with this whole situation. I know it's all about the money, but she seemed liked she cared. I am not doubting she cared, but it's frustrating not getting calls back. It makes things seem wrong. My baby, was expensive and a lot more than what I would have liked to spend, but you can't put a price on a family member and that's what she is. I have already spent over $1000 in vet bills and had her less than two weeks, I don't care about the money. But I would appreciate a call back. Thank you for all your help!

The food I give her is Eukanuba dry and I mix it with a spoon full of Eukunuba puppy wet. & She always has fresh water, but she isn't a big water drinker.

I wouldn't give up on trying to reach her breeder and request copies of your pups records from her vet. The breeder's vet might not want to release them without the breeder's input. I would be upset and suspicious if the breeder didn't get back to you pronto. If the pup had an episode, I'd think she'd be concerned.
I had an experience where my pups records were falsified by her breeder. She hadn't received the shots that the breeder sent with her. My dog is healthy now but it took a year of care/love and a lot of money to her vets.
Good Luck.
Jessica

I am not going to give up calling, I will keep on calling until I get an answer, it's the principle of the matter. I can understand the vet not wanting to release things, But that fact that she was all willing to give me records and once I said the breeders name, and she got all defensive and snippy, makes me worried. I am not out to gain anything from this, All I am looking out id for the health of my puppy. That's all I care about. With the scare we had, I was just distraught and I want to try my best to prevent that from ever happening again. It just seems suspicious what's going on, But I will get an answer, no matter what it takes. Now that you say the records were falsified, I am wondering the same. I don't think she would do that, but now I don't even know. Thank you!

Btw: Is a 14 day health guarantee normal?

No that is NOT normal.. Sorry but this lady sounds like a mill owner / BYB.. My pup came with a 5 year health garantee. Have she bothered to keep in touch with you at all? My dogs breeder called the day after we brought her home to make sure everything was going fine and we had no problems. That is what a responsible breeder does (The breeder of my brothers samoyed did the same thing) Is your puppy AKC registered or registered with any clubs? Did you see her 'breeding facilities?' Did yoiu see the puppies parents or get a tour of there home showing where the dogs ussually 'hang oout' May i ask what you paid for her?

14 days:eek: I never heard that one before:aimeeyork

Keely_Momma, She hasn't called since I got her. She breeds several dogs I believe although when I asked her she said only Yorkies and none other. But I get the feeling eitehr A) She sells other people's dogs, or B) She breeds a bunch and What not. I saw her home, it was a clean home, the dogs were in baby cribs with one another, they seemed very happy. I saw the 'mother' and 'father' the father was small, maybe 2 1/2 pounds or so. They looked extremely happy and healthy. But than again, You don't know if they were even the real parents. My dog, has a small head and her ears stick up like a Chihuahua, and when my mom had first saw her she said these exact words. "She looks like the taco bell dog." The vet said she is a Yorkie and not Chihuahua. She came with ACA registration papers I believe. But if I am not mistaken, My other dog I had came with AKC. Is AKC, better than ACA?

Panama69; She said that she comes with a 14 day healthy guarantee. I can't remember what my other dog came with. But this is just nonsense.

& The price I paid for her was $1600 cash, she didn't accept any other form of payment.

This "breeder" is full of crap.. Im sorry but she is definatly just in this for the money.. Its people like this that piss me off! can you take her to court for selling you a sick dog. All of this points to a miller. Alot of millers are great at hiding the truth.. She may have a shed or something filled with helpess dogs that are being bred over and over again(Doesnt have to be on her property, she may have a partner or partners that accually keep the 'breeder dogs' on their property.) She may have a few dogs that seems to be taken well care of to make a sale and then back to the barn when the pups are sold. some peoples minds are just screwed up and they think that this is okay. Im not saying that she is infact a miller, i was going to give her the bennefit of the doubt but all the signs point to it.. Well, Good luck with you baby anyways! I hope she lives a long and healthy life filled with love and happiness!

Ughhh. Now that you say this, It makes me believe she is. I keep piecing everything together, and I believe you may be right. This worries me sick, I wish I can do something. I am looking at the 'Health Certificate' and it looks to be like it was photocopied and she rewrites thing, Than with the whole vet thing. She is so extremely small. I am beginning to think, she advertises many dogs but all on different phone numbers. This is outrageous. I love my dog to death and now with this. I asked her if she had other dogs, and she claimed her "Mother did." I brought my sister with me to see the dogs, and she didn't like the breeder all that much. She felt she was rushing us out of the house, I for one did too. But I loved that puppy so much that I just couldn't help but buy her. I think she is in it for money, even though she said other wise. And the fact that when I called her about the dogs she had said they were $900, and I end up paying almost double that, let alone all these vet bills.

