Any Yorkie owners out there?

[LAminiatures]

I adopted my Yorkie 1 and a half years ago. 5lb male neutered.The worst breath ever. The vet said it's time to have his teeth cleaned. I have heard small dogs don't do well under anesthesia. Any advice would be great. I am a bit nervous.

 

[Carolyn R]

I know it is scary, but since he is nuetured he has already successfully been put under once. While my dogs aren't as small, Macy has done fine when she was spayed and she was in the 10lb range when she had it done. Zoey will be having her turn soon and she is about 15 lbs. My niece has a yorkie that is a bit bigger than yours but he did just fine being nuetured. Maybe they can sedate him but not put him completely under if he is managable in that scenario.

 

[Lizzie]

Well it's true, that some dogs - large or small, do not do well under anasaethic. However, bad teeth can also cause huge problems. Since your dog has already been put under for neutering, it seems he came through it without problems. If his teeth are really bad, then it's probably a good thing to have the vet scale them and pull any bad teeth at the same time.

To help keep teeth clean, there are several products, dog owners use..

Tropiclean

Plaque Attack

Fragaria Vesca pellets.

Hope this helps.

Lizzie

 

[KanoasDestiny]

Can you have bloodwork done to make sure his health is up to par before he is knocked out? My vet always offers this option before we have a dog or cat altered. I would think that if he is healthy and the vet knows what he is doing, your dog will be fine. We once had a rat knocked out for surgery and she weighed about a pound.

 

[anoki]

I haven't had a problem with any of my dogs (not yorkies) being anesthetized...but yes, there is always a risk, big OR small. If you are worried, have the bloodwork done to be sure he is healthy going into the surgery.

I will second it being important to have their teeth cleaned, and keep them in good shape. I have an older dog in residence (he does not belong to me, but retired here from the breeder) who came to live with me at just over 8 years of age. His teeth were a mess when he came to me. They have improved greatly without vet intervention, but he was recently diagnosed with advanced oral cancer. Though we can never say for sure whether having his teeth properly looked after all his life would have helped, I really wonder if it would have.

That dog's daughter, who I've owned since she was 8 weeks (and is now going on 7 years

!!), she had to go in and have a tooth removed a year ago due to a slab fracture. The tech said they would do a cleaning as well since she was under (and it was 'dental month'). Ok....when I picked her up, they said they were very impressed with the condition of her teeth, that at 5 1/2 years, they didn't have to do a cleaning at all! I keep lots of things around for my dogs to chew on (except rawhides because I have 'power chewers'), but the downside to that is they sometimes break teeth

knuckle bones, tartar busters (patellas), antlers, nylabones, there is a never ending assortment lying around for them to get a hold of at any time.

Feeding good quality food is also important in keeping teeth in good condition.

~kathryn

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

My Bullmastiff is nearly 6 years old and his teeth are as white as ever too. He hasn't built up that layer of yellow tarter around the gum line that is so common for the same reason Anoki's dogs teeth are in good shape. Plenty of bones and other things to chew on. He gets fresh bones of varying sizes and shapes reularly and that keeps him interested in chewing them. My Boston is only 2 but she shows no signs of needing dental cleanings either. I have always thought the reason so many small dogs develop issues is because they are fed primarily soft food and not offered bones etc to encourage chewing and self cleaning.

Good luck, I'm sure your little guy will do fine under anethesia since he has already been put under once and had no issues with it.

 

[LAminiatures]

Thanks very much for your words of wisdom. We are going in on Saturday for the blood work.

I have plenty of chew toys for him but he isn't very interested until he gets a Greenie. My Boston will chew for hours but this little guy is kind of picky. I still can't get over how small his mouth is.........one would never believe how much noise comes out of that tiny mouth. lol

Thank you very much!

 

[KanoasDestiny]

Have you tried rawhide chews? Some of them come rapped in dehydrated bacon. My dogs are all really picky and won't chew on bones once the marrow is gone. But they all adore rawhide treats, and it keeps them gnawing for hours.

 

[Katiean]

My Bubba (in the 1 3/4 to 2 pound range) did quite well when he went in for dental work. I always kept rawhides around the house (if you can't handle things on the floor you shouldn't have dogs). I also brushed his teeth. He was in the 14 year range when he passed and he was very healthy up until the day he died.

 

[Eagle]

I have had tiny Yorkies since I was a child (life wouldn't be the same without them) and they have ALL had teeth problems. I have tried everything from dry food to cleaning their teeth daily but they all have had plaque. Mine go in every year or so for cleaning. My last Yorky cross passed away at xmas at 16 years old, he was about 4lb, he had his teeth cleaned in October as his breath was deadly and got over it just fine. It was the cold weather and me leaving him at home alone that finally took him away

This is my latest edition, photo was taken last spring

 

[LAminiatures]

Oh Eagle what a precious puppy. I am a fan of bigger dogs but my husband found my Yorkie Bailey and they owners were brining him to the shelter because he had such bad separation anxiety. Now I can't imagine life without him. He goes everywhere I go and is so loyal to me. I am so in love with this dog! So tiny yet so brave and feisty.

I have tried many different chews for him and the only thing he really chews is a Greenie he gets in the evening before bed. I bought the vet recommended food for him that would help with the plaque but he wouldn't eat it. He gets boiled chicken mixed with dry kibble and that he will eat.

I have heard good and bad with the little dogs and anesthesia. Thanks again