looking to buy/adopt yorkie

[sisi]

hi guys im new on here and i would like to ask a ? i live in syracuse ny do anyone kno wer i can adopt a yorkie or buy one cheap ? ive been looking for some time now and cant seem to find any we need a new lil addition to our family we have lots of love to give and hoping to find a yorkie to fill the spot in our home and family

[MY OSCAR]

Originally Posted by sisi

hi guys im new on here and i would like to ask a ? i live in syracuse ny do anyone kno wer i can adopt a yorkie or buy one cheap ? ive been looking for some time now and cant seem to find any we need a new lil addition to our family we have lots of love to give and hoping to find a yorkie to fill the spot in our home and family

hi , welcome to yorkie talk.
you should check out this yorkie rescue website.
they have lots of wonderful dogs that need homes.

Yorkies Inc. Placement Service

[Nancy1999]

I'm always worried when someone want a cheap Yorkie. I think you should know that Yorkies are a more expensive dog to own than other breeds. Because of their popularity, backyard breeders have come out of the woodwork, and Yorkies have many health problems due to overbreeding. Read the ER section to see some of the illnesses. It’s sad because so many people can’t afford the medical treatment that their Yorkies need. Finding a good breeder can save you money in the long run. Also, Yorkies have to go to the emergency room for things quite often, you just don't have the luxury of time when a Yorkie is vomiting, they can go downhill fast. They have more accidents; just jumping off a chair can cause them problems. Finally, they have many grooming needs that can cause serious problems if you don't groom them. Matting can be very painful for them if daily brushing/combining isn’t done. Of course, you can learn to do this at home, but you need equipment and products, all of which are expensive. Human shampoos won’t work and can cause expensive skin problems. Their teeth are their week spot and they are prone to tartar so dental care is a must some people have to have their Yorkies teeth cleaned every year and this is done under anesthesia, and it's costly. Daily brushing helps some, as well as chewing aids, but these things take time and cost money. A tube of Joey’s toothpaste is $17.00, you can buy cheaper toothpastes, but this has been shown to be effective in reducing tartar, so I’m going to use it, but it all adds up. Finally, many have sensitive tummies and are finicky about food, so even though they don’t eat much, their food can be expensive.

[Lovetodream88]

Well if you want a puppy that is not going to be sick and isn't from a puppy mill or bad breeder its probably going to cost around $1,000 but price verys where you are. It its also going to cost a lot after getting all the puppy wellness visits, shots, getting them fixed, and getting all the things they need plus accidents. When getting a puppy you should not buy it from a pet store no good breeder would sell there pups to a pet store no matter what the pet store says, you want to see the parents, do not get a puppy from any one saying they are teacups, see where the puppies are living, make sure both parents were health tested, puppies should not go home before 12 weeks and no good breeder will let them go home before that, make sure there is a health guarantee and I would make sure they are AKC registered. Please make sure you have all the money before getting the pup because emergency's do happen and with small dogs you can't take chances they go down hill fast. Also want to add cheap yorkies can end up costing you more if you get them from a bad breeder who doesn't health test and sells sick pups

[Schooby]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I'm always worried when someone want a cheap Yorkie. I think you should know that Yorkies are a more expensive dog to own than other breeds. Because of their popularity, backyard breeders have come out of the woodwork, and Yorkies have many health problems due to overbreeding. Read the ER section to see some of the illnesses. It’s sad because so many people can’t afford the medical treatment that their Yorkies need. Finding a good breeder can save you money in the long run. Also, Yorkies have to go to the emergency room for things quite often, you just don't have the luxury of time when a Yorkie is vomiting, they can go downhill fast. They have more accidents; just jumping off a chair can cause them problems. Finally, they have many grooming needs that can cause serious problems if you don't groom them. Matting can be very painful for them if daily brushing/combining isn’t done. Of course, you can learn to do this at home, but you need equipment and products, all of which are expensive. Human shampoos won’t work and can cause expensive skin problems. Their teeth are their week spot and they are prone to tartar so dental care is a must some people have to have their Yorkies teeth cleaned every year and this is done under anesthesia, and it's costly. Daily brushing helps some, as well as chewing aids, but these things take time and cost money. A tube of Joey’s toothpaste is $17.00, you can buy cheaper toothpastes, but this has been shown to be effective in reducing tartar, so I’m going to use it, but it all adds up. Finally, many have sensitive tummies and are finicky about food, so even though they don’t eat much, their food can be expensive.

Great advice!!!! Normal routine vet visits and heartworm/flea prevention meds are not cheap, even if you get a healthy dog.

