Yorkie Terrier Afflictions

Get your copy of Yorkie training and care handbook full of the hints and tricks to looking after a Yorkshire Terrier including how to groom a yorkie, wellness, training, rescue and more. Over $200 worth of additional bonuses FREE when you buy now!

Yorkshire terriers are among the healthiest breed of dogs around, living an average of 13 to 16 years. They however suffer from some congenital problems a few of which are outlined below.

Portosystemic shunt – This issue is when the portal vein which is the vein that delivers blood to the liver to clean is malformed resulting in dirty and clean blood getting mixed. This results in problems within the circulatory system. The blood supplied to the organs gets more harmful toxins when compared to oxygen. The dog will become listless and lethargic. There’s even a chance of brain damage if the situation persists for long. The only way out would be to carry out surgery and correct the shunt. The situation manifests itself pretty early in the life of the dog and most vets can identify the issue.

Tracheal collapse – In Tracheal collapse, the walls of the trachea progressively become weaker, ultimately collapsing.

This results in difficulty in breathing and in severe instances even cause lung disease and death. The reason behind this problem is not known for sure although there is every chance that it is because of the jerk when on a leash. The reason this could be accurate is because the dog is extremely small and its neck muscles are usually not strong enough. Using a harness helps here. A typical indicator of this situation is repeated coughing. The problem will progress as the age of the dog increases making breathing increasingly more difficult. If detected early, medication is sufficient to treat this condtion, whilst if delayed your canine may have to undergo surgery.

Hypoplasia of dens – This is yet another genetic abnormality in Yorkie Terriers wherein, the pivot joint of the second cervical vertebra doesn’t form. This may lead to spinal chord damage with varying symptoms depending on the kind of damage and also the region of damage. This condition can impact the dog at any age and there is no known remedy for it.

Category: Contributors