It is our policy to care for our new puppies until they are at least 12 weeks old. This an effort to keep the puppy safe. The following is a short list of do's and don'ts to help keep your puppy(s) safe in their new home.
- Yorkie puppies need lots of naps. Overly tired puppies are subject to hypoglycemic attacks.
- Excessive handling will stress them out. Stress can lead to a hypoglycemic event. Of course you want your family and friends to meet your new family member, but you have to be mindful of this and ensure your puppy has more rest time than handling time, especially by people they don't see every day.- Access to clean water all of the time. Keep that bowl topped off.
- Must be kept warm at all times. Please be mindful of A/C & heater vents (too much heat can be a problem as well), drafts near doorways and windows.
- Watch your feet. Yorkies want to be with you and when you come into their sight, they will run to you and be right under foot. Needless to say, stepping on your puppy can be a very bad thing. However, do not panic if you hear a yelp coming from below. First look to see what happened and then move your foot off or away (if your foot is the problem). I have learned to walk without putting my full weight on the foot that's moving until I believe there is no one under it.
- Be mindful of other dogs and animals. If you have other dogs, introduce them slowly and monitor their interaction for at least the first week, minimum. There is no way to predict exactly how the current homeowner (the resident dog) will react to a new resident.
- Be careful what is fed to puppies (see the list of restrictions below) Small puppies should only have small pieces of food as it can get caught is their little throat and choke them. If this happens, everyone will be lucky if a trip to the Vet is all that is needed.
- Teething is something all dogs go through. They are compelled to chew on anything they see, including your shoes, furniture and fingers! Your job is to determine what they can and cannot chew on. Have a plan to distract your puppy with a substitute to chew on, preferably a chew toy, when you see them chewing on your shoes, furniture, etc.
Be very mindful of electrical cords!
- No rawhide chew toys! Small pieces can be chewed off and get caught in their little throat. This applies to adult Yorkies as well. We give our Yorkies N-Bone PupperNutter Chew Bones and Bully Sticks. These chew bones do not produce any chunks that could choke them and the bully sticks kind of melt and become stringy. As with everything, take care to notice when the bone or stick wears down. It should be taken away when it becomes small enough to fit entirely in your puppy's mouth.
- Neighborhood dogs or cats can be a real problem if your puppy is outside. Your baby is defenseless against them, so their safety is your complete responsibility.
If your new puppy isn't feeling well, please call us IMMEDIATELY. We may be able to help.
When you take your new puppy home he/she will be a little stressed for the first day or two due to the new environment and other factors. Also, it is very likely that they received their shots either earlier in the day or within the past week. While a few days of crying and loss of appetite are normal, this stress could cause an attack of hypoglycemia, where the blood sugar is low and your puppy seems confused, dizzy and lethargic. Also, your puppy may throw up one or more times on the way to and after arriving at their new home.
About Hypoglycemia An isolated hypoglycemic attack can occur from stress, such as weaning, teething, vaccinations, a change in environment (going to a new home), shipping, over-handling, fasting (forgetting to eat) cold temperatures, infections, intestinal parasites, vomiting, etc. An attack does not indicate a chronic problem, but can be followed up with your veterinarian if symptoms persist. Before calling or visiting the vet, try determining the cause and take the environmental conditions into account. If you just took your puppy home, from us, it is very likely he/she just had vaccinations, that is two stressors right there.
Symptoms It can be very serious, and especially in tiny Yorkie puppies, so be mindful of this and take note of the symptoms: Slowing down, acting listless, trembling or shivering, weakness, confusion and walking wobbly. Your first reaction to these symptoms should be to give your puppy a dime sized dose of Nutri-Cal, Nutri-Stat, molasses or Karo Syrup. Give no more than two doses in a day. One or all of these products must be kept on hand (do not forget to check expiration dates). If he/she doesn't want to eat, you can rub some on the puppy's teeth and apply it more than once. The puppy should show improvement within 30 minutes to an hour.
Please call us if you suspect a problem with your new puppy from My Yorkie Heaven. We may be able to advise you and possibly save you and your puppy a trip to the Veterinarian.
This information is provided for the protection of these tiny loving little puppies. In all cases where you suspect serious injury or illness, please contact your veterinarian.
When you take your new puppy home, he or she will have been weaned and eating solid food. We feed our Adult Yorkies a high quality dry dog food. For the puppies, we give them the dry dog food softened with a little chicken broth after four weeks. Some have recommended mixing plain low fat yogurt with the food to add some nutritional value while softening it up. Please remember that Yorkies have very small throats, and much like big dogs, they love to inhale their food and can become choked very easily. Make sure that any food given to them is very small. The Yorkie food we give ours is very small diameter and softened up a little.
This information is provided for the protection of these tiny loving little puppies. In all cases where you suspect serious injury or illness, please consult your veterinarian.