If this is the case, and she is a mill breeder, I want to do whatever I can to stop her from selling puppies to poor innocent people. I do now what anyone to be in the situation I am in.

Hi, I'm a fellow New Yorker and the 14 day thing is called a puppy lemon law and it's enforced by the state. I saw your address and I knew right away what you were talking about. It just gives the purchaser a chance to have the puppy checked out by whoever they want and if something is wrong, the seller has to return the money paid for the dog. The purchaser gets to keep the dog, too!

There is a puppy broker that is somewhat a mill, I tried to catch the SOB and do something about him. That is how I learned about the law. Since then, he was charged (a second time, he got off the first time!!!!) and the local news and their website were one forum for people to vent and share info. That's a small piece of how all of us came together and wouldn't let it rest.
Where did this puppy come from specifically, if you don't mind me asking?

Good luck, and keep in mind, if she's hyper, she needs more calories!!!! After a good play, do the nutracal or put the Karo syrup in the water for sugar. ;)

Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar (spelling??!!) and is common in Yorkies for the first 3 months and especially if they are under 2 pounds. Stress and not enough rest can also bring on hypoglycemia, so even if you are feeding her regularly and keeping her warm, 2 weeks in a new environment is still stressful. You'll need to keep her with you a round the clock because an episode can come on without warning and very quickly. Try carrying her in one of those carriers that attach to your body like a baby sling, that keeps her warm and allow you to keep a close eye on her. Hypoglycemia can be deadly if not treated quickly. Do a google search on the condition (it is also covered in most books and magazines about yorkies also) God bless and good luck! :aimeeyork

Desiree1027, So does that mean she is still under some guarantee? Basically what you're saying is that the 14 day guarantee gives me time to take her to a vet and make sure she is healthy? And If she did sell me a sick dog, Or knew of any medical problems and didn't mention them, Than I am entitled to the money back as well as a being able to keep my dog? This is just ridiculous. More and more I am beginning to believe she is a mill breeder. I am going to do everything I can to make sure she is not a mill breeder. She tried to feed me the crap that 'She cares so much, and if she didn't like me, she wouldn't be selling me a puppy.'

Zenzele, I have researched Hypglycemia a million times, lol. Thank you. I think I may know a lot about it from not even being a vet. The thing is, I love in Manhattan and the streets are so busy, and the weather is rapidly changing it's getting so cold, so quickly. I have a dog carrier I purchased, it's top of the line and perfect for my little princess, but I have yet to take her out, 1) because she doesn't have all her shots, 2) She is so tiny I don't want her to go into shock because of all the craziness.

Unfortunately, We had ANOTHER episode this morning. I wake up early, but the thing is, she ALWAYS wakes me up. I go in to see her, and she is just laying there. I immediately wrap her in a blanket, get the heating pad, and the nutrical. Her gums were a pale color, I rubbed the nutrical all over them, in her mouth and on her tongue. She seems to be perking up. But things like this just worry me. Two episodes in less than a week. I keeping calling the breeder, yet no returned call.

I think she knows there were problems with the dog, and with this 'Guarantee' she wants to wait til it expires. Is there a way to take legal action for this?

Get right on it!
 

Yes, you are protected!!! :thumbup: That's what the law was developed for. YOU go to the vet, get as much documentation as you can, or remind them of your previous visits and have them detail everything they can, especially the dates!!!:exclaim:

You should let them at the vet know what you are trying to do. They should know about the law since they're in New York. Don't let anyone push you aside in this, be pushy and persistent. ;)

Also, it might be a good idea to leave the breeder a message and let her know that you are aware of the law and you have no other choice but to pursue legal action since the puppy is showing signs of health problems. :mad:

Unfortunately, if this is hypoglycemia, it's not her fault. It does sound like there may be other possible issues that she was aware of.

My vet told me that 8-10 hours of sleep is way too long for a small Yorkie puppy to go without nourishment.:dogzzz: Try waking up every 3-4 hours and doing nutrical until she's over this. And make sure you give her some before bed.

Don't forget the Karo syrup in the water because even if she's not drinking alot, she still will get a little calories from a lick of water. Every little bit helps!

