Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly
(Post 4480871)
There are generally so many genetic problems with the very tiny dogs over their lifetime that the general reputation they tend to have as tending toward unhealthy and easily injured is justified. If you doubt me, Google "health problems in teacup Yorkies" and read every one of the many posts. The stories of tiny dogs having more health problems than a standard sized dog is not a breeder's myth but sadly all too true. I so hope that's not the case for your little girl and she stays bright, happy and healthy all of her life. The truth is, however, oftentimes inherited genetic problems don't show up until the dog is older - say 3 - 5 and even older. You'll find out more as you read the stories you turn up from your Google search.
My Tibbe had a cast iron stomach for his first 3 - 4 years of life but then began having bouts of nausea and vomiting, refusing food. This continued and worsened, included lethargy and head-rubbing on the furniture and walls and eventually the vet tested him but the liver tests kept coming back negative. I insisted we do a more involved test - a Bile Acids Test, as suggested by Ellie May, a longtime member here, and it was positive, indicating liver dysfunction! Oh, no! By cast-iron-stomached well dog had suddenly gotten ill and his future looked dim.
A nuclear scintigraphy and abdominal sonogram ultimately ruled out liver shunt and therefore no need of a very serious surgery but showed gallbladder sludge, many tiny kidney stones that weren't blocking normal kidney function but could later in life and the two vet nuclear radiologists consulting on his case diagnosed inherited Microvascular Dysplasia and told me to watch him as to kidney and gallbladder symptoms later in life. He was put on a special diet and now can only eat his special food or he becomes dreadfully ill, requiring many vet visits, more blood tests, medication and suffering on his part, poor baby. And he was so health his first 3 or 4 years!
The moral of this story is Yorkies, especially the tiny ones, often do carry genetic code in their DNA that can crop up to cause medical problems any time it decides to and buying from a reputable breeder who won't breed dogs with known health problems themselves or anywhere in their ancestry and has her breeder dogs vet checked for a variety of health certificates for the genetic problems this breed tends to have, is more likely going to have healthier, standard-sized puppies who tend to stay healthier throughout their lives than puppies of the casual, BYB or greeder who breeds merely to bring them wads of cash.
This caution among respected/reputable breeders (unlike the breeder who breeds solely for the large dollars teacup dogs with fore-shortened muzzles, large heads and big, bulging eyes bring in and who will breed a dog whose sire or dam had liver shunt, tracheal collapse or patellar subluxation, etc., with no compunction as long as it is tiny and has "the look") is highly desirable when looking for a healthy dog with a good temperament to buy and a quality you probably won't find among many who breed a tiny, undersized female hoping for tiny puppies. Breeders who shamefully breed just to produce teacup dogs by breeding a tiny male to a tiny female under 5 lbs. often risk her life just to produce a litter of tiny puppies and make more money. These tiny pups often are sadly genetically programmed to develop severe medical problems anytime in their lives due to their breed and their tiny size and unhealthiness of their line but for which the breeder can charge a great deal more money than she might for standard-sized Yorkshire Terrier puppies, are often sold for a shockingly large amount of money and rushed into a new home at a very young age before they can begin to show any early signs of illness. The irresponsible breeder sells these pups very, very early in their lives, despite the fact that the puppies need to stay with their mom at least through the 12th week in order to have their brains properly imprinted by mom and their siblings and get their best start in life.
It sounds like your baby has had a healthy life so far and I pray she stays that way forever. Just keep her safe from easy injury which a tiny is susceptible to should they try to jump off the bed or couch, when playing with other dogs or reckless children, etc., take her for her regular vet check-ups twice yearly and get her into the vet ASAP should she begin to show any unusual behavior or signs of illness/injury/pain. Hopefully, none of the down side of owning a very tiny dog will ever come her way but it has to so many tiny dogs that their reputation precedes them for a reason.
By the way, spaying can prevent uterine infections and breast cancer - fatal in about 50% of dogs - and unwanted impregnation should a 15 lb. male get to her at a time when you are indisposed, say in the hospital, or she is being puppy-sat while you are on vacation or a business trip. All are very valid reasons to spay a female dog at the appropriate time in her life.
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