Your Yorkshire Terrier Newsletter
Help With Two Common Yorkie problems- The Luxating Patella and Teary Eyes.
From:
Sharda Baker, 05/01/2024
Dear Friend,
This is Sharda Baker with the next Yorkshire Terrier Newsletter for you.
Yorkshire Terriers like most other smaller breed dogs are prone to a condition with the knees called a Luxating Patella. This condition is when the knee or joint located on the front of the hind leg dislocated. In this case, the knee will slip in and out of place.
In addition, Yorkies will also have a problem in which the groove in the knee is too narrow or shallow, which also causes the knee to slip inwards. When this happens, the leg will lock so the knee cannot bend. When this happens, the dog will not be able to walk.
===>If your Yorkie has a luxating patella, you need to have it checked since it can be a serious problem if left untreated for a time.
However, keep in mind that there are four specific levels of this condition from the knee slipping out of place occasionally when the dog is walking or running right through to the knee slipping out and staying out of place.
If you have a Yorkie or are considering buying this breed, if it has a luxating patella, you would notice the dog lifting one leg while running or moving both of the back legs at once, almost as if hopping.
Some Yorkies are born with this condition but other times, it can be caused by some type of injury. In addition, a luxating patella will affect just one knee although it can affect both.
This condition occurs to both the male and female, although females have it more often. If you find that your pet has this condition, you can do things to help.
Consider placing your Yorkie in a cage or kennel for about one week to reduce its activity. Many times, this will help calm and strengthen the ligaments, muscles, and tendons.
You might talk to your veterinarian about giving your pet some type of no-steroidal such as Rimadyl. The thing to remember when going this route is that the medication can often mask the symptoms, making your Yorkie feel better. However, the knee may not actually be getting better.
If the above two options do not work, then your veterinarian may recommend steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. The only negative aspect of this treatment is that steroids can damage the dog's immune system, as well as cause a number of short- and long-term side effects to include weight gain and change in temperament.
Sometimes, the only alternative is to have surgery performed. In this case, a special orthopedic surgeon specializing in fixing a luxating patella would be required.
You obviously want to choose a reputable surgeon for this option. The downside to surgery is that it is very expensive but if you were like most Yorkie owners, nothing is too good for your pet.
If you are not sure where to locate a good surgeon, you can contact the American College of Veterinary Surgeons for a recommendation. In addition to the surgical options, some people find that natural methods work very well. You certainly have nothing to lose by trying a homeopathic approach. For this, you would try any or all of the following:
Feed your Yorkie only fresh dog food.
Make sure your Yorkie gets plenty of exercise. This is important since extra weight is one of the worst things for a luxating
patella because of the added stress the joint, which is already in a weakened state.
Regular exercise is beneficial but make sure you do not overdo it.
In other words, walk your dog but on a flat straightaway, not a hill and not jogging.
Vitamin C can be given to your Yorkie to help build up ligaments and connective tissue
Products rich in nutrients such as Glyco-Flex and Glucosamine are excellent, providing amino acids, enzymes, minerals, and other lubricating agents.
NOW BRIEFLY LET'S LOOK AT TEARY EYES.
Many dogs have a problem with eyes that tear and then run, causing a dark, dirty appearance on the hair.
For your Yorkie, you want to first make sure the discharge is nothing serious, which can be determined by your veterinarian.
Typically, you would notice things like your dog rubbing its eyes,sneezing, rubbing its face on the carpet, and so on. Sometimes, a dog will get teary eyes because of a blocked tear duct, inward growing eyelash, dry eye, or glaucoma.
If the problem is due to dry eye, or Kerato Conjunctivitis Sicca, as it is officially called, the inflammation might be due to areduction in tear production.
In this case, you might also notice redness and irritation. A test called Schirmer can be performed by your veterinarian to confirm if this is in fact the problem. If so, it will be treated. If the teary eyes are caused from allergies, you would need to treat the cause. In this case, it can be a little tricky since the allergies could be caused from a number of things to include mold and mildew, food, pollen, etc.
To provide your Yorkie with relief, eyewash that you would use for yourself works very well. After washing out your pet's eyes take a moistened cotton ball and wipe underneath the eyes to get rid of the tears and stain.
If your Yorkie has stubborn stains, you can actually purchase a special product from a pet store or pet supply store to help. Just make sure you do not get any of this into the eyes, as it burns.
Finally, it might be necessary to have your veterinarian prescribe an oral tetracycline. When taken on a daily basis, this will help cut back on the tearing problem. Keep in mind that some people are opposed to putting their pets on antibiotics just for teary eyes.
If you are unsure, always talk to your Veterinarian.
Warmly,
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