Binky Sick - needs help Please!

[ladyjane]

Oh, and let me say this: The vet expenses I had over those few months were certainly not what I usually experience at one time...it was quite a jolt to my system..not to mention my pocketbook.
I only mentioned them because these things can and do happen to people. In my case, I got slammed all at once..and of course it is different when you have more than one pup.
It is just that we always need to be prepared because those things are really not uncommon and just one pup can break the bank.

[msyorktown]

I think too (IMHO) some of the health issues start with the breeder. I bought both of mine came from a byb. They are both now a year old and luckily for me they are so far healthy. I am concerned as too what issues will crop up later on. Had i bought from a reputable breeder I would not be AS concerned as I am with these two, so I count my blessings everyday. it has not cost me as much as I see some on here pay out for the health of their babies....it truly breaks my heart when i see what some are going through. I worry that my 'teapot' will hurt my standard size baby as he really plays rough...fiance calls me 'worry wart'. I watch every little thing...from chew toys to jumping (which i cant figure out how to stop). They are fed Fromm, so they do get a good diet, I dont give them treats from the grocery store or from China and that is bc of what i have learned here on YT. In conclusion are they expensive?? Yes I believe they are, I would do anything to ensure they live a long healthy and happy life.

[ladyjane]

All I can say is that I know plenty of people who do rescue...and the all breed people are always commenting about how the yorkies have so many things wrong with them.
Sure...any breed can have issues...and some are awful such at the King Charles Cavaliers. Bottom line though is that yorkies DO have a lot of expensive issues.

OP, it sounds like you have a plan for the future and that is great. It is what we all need...and yes, a good vet that will work with you is always needed.

[dpatt]

Ladyjane the first two surgeries you mentioned are they common or rare? The hip thing can be with any breed. Haven't done dental yet but he does still have 3 baby canines that I need to have removed, vet said that's about $300. I know about pan attacks I had a lasa that had them and Binky is alright as long as I stick to the 1 food and 1 treat, if I deviate in anyway his belly acts up - so lesson learned. Now knees.. that can be with just about any breed, if they jump wrong or turn wrong something can get torn - true? One thing I did was get rid of his stairs and I put in ramps. I read an article that said ramps can help bad knees later. I know his hips are alright the vet xrayed them and said they were in good shape, but his knees weren't done developing yet. That's also a great idea to read the sick and injured and health and diet, I'm going to do that now. Thanks for the information everyone - so far. It at least give me an idea so I can come up with a plan.

[ladyjane]

Sure things can happen in any breed....sadly yorkies are being overbred by greedy people and their issues are more common.

I only mentioned my pups to make a point about costs. As for common in the breed...no not really. Just posted that because it is the typical stuff that comes with being a pet owner.

I still say that yorkies are above and beyond in terms of costing money....but yes any breed can be costly.

[yorkietalkjilly]

I'm so glad to hear Binky is still doing better & on the mend. Hopefully he just contracted a virus & it is playing out in his system. It is terrifying when they are sick.

Tibbe & I just got back from the vet & his vet charges are about $3,000.00 so far this year, not counting his monthly wellness plan charges. He had a bout of pneumonia in February(suspected enlarged heart also but turned out negative) & then an apparent fall(unwitnessed) in May & today, he spit up some bile/frothiness. So since February, it's about $3k! The majority of his charges were related to the pneumonia & testing for cardiac problems. I currently am not working, fully retired so I know how scary it can be when high, high vet bills come along. Definitely is a sober side of owning any pet. But thank God for them. I can't imagine how people stood it dealing with their sick dogs back in the old days, before vetcare really existed. It must been awful!

I, like you, wish retirees could get a bit of a price break from vets as some other services do, as pets for older/ill folks are often so vital to keeping many older folks, disabled or ill people more active, from losing hope & having a wonderful companion to love & care for & vice versa. A dog or cat is so good for humans!

You & Binky take care and here's praying you both do better every day.

[Ringo1]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

All I can say is that I know plenty of people who do rescue...and the all breed people are always commenting about how the yorkies have so many things wrong with them.
Sure...any breed can have issues...and some are awful such at the King Charles Cavaliers. Bottom line though is that yorkies DO have a lot of expensive issues.

OP, it sounds like you have a plan for the future and that is great. It is what we all need...and yes, a good vet that will work with you is always needed.

I'm going to second and third this one. My Lucy has cost me more than Ringo and Casper (RIP baby) combined!

When I said something to my Vet about her having a lot of health issues ~ he said, "Well, she's a yorkie isn't she?" So, I don't think it's a secret that these little guys and girls can come with some high priced problems.

[gemy]

Well to the OP who asked are Yorkies more costly health wise than Poodles or Jack Russels.

I'd love to answer you but sadly I lack stats and facts comparing a nation wide health survey on any of these three breeds. In fact to the best of my knowledge one doesn't exist. And that is a topic for another thread.

I've "heard" tell that Hip Dysplasia is on the rise in Yorkies. Not seen any data yet, but that is why I had Razzle Xrayed and Ofa'd on hips and elbows. No problem for him.

Well I own a big breed, and so far I have spent over $10,000 on my male, for testings and rehab,and the cost is ongoing. This breed is BRT. He did not have a genetic disease, but instead injured himself with a bad fall.

My female BRT I lost to cancer, I'm still totalling the costs upwards of $ 4000 I believe and that includes two Emergency room visits. Again research has not yet shown that multi focal lymphoma is a genetically inherited disease.

My Yorkie THANK YOU UNIVERSE is healthy, a tad low thyroid on general blood panel, but another $160 to do the expanded profile showed he is just fine. I won't talk about all the pre breeding tests etc.