If you haven't already done so, leave the breeder a message saying that it is obvious she is not as she portrayed herself to be. You won't ignore the signs that are all pointing to her being untrustworthy and operating in an inappropriate and illegal manner. You refuse to drop this, you are protecting yourself and your baby! :goodluck:

Keep me posted, please. :)

Desiree1027, Thank you for all your help. See what I am worried about is, since this whole 14 day thing will expire tomorrow, she will wait until than. I have left three messages so far, and the last one I left I mentioned that if she is unprofessional and she should return my call ASAP, or else I am going to have to take legal action. There is no way at all, That I am going to drop this. I am going to push, and push until there's no pushing left. I'm not the type of person to give up, and if she took me for a fool when she sold me this dog, she's in for it. This is just disgusting. I can't even comprehend how you raise these puppies give them to good homes, and not even wonder or care how they're doing. If the situation was switched, I'd be calling to make sure they're okay. It just disgusts me how people only care about the money. This poor, innocent puppy is paying the price. I took her to the animal hospital and I will have that documentation. The vet didn't say it as Hypoglycemia, but he mentioned her sugar levels were low and that her temperature was as well. All they did was monitor her and give her an IV, as well as put her on heating pad, Cost me $800. I understand the hypoglycemia is not her fault. I feel like theres problems but she's hiding. It's quite obvious.

She's been having Diarrhea all day and she isn't eating, she won't drink her water. I have been giving her water in a bottle, and she sips it now and then. I've given her all types of food and she won't touch it. The breeder mentioned giving her yogurt when I got her, I tried that and it's not working. I've called the vet, but they're closed today. This is just so stressful.

Diarrhea is a symptom of coccidia. It's a parasite that all puppies have....and some come down with the illness with the stress of a new home. You need to take her and a stool sample into the vet's. If treated early...it's cured pretty easily...the longer without treatment the worse it becomes.


Because she is so small there is a real possibility of dehydration from the diarrhea. I have a 7 pound one that required an iv drip to rehydrate him after a bout with diarrhea.

I am worried about dehydration, what should I do? How can I get her to drink?

I would take her to your own vet right away. A puppy that small with diarhea can dehydrate easily. Also, when she is doing well I would change her food very gradually to a premium grade food such as Wellness, Canidae, etc. Eukanuba is not such a great food.

Hi, BarbieDollOx,
My next advice if the 14 days is up tomorrow is to call New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets who oversee the puppy dealer permits and breeder's licenses. Tell them the story and have the paperwork that she gave you on hand when you talk to them.

They will help and also they will be interested in the breeder to see if she is licensed. Also, contact the Humane Society in your area if there is one. The one upstate is Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society. They are ALWAYS interested in puppy mill stories, not to say she is one but if you get them on the bandwagon, they will give you all sorts of info on what to do about getting the lemon law enforced.

Also, did you Google New York State Puppy Lemon Law? That may be all you need to do to get the info to take it to the next step.

As far as the Emergency Vet, the low blood sugar label that gave to the situation is really what hypoglycemia is to a point. Thankfully, I'm no expert on the subject but I believe that is how it starts and maybe if it is untreated, it becomes hypoglycemia. Someone on here can answer that better than I can.

Watch her closely, and if you have a syringe to give liquid meds, you can put sugar water in it and squirt it in her mouth so she gets water and it will keep her blood sugar up. :) Try not to stress, you need to keep calm to keep an eye on her.

Stay in touch.

I have an update....

I FINALLY got in touch with her today. She claims she never got my 3 Messages...I am sure...Anyhow, she says she is concerned and she would never sell a sick puppy and what not. She told me to give her food high in fat like chicken and meats. I've been doing that but she doesn't seem all that thrilled about it. She still has diarrhea but is perky which is good. She's drinking her water but not all that much. I am going to Google everything and let you know. Thanks! I will keep you updated. :)

Glad your baby is perky again. Our yorkie is similar in size. He was just a little over a pound at 12 weeks. He is now 9 months old. We had some low blood sugar issues (karo worked like a charm) one very scary episode of dehydration. He didn't eat much either. Now he weighs 4 pounds, eats a little more and is more hearty. He has boundless energy and is such a joy. He gets cold fast though. Keep a close eye on her. I'll say a prayer.

Good morning.....
 

I know a lot has happened to you with your puppy and the breeder and I'm so sorry you are having to go through this.

