What are the challenges of raising a Tiny?

[sugarmamma]

Originally Posted by rilysmom

My new baby, Minnie, is now 16 weeks and 1.4 pounds. She is my first experience with a tiny one. I have had her now for 4 weeks and she has done super great...no issues at all. I am fortunate that her breeder educated me very well on her needs and possible problems, she sent me home with everything I would need, plus gave me more nutri-drops last week. She is available for me to call 24/7 if needed. Plus, since she is my third yorkie puppy and I have learned so much on YT, I felt like I could take care of her...if she had been my first, I would have been a nervous wreck. My vet checked Minnie and said she seemed to be healthy, just tiny.
My only problem with Minnie is that she thinks she is as big as the other dogs... She wants to run and play with them. Rily and Saydee have been great with her too. Minnie doesn't have the "run of the house" and will not for some time. I bought a used Pack & Play pen and we keep her in there when we can't keep an eye on her. She likes it and will roll and play for a long time by herself. I'm really nervous about when my children visit with their dogs, so Minnie will be in the playpen during their visits.
I do worry about her bones being so fragile. I will probably always "baby" her more than the other two.

Good luck with your little one!

My little Sugar thinks she's a Rottie! And I know you well enough (virtually....) to know you WILL always baby her!!

Originally Posted by Micah my love

My tiny girl is 5-1/2 yrs old she weighs 3.5 and has never been sick or injured
but it can easily happen. i have always put her in a playpen when there was going to be a few people in the house and not being use to little ones being under foot for her safety & my sanity good luck with your baby

My Sugar is 3# as well.....even my son who is 6'6 KNOWS that he dam* well better do the Yorkie Shuffle or face the vengeance of MOM

[Genea]

Wow, lots of replies. Thank you everyone.
I really appreciate all the advice. It's been very helpful. My Ginger was small to me at 5 1/2 lbs but the new puppy I may be getting will only weigh about 2lbs full grown, so that is much smaller then I'm use to.
I realize there are risks and I'll have to be extra careful.
The breeder I've been talking to has been very helpful and has patiently answered my gazillion questions

efblair: I'm very sorry to hear about your dog being stolen. How awful for you

PartPixie: I'm sorry about your little Diva. That had to be very hard for you.
Thanks again and if anyone has more suggestions or first hand experiences, I would love to hear from you
Genea

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by Genea

Wow, lots of replies. Thank you everyone.
I really appreciate all the advice. It's been very helpful. My Ginger was small to me at 5 1/2 lbs but the new puppy I may be getting will only weigh about 2lbs full grown, so that is much smaller then I'm use to.
I realize there are risks and I'll have to be extra careful.
The breeder I've been talking to has been very helpful and has patiently answered my gazillion questions

efblair: I'm very sorry to hear about your dog being stolen. How awful for you

PartPixie: I'm sorry about your little Diva. That had to be very hard for you.
Thanks again and if anyone has more suggestions or first hand experiences, I would love to hear from you
Genea

Just make sure that your breeder will be there for you even after the check has cleared. They will be your best reference, aside from YT of course , and they should be the person there for you when you need help. Good luck with your new little one.

[boo-boo]

Everyone remarks how much smaller boo is than their yorkie, but he has no clue how small he is. He is 2 years old and the only health problem we've had was an ear infection (the vet said it was probably from the lake water that got into his ear when he jumped in, but it was easily cleared up). He's not the least bit fragile, he sometimes gets to running so fast that he has tumbled head over paws and jumps right back up and starts running. Each dog is different, but just because a dog is small doesn't mean you are in for a lifetime of health problems. Yes, you have to be careful that he doesn't get underfoot, and try not to sit on him, but he's a dog...enjoy him and let him enjoy being a dog! I know it's easy to worry about something so tiny, but try not to worry too much. Dogs pick up on your emotions, and if you are always nervous that something will happen to him, then he will start to think there is something to be nervous about. Good luck with your puppy! I hope you are both in for a lifetime of good health and lots of fun!

[Mana]

I am new to YT and posted something elsewhere... Don't have a clue where??? Anyway, this is exactly the type of discussion I was looking for. I have a six and a half month old Yorkie that currently weighs 1 pound 12 ounces. She is TINY! I brought her home when she was 12 weeks old because the breeder would not release her until she was sure she would be okay. Her siblings were so much bigger than her and were able to go to their homes at 8-9 weeks. People were actually bidding to try to buy her before I got her! My vet says she is exceptionally healthy for her tiny size. She is unbelievably smart, active and loving.
She is supposed to be spayed next week and I am dying!!! I cannot imagine that tiny body having anesthesia and surgery. But worse, I cannot imagine keeping her calm and still for any length of time for her to heal. My heart will break if anything happens to her. I am actually considering and thinking of just not doing it yet... Any suggestions?

[mojo]

Originally Posted by Mana

I am new to YT and posted something elsewhere... Don't have a clue where??? Anyway, this is exactly the type of discussion I was looking for. I have a six and a half month old Yorkie that currently weighs 1 pound 12 ounces. She is TINY! I brought her home when she was 12 weeks old because the breeder would not release her until she was sure she would be okay. Her siblings were so much bigger than her and were able to go to their homes at 8-9 weeks. People were actually bidding to try to buy her before I got her! My vet says she is exceptionally healthy for her tiny size. She is unbelievably smart, active and loving.
She is supposed to be spayed next week and I am dying!!! I cannot imagine that tiny body having anesthesia and surgery. But worse, I cannot imagine keeping her calm and still for any length of time for her to heal. My heart will break if anything happens to her. I am actually considering and thinking of just not doing it yet... Any suggestions?

