My teacup Yorkie

[rgadams]

About eight months ago I bought another Yorkie, a tea cup Yorkie. I was told all horror stories about teacup Yorkies by the big breeders. They are not true, she is a beautiful dog in good health and is a sweet addition to our home. She even came with a written vet health verification AKC papers, and instructions how to raise it. She is now 11 months old and weighs under 2 pounds and again in excellent health! She is registered now with the AKC.

Do not let the big breeders dictate to you! The first thing they tell you is spayed the dog, wrong! This causes more problems than it's worth. About 10 to 20% leak after they are spayed plus their activity is very low and they gain a lot of weight. All the big breeders our concern is about competition with their business, not the health of the dog! This is what happened to my larger Yorky I bought from a so called good reader. I had her spayed in order to receive the papers from the breeder. I did not get the papers but I did get a dog with bad health. She is a beautiful Yorkshyre terrier, show quality, and we love her very much even though she does have her problems. Hope this will be a help to others.

I hope this will be a eye-opener there in a help to other people

[Faboosh]

Well, I don't think the "big breeders" were necessarily trying to scare you off from a small dog, the truth is "teacup" is a descriptive term for dogs, not an actual type of dog. The breed standard is 4-7 lbs, already really small. Having a smaller one is fairly common, but when breeders call them teacups, it's usually to charge more.

Now, I have a "teacup" myself, as she's only 3 lbs and I'm a bit freaked out by your thoughts on spaying. I get that there's more room for error, I guess in a larger dog, but with you and I having such tiny dogs, not having them spayed can have potentially deadly consequences- if they got pregnant, it could kill them. I waited until mine was 8 months to get her spayed, but I did as soon as I felt she was strong enough to handle surgery.

Of course not all little dogs have tons of medical problems and I'm genuinely happy for you that yours seems to be ok now. Just keep her getting checked out since a lot of problems don't come up for a few years. Please reconsider getting her spayed if you ever plan on having her around other dogs. I wouldn't wish the heartache on you if something happened to her.

[Yoshismom1969]

I am new here but I am a very experienced Chihuahua mom and I have a tiny female Chihuahua that is 2 lbs and they are much smaller framed than Yorkies. I had her spayed without any issues. She did not have her first heat until she was 1 yr old and then had a false pregnancy bless her tiny little heart she was miserable. Also you have to worry about Mastitis and Pyometra, so it can be very dangerous NOT to spay. There is no such thing as Teacups, they are Toy breeds. Teacup is a descriptive tool used by some breeders. I am glad you have had no issues with your little girl but let me tell you that I have known plenty of the tinies not to live as long and as full a life as the standards. I also have known them to end up with liver shunts, Hydro, etc... That is not saying that there are never any healthy tinies but just know these warnings are out there for a reason. Also not spaying your female and her tying with a dog and trying to have babies will most likely kill her. I weighed my options in having my tiny spayed and feel much more of a relief in doing so. Spaying her could cause her to gain more weight but not if I watch her weight and watch what I feed her, that is up to me.

[Lovetodream88]

I'm sorry but there is no such thing as a teacup and reputable breeders do not want to be associated with that term because it was made up so bad breeders could charge more for there dogs. You might want to check out the Yorkshier Terrier Club of America at ytca.org they are the mother club of yorkies and they also say there is no such thing as a teacup. Spaying also is a lot healthier for female dogs then to not spay. It's just a myth that they gain weight and I'm interested where you got your precentages for "leaking" if you don't mind sharing. Reputable breeders require there the dog is spayed and limited registration because they work very very hard for there lines and don't want just anyone using them and breeding them. There is a lot to learn here.

[kreuer]

I'm sorry, but I think it's pretty irresponsible for you to come on here and give false information that may cause others who read it to take dangerous advice. I had Lexi spayed and she did not leak, is just as active as she was before, and is not even close to overweight. Not sure where you got your information from. There are many healthy and unhealthy larger yorkies just as I'm sure there are healthy and unhealthy smaller yorkies. Just because yours in healthy now doesn't mean it will stay that way. Many things don't show up until later. I hope you and your babies all the best.

[SirTeddykins]

I think we can't generalize advice - what is good for one dog is not always good for another.

My dog is not 1 lb but he is under 4 and my vet told me to not put him under for neutering or to remove crowded teeth (unless they start bothering him) because the anaesthetic risks are higher for dogs under 4 pounds.


That seems like sound advice to me in my situation. However, I certainly wouldn't say that spaying/neutering is wrong for ALL dogs or right for ALL dogs and I wouldn't say that vets or breeders are the best for advice as they all have agendas despite good intentions.


So, just use some common sense. I think one cannot research enough with respect to possible side effects of any surgery - that is just being responsible.


At the same time, it's not wise to generalize anything as situations are specific to those involved.

[rgadams]

Looks like I made quite a stir! Of course a teacup is not a breed. Teacup is a dog under 3lb or there about. Of course you should spay your dog if you think it is best for you and your dog. I just wanted you to know there are problems ether way. I just happen to be one that gave my dog spay incontinence, by having her spay. I feel so bad for poor Tawny!

As for my teacup, Tinker, she can't be spay! Even the breeder says no!