[Rescuemomma]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I'm always worried when someone want a cheap Yorkie. I think you should know that Yorkies are a more expensive dog to own than other breeds. Because of their popularity, backyard breeders have come out of the woodwork, and Yorkies have many health problems due to overbreeding. Read the ER section to see some of the illnesses. It’s sad because so many people can’t afford the medical treatment that their Yorkies need. Finding a good breeder can save you money in the long run. Also, Yorkies have to go to the emergency room for things quite often, you just don't have the luxury of time when a Yorkie is vomiting, they can go downhill fast. They have more accidents; just jumping off a chair can cause them problems. Finally, they have many grooming needs that can cause serious problems if you don't groom them. Matting can be very painful for them if daily brushing/combining isn’t done. Of course, you can learn to do this at home, but you need equipment and products, all of which are expensive. Human shampoos won’t work and can cause expensive skin problems. Their teeth are their week spot and they are prone to tartar so dental care is a must some people have to have their Yorkies teeth cleaned every year and this is done under anesthesia, and it's costly. Daily brushing helps some, as well as chewing aids, but these things take time and cost money. A tube of Joey’s toothpaste is $17.00, you can buy cheaper toothpastes, but this has been shown to be effective in reducing tartar, so I’m going to use it, but it all adds up. Finally, many have sensitive tummies and are finicky about food, so even though they don’t eat much, their food can be expensive.

Great information - and for those of us on rescue we can tell you how many we see that are in bad shape because owners weren't financially able to care for them properly!

My Benjamin is a shelter dog - I pulled him from a high kill shelter. He's already a senior and relatively health. Great, free yorkie right? WRONG! I have only had him a few weeks - here's my costs to give you an idea
- premium food (wet and dry) - $50
- Initial vet check, senior wellness panel, neuter, heartworm test, etc - $450
- follow up visit and meds when he started coughing - $150
- Groomer - $45
- supplies (toys, ID tag, collar, grooming supplies, etc) - $200

And that's not adding in things I already had such as bedding, a crate, etc or the $50 harness he proudly wears - that's just the basics! A good food will run you no less then $20 or so for a SMALL bag. Good wet food is generally at least $2-$3 a can.

And this was for an older Yorkie with no teeth, so I didn't have to worry about a dental - otherwise I'm sure a minimum of $500 extra for a dental would have been needed to be added in to that. I didn't need anything for him to chew on - and I had alot of things at home! This is just what I had to spend on what I didn't have or things he needed. And I consider it $900 well spent! I also have already bought an insurance plan for him - something I highly recommend, and have an account I won't touch that I only use for emergency expenses. I keep at least $1000 in there at all times! $1000 - $1500 may seem like alot - but if you can't afford that, you probably can't afford a Yorkie. Rescue shouldn't be looked at as a way to get a cheaper dog - often they're badly bred, and prone to more health issues then a dog purchased from a reputable, health-concious breeder. I choose to have my rescues because I well know the expenses can be extreme and I rather care for a dog others wouldn't or couldn't provide for. I am in no way saying you shouldn't rescue - quite the opposite, rescues are wonderful, and you can get healthy dogs from rescue - but just be aware seldom is health and genetic background known so you MUST be prepared for vet bills - wither you rescue or buy!

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Rescuemomma

Great information - and for those of us on rescue we can tell you how many we see that are in bad shape because owners weren't financially able to care for them properly!

My Benjamin is a shelter dog - I pulled him from a high kill shelter. He's already a senior and relatively health. Great, free yorkie right? WRONG! I have only had him a few weeks - here's my costs to give you an idea
- premium food (wet and dry) - $50
- Initial vet check, senior wellness panel, neuter, heartworm test, etc - $450
- follow up visit and meds when he started coughing - $150
- Groomer - $45
- supplies (toys, ID tag, collar, grooming supplies, etc) - $200

And that's not adding in things I already had such as bedding, a crate, etc or the $50 harness he proudly wears - that's just the basics! A good food will run you no less then $20 or so for a SMALL bag. Good wet food is generally at least $2-$3 a can.

And this was for an old Yorkie with new teeth so I didn't need anything for him to chew on - and I had alot of things at home! This is just what I had to spend on what I didn't have or things he needed. And I consider it $900 well spent! I also have already bought an insurance plan for him - something I highly recommend, and have an account I won't touch that I only use for emergency expenses. I keep at least $1000 in there at all times! $1000 - $1500 may seem like alot - but if you can't afford that, you probably can't afford a Yorkie. Rescue shouldn't be looked at as a way to get a cheaper dog - often they're badly bred, and prone to more health issues then a dog purchased from a reputable, health-concious breeder. I choose to have my rescues because I well know the expenses can be extreme and I rather care for a dog others wouldn't or couldn't provide for. I am in no way saying you shouldn't rescue - quite the opposite, rescues are wonderful, and you can get healthy dogs from rescue - but just be aware seldom is health and genetic background known so you MUST be prepared for vet bills - wither you rescue or buy!

