New here, Advice needed please
 

Hello. I'm loving this forum so far and i apologise in advance for my questions length.
A few weeks ago i went to pick up my new yorkie baby and as you can imagine i bonded with her very quickly. However, lily just didnt seem right. She was incredibly lethargic and i couldnt get her to eat anything, and getting her to drink was also a challenge. After 6 hours of having her, we woke her up for her routine feed, and she just flopped to one side, she couldnt stand or even sit up. Obviously we pankied and rang the breeder who said to put some glucose powder she'd given us on her tongue. We did and soon lily was walking around seeming fine. As time went on lily started to get like this after a shorter and shorter time. (in the end every 2 hours), she also wouldnt eat/drink, had dhiarrohea and slept ALL the time. The breeder seemed genuinely stressed about lily and she said to take her back and she will give us a replacement puppy from her next litter. I really didnt want to do this because lily was my little baby but that night she woke me up whimpering. She seemed to be having some sort of seizure/fit and she was incredibly limp/floppy when i picked her up. Her legs started going stiff and her head kept going back into her side, my mum said she was going to die and i got incredibly upset and we made her warm and comfterable and gave her lots of glucose powder (which she'd had just a couple of hours before). In a few minutes you could see an obvious improvement in lily and she started walking round and everything. To my extreme distress my mum insisted that taking her back was the best thing to do. Is it crucial for yorkie puppys to be regurlarly fed glucose? (or was this abnormal?) Can too much sugar as puppys give them some sort of defect or addiction? (the breeder said she fed them on carnation milk as part of the weaning process)
Does anyone have any ideas as to what could have been wrong with lily?
and also i really want to know 'what is the normal behaviour for a 7 week and then a 10 week old yorkie puppy?' Because with my next puppy, im going to visit her and take her home at those ages and my parents seem to think that unless the puppy is running around and being inquisitive and active we're not taking her home and asking for a refund :(

Sorry for the length, HUGE thanks to any replies, Becky :animal-pa

It sounds to me that your pup lily had a liver problem. One of my guys that I had a few years ago had it. Unfortunately he passed within 2 weeks. He got very lethargic and seemed very disinterested in food, water, and our other pup. It is very hard to come to terms with because we get so attached so easily. But it is a common problem in yorkies, especially young pups. I am by no means an expert but again, it sounds like your pup had a liver issue.
My pups are just about 7 weeks and are very inquistive and quirky. However, not one pup is exactly alike. They should show interest in food, water, and their littermates as this is a critical period of weaning and socialization. But some pups are naturally shy, which is fine. The red flags are much like you described: lethargic, little/no interest. I say when you get another one, you need to take the pup to the vet to get him/her checked out immediately just to make sure that your pup is indeed healthy.
that's all that I would suggest to you :) good luck. Hopefully you will get some more input than just mine.

no that was lots of help thankyou chewygeorgia85 :)
By any chance do you know if liver problems are inherited??

Welcome! I am sorry you had such a time with your baby. Unfortunately I think your Mom was right. Lily seemed to be a very sick girl. My Cali had a few episodes of low sugar and ended up with a mild liver condition, but your baby was having more severe symptoms and ma not have had a good outcome. I would be very careful in getting a puppy from the same breeder and would want her to keep the puppy until she was at least 12 weeks to make sure she is doing ok.

Thanks patti, and coinsidently- im thinking of calling my next furbaby cali (amongst other names :) )
And the breeder wouldnt give me my money back but said she would give me a fully vaccinated puppy at 10 weeks from the next litter. I'm praying she'll be 100% healthy!

This is a tough one. It looked like my Ruger had a problem when I got him and the breeder was really nice and offered me my pick of the next litter, but as you said I had already bonded and fortunately as you can see from the picture Ruger is doing fine now.

I would definitely take your pup to a vet. If the news isn't good, and the breeder is willing to do the right thing, it's far better to give the pup up now than to wait.

IMO a healthy pup may not eat or drink the first day you get him as he adjusts to a new environment, but that should change in about a day.

Let us know what happens.

IMO a healthy pup may not eat or drink the first day you get him as he adjusts to a new environment, but that should change in about a day.


This is true. I brought my baby home almost 2 weeks ago and she barely touched her food or water the first few days. She was also very quiet and barely wanted anything to do with us. A couple days passed and she began coming out of her shell. Now she runs around and plays like crazy. We brought her home at 7 weeks, which is young indeed but she has done exceptionally well. Every baby is different.

I am sorry about your situation and hope everything works out.

Tell the breeder you want her to keep the pup until she is 12 weeks old. Problems are often discovered before they come home; so this could prevent you from getting attached to another sick pup.

Liver issues can be inherited so there is no guarantee you will be getting a healthy pup.

Once you get the pup home - have her vet checked immediatedly and her liver enzymes run.

I speak from experience.:animal-pa

How sad that your furbaby was sick, it must have been heart breaking to return her. I hope the breeder can get her healthy.
While you wait for your next baby, read as much as you can about yorkies, nutrition, best foods to feed, what to look for when picking a puppy, etc. This is a great place to learn from other people's experience.

I hope your next little girl is healthy and puts a smile on your face everyday :animal-pa

Dont bring her home until she is 12 weeks old Ive had my baby since she was 9 weeks and its TONS of work I took 3 days off work when I first got her just so I had that time to bond and monitor her for anything I thought seemed funny I also took her to the vet the day I got her it makes a big difference

I would ask the breeder if she could have her liver enzymes tested BEFORE you bring her home. Hopefully, you could detect any problems before she even gets there - that would be best for you. It would be hard to get attached and then have to return another puppy.

Although, I had Lucy's liver enzymes tested when she first came home and she still ended up having MVD - undiscovered until a couple of months later and with a more direct test. (BAT)

Best of luck to you. The very best thing would be to ask for a refund and start looking for another breeder.

That's what everyone on here advised me to do when Lucy's sister was PTS for liver shunt (before we brought her home). I didn't listen; and now I have a little girl with liver problems. Hers seem to be mild, thank goodness, but there were 2 dogs out of the same litter with liver issues.
And severe liver issues can mean very expensive testing and surgery so . . . just be aware.:aimeeyork

I am sorry she is sick. That is really sad. I hope it all works out for you.

I wouldn't bring the pup home if it is younger than 12 weeks. Mine didn't go until they were almost 15 weeks and had all their shots. I think 10 weeks is really young to have been fully vacinated. I don't give the first set until 8-9 weeks old.

Thanks to everyone for their advice, much appreciated :)
-- im going to be sat with my fingers and toes crosses until may!
And my next puppy wont get her first injections until 9 weeks old either WV Yorkies, i think puppys in the US get more injections than over here :)

Hiya hun i am from england,I also have 2 baby yorkies 10 and 12 week's old now i have had them both since 8 week's and they are both nice healthy happy babies,I am so sorry you had to return your little one but you have done the right thing as the puppy did not sound very well at all this should not be happening with a healthy puppy so something was wrong hun i hope the breeder gave you a full refund,If not then you need to contact tradeing standard's,Personally i would buy from somewhere else as you should not have to wait 12 week's and over for a puppy,And maybe take your new puppy for a check at the vet's to be on the safe side as soon as you get it.