Puppy growth question
 

Hello fellow Yorkie lovers!
You have given me such wonderful support and advice before I hope you won't mind me asking another question. :confused:

Bama is now 19 weeks old, her cough is gone and she is seems to be in very good health. She is full of spunk and energy eats all day long. However she went back to the vet for her booster vacs at 15 weeks she was 1 lb 4oz. Then at 17 weeks 1lb 8 oz. now at 19 weeks she was still 1lb 8 oz. I noticed she has not grown at all she did plump up since we brought her home because I make sure she has food in her bowl at all times along with water of course. Her body hasn't changed at all in size. Her hair has grown longer.

I can't help but worry that she is not growing. Do the tiny puppies like her stop growing at 5mo? Or perhaps she will go though a growth spirt soon?

Is there anything more I can do to help her grow?

She also has hair in her ears that the vet said must be pulled out... Outch! Any advice or tips how to do this! Maybe best to take her to a groomer. My vet was concerned that she is still to tiny for her rabies vac along with going to a groomer in fear the groomer would not be used to puppies as tiny as her.
Thank you again for your time.

There are going to be weeks that Bama doesn't grow, especially because she is a smaller Yorkie. Max didn't grow steadily. He grew in spurts his first year.

For ear hair, I use a flea comb on the hair first. The closely set tines pull loose hair and clean the remainder of the hair. When necessary, I pull hair using my fingers. Just pinch and pull. Use your other hand to hold the ear flap or head steady. She probably won't like it. Try one pinch at a time.

There are various opinions on ear hair. My opinion is that each dog is different and has different needs. I don't believe in pulling every single hair. Some dogs can actually suffer ear infections from the hair being pulled. A little hair, in my opinion, helps keep dirt from getting in the ear. Too much hair will trap wax and prevent air from circulating, leading to unhealthy ears.

You can also buy a powder to put on the ear hair to make it easier to grasp. It isn't always necessary.

One more note about growth . . . because she is small, and if she doesn't grow much at all, I would be sure to have BATs and liver testing at 6 months of age. Yorkies are prone to liver shunts, and stunted growth is sometimes an indication of a potential problem.

On the other hand, some Yorkies are just tiny. There isn't anything to make them grow bigger. More food does not encourage growth. Just feed her what she needs to be healthy.

Thank you,

There are lots of yorkies in our neighborhood I saw a five pound one this weekend I thought that was tiny. I asked other owners about grooming some do it there selfs some go to a groomer. I would like her to grow into a full long coat however we live in central Fl and it may be just too hot.
I do have the ear powder I looked at her ears one has more hair then the other. I will start with the one that has the most hair. I don't want to hurt her so if she won't let me do it I will take her to a groomer.
I think today will be. Bath and trim day for her. Sad because she is running around happy right now, if only she knew what all mommy is going to do to her today.

I live in a warm summer climate. So at the end of may I trim my boys to a short puppy cut, then let it grow out the rest of the year. It also depends on how thick the coat is.

She will feel good after the bath. My boys aren't crazy about bath time either.

You won't hurt her pulling the ear hair, but she probably won't like it. A groomer will do it the same way.

Because she is so tiny, I would find a groomer who will allow you to stay and watch. My boys are both close to 9 pounds, but still fragile, so I prefer to groom at home.