What I do do and see with Razzle is his teeth builds plaque very quickly for a young dog. I brush regularly and deplaque myself, as well as take him to my breeder for the back teeth deplaquing. I also use additives in his water. So teeth certainly can be an issue!

Very common is LP. Again we don't have good stats n facts, but not only for Yorkies but for all toy breeds. A mild LP is not usually a huge problem, but adjustments to diet, and exercise should be made.

I think like all breeds you need to buy from a breeder who does all the health testing, knows their lines inside and out. That is your best chance to have a pup with a healthy future. But as a prospective buyer you also should educate yourself on the potential health concerns of your breed.

Yorkies have more than a few, but then again so do many breeds.

The Sick and Emergency thread here is a fount of information about Yorkie problems and the real toll it takes on their owners.

[dpatt]

Wow this is mind blowing.... Does anybody have any theories as to why they are so prone to bad health? It sounds to me like so many bad breeders have played around with their genetics that they've practically destroyed the breed and all for a buck..... that's so wrong and so sad. This just all really terrifies me with what kind of future Binky and I are going to have. I consider Binky my little gift from God, he came to me you might say just in the nick of time when my life was at the ultimate low and I was wondering why I was even doing this and what was the point. Now I have all this joy with him that is going to be constantly followed with heartache. I guess I enjoy what we have and put the rest in Gods hands that's all I can do. I wish I would have found this site before I bought him I probably wouldn't have gotten another animal - although if I wouldn't have well we won't go there.

[chachi]

Originally Posted by dpatt

Wow this is mind blowing.... Does anybody have any theories as to why they are so prone to bad health? It sounds to me like so many bad breeders have played around with their genetics that they've practically destroyed the breed and all for a buck..... that's so wrong and so sad. This just all really terrifies me with what kind of future Binky and I are going to have. I consider Binky my little gift from God, he came to me you might say just in the nick of time when my life was at the ultimate low and I was wondering why I was even doing this and what was the point. Now I have all this joy with him that is going to be constantly followed with heartache. I guess I enjoy what we have and put the rest in Gods hands that's all I can do. I wish I would have found this site before I bought him I probably wouldn't have gotten another animal - although if I wouldn't have well we won't go there.

Mine are going on 7 and never had health issues. Im not saying that yorkies cant have health issues however not all do

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by chachi

Mine are going on 7 and never had health issues. Im not saying that yorkies cant have health issues however not all do

Dont be spending the next "??" 10 years, waiting for some organ or system failure to occur in Binky!! There are many Yorkies out there that live their entire lives and never have any system failure at all. You just have the typical annual "maintainance cost" of your Yorkie....dentals, general physical/lab work, heartworm check,etc. I have been very fortunate and never had issues with allergies or sensitivities to food...several of my babies have had problems with LP...these are "pets" that I purchased when I first got into Yorkies, and I bought these girls actually from reputable breeders. I did not have to have corrective surgery on any of those girls, and they lived 12 and 14 years.....Enjoy your baby and dont regret becoming involved with this delightful breed....all the health concerns mentioned by other posters was a very good, detailed list of issues you COULD face with your dog, and it can give you an inkling of what all you could be faced with, but a lot of those issues can happen with ANY breed (my brother had a beagle that had quite a few of those issues!) and I hope it did not frighten away any other people that may have been thinking about getting a Yorkie! That was not their intent!

[ladyjane]

I would not want another breed. I merely posted the things I did because those things can happen. Does not mean that they WILL happen!
Anyone who owns ANY pup should always be prepared for cost....yes, yorkies often have more than their fair share, but it would not stop me from having one....or a few...haha!
Westies are known for skin issues....Cavaliers for knees and heart issues...but, they don't all have them!

[concretegurl]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Oh, and let me say this: The vet expenses I had over those few months were certainly not what I usually experience at one time...it was quite a jolt to my system..not to mention my pocketbook.
I only mentioned them because these things can and do happen to people. In my case, I got slammed all at once..and of course it is different when you have more than one pup.
It is just that we always need to be prepared because those things are really not uncommon and just one pup can break the bank.

Ya know maybe that's my biggest issue with one of my dogs too.

It isn't the over all cost I had, it was having them all at once, out of the blue right out the gate.

Shocking is the wrong word, jolt to the system for sure-light a lightning rod!

[chachi]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I would not want another breed. I merely posted the things I did because those things can happen. Does not mean that they WILL happen!
Anyone who owns ANY pup should always be prepared for cost....yes, yorkies often have more than their fair share, but it would not stop me from having one....or a few...haha!
Westies are known for skin issues....Cavaliers for knees and heart issues...but, they don't all have them!

Yes I aggree and there are also basic things or injuries that can occur with any pet that you have to be prepared for the cost of. Chachi got mange we had to pay for that, he got a corneal ulcer there was cost with that and we also had to treat him for worms also he had to have a dental. Its always chachi though never Jewels. Jewels is going on 7 yrs old and we have had no extraordinary costs with her not even a dental. So we have been lucky with her

[dpatt]

This is an update on Binky, he is doing fine and almost back to his old self again thanks for all the prayers and for giving me someone to talk to when I was crazy with worry. I also wanted to let you know Binky now has a new vet! actually 2 and both of them own 4lb Yorkie's so they are familiar with the breed. Lisa said they do work with health insurance companies and offer payment plans. She said in emergency cases they will work with me so I won't have to give him away, but if I decided I need to, they would take him. Ha-Ray!!! So I think Binky and I are going to have a wonderful life together, Thanks again and God Bless.