I just read your post and it's Monday morning. You said that the breeder finally called you back? Wasn't that after you left the message saying you would take legal action though? I'm sure she was very good at reassuring you that she would have never sold you a sick puppy but please don't fall for it.

It is ultimately your decision, but I was wondering if you were still planning on taking legal action against her? I know she was waiting till the 14 day guarantee was up to contact you, that is - until you told her about legal action, she knew exactly what she was doing by waiting to call you, if at all.

You sound so sweet and caring and I just don't want you to get taken advantage of by this woman after talking to her on the phone. Even though it's past the 14 days now, you can call your phone company and get the phone records of how many times that you tried to reach her. The courst will use these and it shows precisely how many times you tried to reach this woman regarding your sick puppy.

If it ever comes down to legal action, you have everything on your side, including honesty which apparently she doesn't have; and the court will see right through this woman. These BYB's may think they are so clever, but really are not.

After hearing your story, even though this has happened to you, and even though you are so worried about this right now, you and your new puppy will be okay regardless. You are doing everything right by your furbaby and what you don't have the answers to, you're getting on this forum. The people on this forum are so wonderful to help and along with your vet, you will get through this with your new little furbaby! Just hang in there and take precautions like you're doing with her. I've never had a dog with hypoglycemia, but I hear they are a lot of hard work and it gets scary and expensive the first year or so but things get balanced out.

Can I ask, does your vet specialize in small dogs? I assume in your area, they probably would. When I got my yorkies, I had to change my vet; I could tell when I went in the first time, he couldn't answer all my questions due to the breed. And that's okay! We live in rural West Texas, where there are several large animal vets and that's who we had used. They dealt with cows, horses, bulls, large dogs which we had..... so I changed to another vet that came highly recommended for small animals and esp yorkies! Not only that, I just came out and asked him and his staff how many Yorkies do you have for clients and have treated?

Okay, I'm off for now, just wanted to be sure that you got the phone records in case you were still pursuing this. :D Please keep us posted on how your little one is doing.

I agree, I wouldn't trust the woman, she most likely got the messages and ignored them.
If you call the places I mentioned, they can lead you in the direction you need to go. You may be able to recover your vet expenses! I don't support living in a lawsuit happy world, but this situation is far from that!! If not for the money, keep up on this so if there is a problem underlying, you will uncover it before there are more health scares. :eek:
Also, I would be insulted if she were treating me this way. Does she think she's so smart that she can hide for two weeks and you are going to drop everything now just because she answers one call and blows smoke up your @$$. :mad:
She is counting on that and the law is in place just for this reason. Even the documented posts on YT can show that you have pursued this the whole time.
It really makes me mad that this woman is playing on your sympathies now. It sounds like she is taking advantage of your stress and panic and it seems like she is counting on it that you will be sooooo relieved now that you will believe her. She could be manipulating the whole situation by controlling you like a puppet and the strings are your elevated emotions.
I am glad to hear the baby is doing better. I would be cautious of the high fat food. It's good to get calories into her, but it could be contributing to the diarrhea.
Lots of people here swear by canned pumpkin to control diarrhea constipation and stomach upset. I haven't tried it yet, haven't needed to but maybe your pup will like it and you would be that much closer to regulating her poor little system. ;)
Keep updating.:animal-pa

Thank you all for the concern.

I hadn't left the message about the legal action as I was preoccupied with the puppy. Although she answered when I called yet again, I still believe she is not a reputable breeder and that she may be running a puppy mill. She may have fooled me the first time around, but she won't again. I plan on contacting people and the ASPCA about her and having her investigated, this is just all to convenient, she may have gotten me, but I won't let another innocent person or animal endure what I had to. Not only is it stressful, but it's heartbreaking. Seeing my poor puppy like that.... I have researched everything everyone has said, and you better believe that I will do whatever I can and then some. I'm not one to give up easily, and I will pursue this.

As for the puppy, She still has diarrhea but she is perky and happy which makes me better. She isn't eating all that much, but hopefully she'll start. Thanks or all the concern :)

I'm on my way out.........But just wanted to update everyone. :)

I would send a certified letter , just letting her know of your puppies condition. In the letter state you have left several voice mails and have gotten no response. This is just for documented proof that you attempted to inform her of the problem several times in the given time. If she calls about the letter just tell her you sent it before you talked to her. Hopefully it won't come to that but if it did you would have a legal paper trail. If she is shady most likely she will say she never got your messages or spoke to you. Cover all your bases. Believe me I learned the hard way.