New member, expecting :)
 

So. .Hi! I'm Leslie :) I just joined yorkie talk. I'm soon to be the proud new Mom to Slash. (Think Guns and Roses...and kind of a family joke. .my daughter has kinky curly blonde/brown hair. ..so I always told her Slash was her baby daddy... .but I digress) He is five weeks old right now and I am beside myself with anticipation. I see him and his litter mates at least once a week. I stumbled on this website quite by chance. I am overjoyed! ! So much excellent information. I'm excited to have found such a wealth of information. My co-workers think I have lost my mind. Yes. .I want to make my yorkies food at home. .no. .I don't want heart worm medicine. ..and the discussions rage lol. I'm eagerly looking forward to getting to know yall and to learn :)

Welcome to YT! Do you have any pics of your soon to be yorkie baby? I don't want to throw this off topic, but why no heart worm meds? I know some docs say it's not really needed in the winter months in places where it actually gets cold weather tho. :)

Hi and welcome to YT - so glad you found some fellow yorkie-crazy folks :D!

As far as heart worm, I do use it for all 4 of mine and wouldn't be without it bc heartworm treatment is so tortuous. Keep an open mind about it, and keep talking it over. :)

Hi and Welcome. I also found this forum recently and I love it so far! I was in the right place/right time kind of thing and was literally handed a 7 year old Yorkie (he is actually 9) that was going to be sent to the pound later that day and I told them I wanted him and I took him home. I couldn't imagine an older dog like that going to the pound. I was told he was 7, but when they got me paperwork on him I found out a couple weeks later that he was in fact 9, but oh well, I was so attached at that point.

I call him Teek (Ewok name) and we just adore each other. He has an 80 lb buddy (English Setter) and they got along great from day 1.

We had already arranged to get a half Yorkie baby this spring. They are due in about a week! It will be a full house around here.

I love the name Slash, I can really see that! I call Teek my little rock star all the time because his hair is in his face like that. That is a cool name. My husband kept calling mine an Ewok and he wouldn't respond to his old name at all, in fact he would almost get mad at me if I called him that and go sit in a corner and pout. My husband suggested some names and I fell in love with the name Teek and he learned his new name in 2 days and he would perk right up when I called him that and he will come when I call him. I guess he felt like if I used his old name then he wasn't mine or something and when I gave him a new name he realized I was keeping him.

Good luck with your puppy! I can't wait to see pictures. I am dying for my new puppy to be born. It will be half Yorkie and half Chinese Crested (the mama dog is a Powderpuff Crested so she has hair.) I won't take a hairless baby if there is one born. Ultrasound showed there are 2 puppies for sure, but possibly there was a 3rd one behind them, they saw 2 for sure though but the vet said there might have been another. It is the first litter for both parents. :love: :aimeeyork

Congrats and Welcome! Exciting Times for you and your family!

Welcome! In order to make sure that you are not doing more harm to your pup then good you need to make sure you get a recipe from a vet nutritionist and that you are using a supplement like balance it. I really strongly disagree in not using heartworm prevention. It is a very dangerous decision. The treatment for heartworms can kill your dog especially because of yorkies being smaller and if it doesn't kill the dog it will leave them with lasting health issues like heart problems and stuff. Please reconsider not using heartworm prevention.

Welcome to YT and congratulations on your new baby! When I first read your post, my first reaction was, "WHAT??? No heartworm meds?????" But when I re-read it, it seems you were using that as an example of some of the arguments/discussions that are bantered about on a daily basis on this forum....not what YOU are considering for your baby! Hopefully, I am right about my second thoughts on what you said!! If not, I would ask you to research that decision very carefully....heartworms are so easily preventable and they are a death sentence if your pup gets heartworms and is left untreated....not much benefit in taking that course!

Hi from another Leslie. I think Slash is a great guitarist so why not name a yorkie after him lol.

Hmmmm....if I had gone that route Max would be named Jimmy Page!

Welcome to Yorkie Talk.

Hi! This was my original introductory post...but lost it. So glad to meet you all. Okay...the comment on heartworm meds. I really DO want input. I have read huge amounts on this subject. I tend to lean heavily towards homeopathic, natural care. As a nurse I see all too clearly the effects big pharmacy has on our health. I am very hesitant to introduce a long acting chemical into a tiny yorky. I have to wonder what the long term effects on vital organs are. Having said this, I have no intention of locking my baby outside in a swarm of mosquitos. I am contemplating using pet mosquito repellent if out doors, or even possibly the low dose part time dosing. I am not easily offended and I am eager for everyone's input. Even if we respectfully disagree :)

It is way to big of a risk not to use it. Mosquitoes can still get into your house and all it takes is one. You may think the prevention is bad but the cure is much much much worse and could kill your dog.