In that case you need to keep her crated unless you are taking her out for potty breaks or eating or if you are holding her.

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by Mana

I am new to YT and posted something elsewhere... Don't have a clue where??? Anyway, this is exactly the type of discussion I was looking for. I have a six and a half month old Yorkie that currently weighs 1 pound 12 ounces. She is TINY! I brought her home when she was 12 weeks old because the breeder would not release her until she was sure she would be okay. Her siblings were so much bigger than her and were able to go to their homes at 8-9 weeks. People were actually bidding to try to buy her before I got her! My vet says she is exceptionally healthy for her tiny size. She is unbelievably smart, active and loving.
She is supposed to be spayed next week and I am dying!!! I cannot imagine that tiny body having anesthesia and surgery. But worse, I cannot imagine keeping her calm and still for any length of time for her to heal. My heart will break if anything happens to her. I am actually considering and thinking of just not doing it yet... Any suggestions?

Pre-op blood test is also a good idea. That way you know her little liver is in tip top shape and can handle the anesthesia.

In case you didn't know, all yorkie puppies should be released when they are 12 weeks old, not sooner. For tinnies, reputable breeders may keep them longer.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Genea

Wow, lots of replies. Thank you everyone.
I really appreciate all the advice. It's been very helpful. My Ginger was small to me at 5 1/2 lbs but the new puppy I may be getting will only weigh about 2lbs full grown, so that is much smaller then I'm use to.
I realize there are risks and I'll have to be extra careful.
The breeder I've been talking to has been very helpful and has patiently answered my gazillion questions

efblair: I'm very sorry to hear about your dog being stolen. How awful for you

PartPixie: I'm sorry about your little Diva. That had to be very hard for you.
Thanks again and if anyone has more suggestions or first hand experiences, I would love to hear from you
Genea

Great thread, many thoughtful answers!

Be careful, many breeders will lie about how big the adult weight will be and some who advertise teacups will often sell dogs over standard size. How does she know it will only weight 2 pounds, how old is it now? Remember, while some healthy tinies are small, some dogs are small because the have liver shunt, so an abnormally small dog, may have other health concerns. Best of luck!

[lmperez]

Originally Posted by Mana

I am new to YT and posted something elsewhere... Don't have a clue where??? Anyway, this is exactly the type of discussion I was looking for. I have a six and a half month old Yorkie that currently weighs 1 pound 12 ounces. She is TINY! I brought her home when she was 12 weeks old because the breeder would not release her until she was sure she would be okay. Her siblings were so much bigger than her and were able to go to their homes at 8-9 weeks. People were actually bidding to try to buy her before I got her! My vet says she is exceptionally healthy for her tiny size. She is unbelievably smart, active and loving.
She is supposed to be spayed next week and I am dying!!! I cannot imagine that tiny body having anesthesia and surgery. But worse, I cannot imagine keeping her calm and still for any length of time for her to heal. My heart will break if anything happens to her. I am actually considering and thinking of just not doing it yet... Any suggestions?

I also have a tiny She is 3 and weighs 3 lbs. My vet refused to spay her until she was well over 2 lbs. It is pretty risky spaying under 2 lbs as they have NO fat reserves. Make sure your vet uses isoflourene or a comparable gas. I would create another post about spaying such a tiny and get others opinions. Best of luck

[Mana]

My husband and I are considering rescheduling the spaying. So many people seem apprehensive when I ask. Her breeder does not breed "teacups" and told me to try to hold off until she is at least over two pounds.

mojo - Thanks! If we go through with it soon, that is the plan...

DvlshAngel985 - Yes, vet planned on doing all the blood tests before operation. Still costly, however, if we decide to wait.
And, yes, I know most reputable breeders wait until 12 weeks, but unfortunately I don't have the money that those breeders were asking for in the Miami area. I refuse to buy from puppy store (mills), street corner vendors (backyard breeding), nor through word of mouth. Shipping a puppy was not an option for us. So I found a breeder 6 hours away whose price was right and eventually went to interview and spend time with her in her house. I met mom and saw newborns from a distance since they were days old. Believe me I did my research, only by the time we learned my baby was so tiny, I was in love with her and could not wait for a new litter down the line. Thanks though for your input... You are right on!!

Imperez - My little one has very little fat reserves!!! She is too wild to store any fat on that little energetic body of hers!

[Ringo1]

I think there are some special concerns with the tiny ones. I worry that Lucy is too fragile; she is not quite 4 lbs. She jumps like crazy and has knee problems. She has liver issues too. I constantly have to monitor what she is eating - too much protein; not enough, etc.

I work at home - so make sure she has a snack midday so she is not going too long without eating or drinking.

Just different from my Westie - who is so independent.

[littlewhip]

Congrats on your new baby Mine range from 3pds to 8pds, I deff see the diffrence in my small guy, I worry mainly about his bones, he is skinny but the vet assures me he is healthy ~ His bones seem so fragil compared to my others who are over 5 pds, I also lost a baby to ls who weighed 1.7 pds and that is tiny !! so i can see your concerns, This is a very interesting thread Wishing the best with your new addition

[Mana]

Thanks everyone!!! I am not sure I am going to go through with it next week after all She is just too little. Like Imperez said, she has NO fat reserves! I just don't have a peace about it at this time. Will keep looking for more on this thread.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Mana

Thanks everyone!!! I am not sure I am going to go through with it next week after all She is just too little. Like Imperez said, she has NO fat reserves! I just don't have a peace about it at this time. Will keep looking for more on this thread.

How much does she weigh now and whats her age?

[Mana]

She is six and a half months and weighs 1 lb and 12 - 13 ounces.