All small breed dogs are fragile at birth, and Yorkies are no exception, in fact, they are one of the smallest breeds in existence.
Their weight does not exceed 3.1 kilos in the standard, and their height is proportional to their weight, and although they have a long life expectancy, they are prone to certain diseases.
Therefore, in this article we will mention the common Yorkie health issues.
Canine Entropion
It is an eye condition that causes the eyelids to fold inward, causing the eyelashes to be in direct contact with the eyeball, this rubbing causes injuries, irritations and vision problems.
The secondary cause is due to genetic problems, and the secondary cause is due to environmental situations. In most cases, surgery is used to solve this problem and prevent this condition from worsening.
Retinal dysplasia
Another common Yorkie health issues, retinal dysplasia is a disease that affects the dog’s eyes, causing visual impairment due to abnormal development of the retina.
It can occur congenitally or as a result of having suffered from Parvovirus, exposure to radiation or toxins.
Tracheal collapse
It is a chronic, progressive and irreversible disease, it occurs when there is a narrowing of the trachea, because the tracheal rings lose consistency.
One of the most evident symptoms is dry cough in the dog after eating, drinking or exercising. It is very frequent in Yorkies and can be controlled with the use of medication.
Patellar luxation
It is a displacement of the patella, often due to malformation or trauma.
Depending on the degree of luxation the treatment varies, sometimes it can be repositioned in the same place, but in others it must be repositioned by the veterinarian while in other cases surgery is necessary.
Portosystemic shunt
This disease appears in the puppy stage of the Yorkie, and is a circulatory defect. It causes the blood not to be filtered correctly (it does not pass through the dog’s liver).
These means that part of the toxins, proteins and nutrients absorbed by the intestines bypass the liver and are directly derived to the systemic circulation, which causes cerebral intoxication.
The way to correct this problem is by surgery. Throughout his life, a Yorkshire terrier can develop some of these pathologies, due to his physique or genetics can make them suffer more mishaps, but simply taking care of them and being more attentive to them will do the trick.