I completely understand. If I can find a natural means of doing something I'll take it before using medications...usually. But in terms of hw meds I'll use it no questions asked because of where I live. Mosquitoes can get in your home from you simply opening your door. Your pet doesn't have to be outside regularly to get hw. Just like Parvo, distemper, etc vaccines. It's a precautionary measure. You don't know the chances and they may be slim of them running into an infected dog/mosquito but it's better to be safe. Depending on how big your yorkie is and where you live. You may not have to take HW prevention all 12 months(none in the winter months) or if u have a very tiny yorkie some vets will tell u it's ok to split the pill. Just research, talk to several vets, and pet owners. The benefits in this case keep your yorkie happy and healthy!

Just a note on splitting the pill that can not be done with heartguard.

I was told by my vet I could split Rasta's NOT HEARTGUARD since he was so small, but by the time I split it the contents were a powdery mess and I knew he wasnt getting equal amounts which made me paranoid. I just decided to give him the whole pill (crushed) and it's worked well thus far.

I honestly don't know about other preventives just the heartguard. But I have had that lovely powdery mess when splitting other pills so I get what your saying with that.

Thank you all for your input and experience. Right now, I have some time to do further research. I would really like to read studies that have been conducted. While I have found two legitimate studies, they were conflicting and contradictory...and I remain ambivalent.
Two questions bother me considerably...I was raised in Texas, in the country. Back in the day.. there was no heart worm medication. Yet my childhood outdoor dog lived until he was twelve, when we had to put him to sleep because he had cancer. He had no heart problems, he was very active until the last six months or so. If, as we are lead to believe, heart worm is inevitable and deadly..how did dogs survive and live long happy lives?

Is it possible that greedy pharmaceutical companies have influenced not only us, but also our veterinarians to believe that we are negligent, inept pet owners if we do not provide monthly medication to our pets? Interestingly enough, heart worm medication is NOT preventative. It kills the larvae if the dog is infected. Like taking chemo to prevent cancer. I'm skeptical. If anyone has links to valid studies I would be very interested in reading them.

Thank you so so much for this link! I am headed there now

Trust me - you NEVER want to see a dog suffering from heartworm - his little heart enlarged from large worms working their way through the ventricles of the heart and lungs - living off that baby's own heart and lung tissue and blood and weakening his little heart by degrees daily, him coughing and struggling to get enough blood to his body and get his breath - or any dog going through the hell of taking the poison they have to take over and over to try to rid their body of those disgusting parasites. It will kill your soul. You will NEVER be the same and you can't forget.

I find Skepvet to be very informative. Here's a link to his take on homeopathic treatment for heart worm prevention. There are several sited sources within the article. There is no “Natural” or “Holistic” Heartworm Prevention or Treatment Proven to be Safe and Effective | The SkeptVet

I'm a member of Yorkie Haven Rescue and there have been plenty of HW positive dogs taken into the rescue for HW treatment. My believe and practice is that all 3 of mine are given preventative monthly. I've also vaccinated all of my children and animals. I'd much rather be safe than sorry later.

Love to dream....this has to be the shortest debate I have ever had with any one lol. I concede defeat. Loved the web site. It was exactly what I was looking for so...I need a new topic to worry about! Thank you..and yes..I will grudgingly admit...send heart worm meds are in.

Megansmamma..great link also. I have to admit I have argued this subject with a close friend of mine who is an active rescue home. However, I could never get real FACTS. the two studies I read which were conducted by veterinarians were actually conflicting...Which didn't help. I truly do feel much better after reading these two web sites. Honestly..nice work y'all. I didn't think I would change my mind.

He's a great source of information. I refer to him often. BTW.....I hate coming back to see my spelling errors :roll eyes:


Welcome to YT ;)

Wow, I was so relieved that Lovetodream changed your mind re: heartworm meds. I had a huge list of things I wanted you to consider (I'm a researcher) but it seems there is now no need, phew! Watching a dog die from heartworm disease, which is completely preventable and needles thanks to pharmacological advances, is devastating. I mean, HIV/AIDS didn't exist in the 60s but we're all aware it does NOW and there are ways to prevent and treat it..


I digress...


Anyway, Slash is a totally amazing name..I love Guns N Roses!!!


Congrats on your new puppy and when you bring it home with you we need to see pics! We love pics!

Megan's and sir..
Lol at Megan! I didn't notice spelling errors. However, my phone glitches and I can not edit what I have typed....very frustrating since my phone auto corrects..resulting in my having to absorb my text and start over :)

SirTeddy...I would love to talk to you more...Even though I absolutely get the point, and your analogy to hiv/aids was an excellent point, one of my initial sources of conflict was an article that stated part time treatment or administration of a 1/5 strength dose was 99% as effective as year round dosing when combined with twice yearly testing for larvae. However, the articles I read did make me feel better about the amount and safety of the need administered.

Again...Thank you all!