Your New Teacup Yorkshire Terrier Puppy
You just brought your beautiful new teacup Yorkshire Terrier puppy home! What do you need to be concerned about? What can go wrong? Is there any special care you need to give the new pup? Let’s take a brief look at the answers to these questions and go over some steps you can take to ensure a happy and healthy puppy!
One of the greatest risks to teacup Yorkie puppies less than 2 lbs is their blood sugar levels dropping to unhealthy or even life threatening levels. Many times, Yorkie pups will be rather stressed during the first couple of days in their new homes and this can sometimes lead to a lack of appetite. If your new puppy does not eat for the first day or day and a half upon arriving home, his blood sugar may drop to dangerous levels and you should take immediate action.
Try offering him some easy to eat food, such as human meat-flavored baby food with about 1/2 teaspoon of sugar mixed in. If he still refuses to eat, you may have to force feed him with a feeding syringe. Use the syringe to squirt small amounts at a time of the baby food/sugar mixture into the back of the puppy’s throat. Generally, a Yorkie puppy will be able to eat between 15 and 20 CC’s per feeding, 3-4 times per day.
Even if your puppy is eating willingly, hand feeding him until he reaches about 2.5 pounds is a great way to prevent blood sugar problems.A couple of diseases to watch out for are Coccidia infections, worms, and Kennel Cough (also known as Bordetella).
Coccidia is a bacterial infection that affects the intestinal tract. Symptoms include bloody or yellowish stool, sometimes with a metallic odor and veterinary care is strongly advised. Worms can also be detected in the stool, and the best way to determine if your puppy has worms is to take a stool sample to the vet. He will analyze the sample, determining what kind of worms are present, if any, and prescribe the proper de-wormer for your puppy.
Kennel Cough is a bacterial infection caused by the organism Bordetella bronchiseptica, which causes dogs to have a dry, hacking cough for up to 3 weeks. Quarantine and veterinary attention is strongly recommended. Remember that your teacup Yorkie puppy is very fragile and should always be treated with great care. Always supervise children and instruct them on how to properly handle the puppy and make sure that the puppy is not dropped! Enjoy your new Yorkshire Terrier puppy!