[kreuer]

Originally Posted by rgadams

Looks like I made quite a stir! Of course a teacup is not a breed. Teacup is a dog under 3lb or there about. Of course you should spay your dog if you think it is best for you and your dog. I just wanted you to know there are problems ether way. I just happen to be one that gave my dog spay incontinence, by having her spay. I feel so bad for poor Tawny!

As for my teacup, Tinker, she can't be spay! Even the breeder says no!

Thank you for clarifying. The way you worded your original post came across as saying anyone who says you should spay your dog is wrong and lying to you. You are right, as with any surgery there are risks and possible side effects. But there are also risks of not spaying. You should always discuss the pros and cons with your vet and make the best decision for your pet.

[Yoshismom1969]

I do not see where anyone said that teacups were a breed so I do not understand that comment.

I just wanted to mention my vet has a gas type of anesthesia that once turned off the dog wakes up immediately. Not sure what it is called but it is much safer and a little more expensive but I opt to use that when I have to have something done to them.

I agree everyone needs to do what they feel is best for their dogs but we need to make our own educated decisions and not go by what a vet says or what an article says on the internet, etc... I know some quack vets myself and went through many to find the one I have now.

[dottiesyrky]

Originally Posted by BobbiB

Are you bored? You seem bored. I've found reading is a great hobby.

What does this mean??

[rgadams]

It's interesting when I was younger, 45 years ago, and my wife and I were breeding Yorkies, the AKC weight standard was 10 lbs. Now it's 4 lbs. We would never sell a Yorkshire Terrier without papers or pedigree. Breeding the Yorkshires was very enjoyable to us. The money we earned was a side benefit. We would never insist that our puppies had to be spayed or neutered. We always kept in touch with the buyers. Things seem to have changed now. This is my last post for awhile, back to reading my good book, Hah!! Hah!!

[BobbiB]

Originally Posted by dottiesyrky

What does this mean??

Tone is hard to read over the internet, so forgive me if I am wrong. And I'm being honest when I say that...I may have just misjudged the tone. It was just something about "seems like I've created quite the stir" that rubbed me the wrong way.

Truth be told, in a rough guess of 95% of cases (IMO), it is more wise to spay and neuter, not only for the health of the specific dog, but for the betterment of any breed. I just felt that the OP was a bit cavalier in omitting that not spaying/neutering is only necessary in rare instances (ie: too small, health issues that make surgery dangerous, the dogs are breeding quality and properly tested). Maybe I'm just expecting too much when I feel like people should be more thorough when discussing something like this.

My apologies if I've offended you. It was not my intention.

[yorkietalkjilly]

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.

[lisaly]

Urinary incontinence is very rare except for when it is done very early, as some breeders were having their pups spayed before going to their new homes. It's unfortunate that they felt the need to do so to protect their lines. Some people, even though they had limited registration, choose to breed, even when they are contractually not to do so. That's very sad.

There is a risk of weight gain when you remove hormones. Even an excellent vet nutritionist, Dr. Rebecca Remillard, states: If your pet is not neutered, you may still use our recipes but may need to feed 10-20% more per day to maintain proper body weight. This tells me that most likely metabolism will slow a small amount, and as a pet parent, we need to reduce the amount we feed our pups after we spay or neuter them. The loss of hormones doesn't make me that happy, but I weigh it against all the other risks. PetDiets - Homemade Diets for Healthy Pets

1. Pyrometra is a major threat to unspayed females. It is very deadly when not caught early. That's not a risk I'm willing to take, even though my husband daily goes over Katie's body looking very closely for any changes. I'm sure he would find anything, but what happens when he's sick and I'm trying to make sure both he and Katie are doing well?
2. Since I believe in waiting to spay after the first heat and after their growth plates have closed, I was not able to take my babies out for their long walks for a month while they were in heat, and they loved those walks. I even worried about playing out back with them, for fear that a dog could somehow jump our high privacy fence. It was worth it to keep them healthy and to help them develop orthopedically, but I wouldn't want to have to keep them from doing what they loved to do for two months of the year, every year.

The newer medications Isofluorine and Sevoflourine are much safer than older medications. If you have presurgical blood work to make sure a pup can process anesthesia and if you wait until after the first heat and growth plates are closed, you should be fine, even with a tiny baby, depending on the results. Usually there are baby teeth that need to be pulled out.

I wish you much health, love, and happiness with your babies.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by rgadams

Looks like I made quite a stir! Of course a teacup is not a breed. Teacup is a dog under 3lb or there about. Of course you should spay your dog if you think it is best for you and your dog. I just wanted you to know there are problems ether way. I just happen to be one that gave my dog spay incontinence, by having her spay. I feel so bad for poor Tawny!

As for my teacup, Tinker, she can't be spay! Even the breeder says no!

The yorkie standard is not to exceed 7 pounds so a yorkie under 3 pounds is still just a yorkie. Do check out the Yorkshire terrier club of America about "teacup". The percentages you posted in your first post are incorrect. I have heard of many 2 pounders being spayed so I'm sure yours can be too. Considering your breeder is not a reputable breeder because no reputable breeder wants to be associated with the word teacup I would trust anything she says.