Great points, insurance can make such a difference on whether you can keep the Yorkie or you have to rehome it. Even with insurance there is a copay cost, so I don't want people t think they are home free, but it can sure help. It just seems like everything about Yorkies cost more, for example brushes that works with dogs who have fur, are too hard on a Yorkie, they have single hair so the brush needs to be gentle to their skin, if you can scratch your arm with the brush, it's too hard for a Yorkie. I've had many rescues in my life and I agree a rescue can be so rewarding, but again when rescuing you do have to factor in some money for those vet bills. Also, older dogs do have more health expenses, in general.

[sisi]

Thanks for the advice it helps alot

[tjdmom]

I think it's good advice to check out the rescues and you could try craigslist too... sometimes people with an older dog might be willing to place it for a smaller fee... I only say that because I saw one on craigslist yesterday but please be very careful because there are a lot of scams out there. If anyone tells you that they have a free puppy or one for $200 or $300, it's usually a scam so be very skeptical unless you can see and visit the puppies and never never send money thru western union. I've seen too many people lose their money that way with no recourse either....

[Rescuemomma]

Originally Posted by sisi

Thanks for the advice it helps alot

Your very welcome!

The other thing I think that needs to be mentioned about insurance - While it's a life saver and can help you keep money out of the picture in an emergency, most vet clinics, and almost every emergency clinic I know of, will require you to pay the bill up front, and then you wait for the insurance to reimburse you. You might get lucky and find a vet that will allow you to pay the co-pay and have the insurance pay them directly - But this is very dependent on not just the vet, but the insurance company as well! I got lucky the last time I needed to use my insurance (even with the number of dogs I have - Most of mine are insured!), the specialist I would have used regardless was more then happy to accept just my co-pay, and wait for the insurance company to pay the rest - It was on one of my IGs who broke a leg really bad. At the time I was out of work - And it made the difference between me just having them do the minimal care we had to in order to get it to heal, and being able to do full physical therapy and rehab, weekly laser therapy to speed the healing, water treadmill, acupuncture, and the whole 9 yards - Despite the surgery and 8 weeks in an fixature to allow it to heal, you can barely see any scares, and there's no sign of any limp! I doubt we could have gotten that result without going all out, but if I had not had her insured, I wouldn't have been able to afford to do all that. And sadly, in alot of cases I see owners forced to euthanize or try to find a rescue that will accept the medical expenses when an emergency happens because they're not prepared. It's something every pet owner needs to carefully consider BEFORE bringing home a pet!

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Rescuemomma

Your very welcome!

The other thing I think that needs to be mentioned about insurance - While it's a life saver and can help you keep money out of the picture in an emergency, most vet clinics, and almost every emergency clinic I know of, will require you to pay the bill up front, and then you wait for the insurance to reimburse you. You might get lucky and find a vet that will allow you to pay the co-pay and have the insurance pay them directly - But this is very dependent on not just the vet, but the insurance company as well! I got lucky the last time I needed to use my insurance (even with the number of dogs I have - Most of mine are insured!), the specialist I would have used regardless was more then happy to accept just my co-pay, and wait for the insurance company to pay the rest - It was on one of my IGs who broke a leg really bad. At the time I was out of work - And it made the difference between me just having them do the minimal care we had to in order to get it to heal, and being able to do full physical therapy and rehab, weekly laser therapy to speed the healing, water treadmill, acupuncture, and the whole 9 yards - Despite the surgery and 8 weeks in an fixature to allow it to heal, you can barely see any scares, and there's no sign of any limp! I doubt we could have gotten that result without going all out, but if I had not had her insured, I wouldn't have been able to afford to do all that. And sadly, in alot of cases I see owners forced to euthanize or try to find a rescue that will accept the medical expenses when an emergency happens because they're not prepared. It's something every pet owner needs to carefully consider BEFORE bringing home a pet!

Wow, it's truly amazing what vets can do nowadays, but I think that puts more responsibility on the pet owner to make sure that he provide a certain level of care.

[Rescuemomma]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

Wow, it's truly amazing what vets can do nowadays, but I think that puts more responsibility on the pet owner to make sure that he provide a certain level of care.

I absolutely agree! I try to be well prepared for emergencies - But I have to admit I couldn't have given her that level of care without insurance and my vet being willing to take the payment straight from the insurance company instead of having to wait for reimbursement! My cost with everything for her was only around $800 - The bill without insurance was over $6,000 by the time she was completely recovered! There's no way when I was between jobs I could have done it without her insurance! It's amazing what they can do, but it sure does come with a price!