Luxating Patellas In Yorkshire Terriers

If you are familiar with the history of the Yorkshire terrier then you already know that they may suffer from a variety of illnesses over the span of their life.

Some of them are hereditary in nature while others are the result of a poor diet or other form of improper care by their owners.

Yorkshire terriers are very popular dogs due to their size and how cute they are.

It is considered to be very prestigious to have one. However, you need to really understand the medical concerns that can arise. Bone and leg problems are common with the Yorkshire terrier. Due to their small size they can get stepped on accidentally. This can result in their body being injured as well as bones being broken.

They can also fall of the edges of things so be careful where you set them. They are curious creatures by nature and often don’t perceive the dangers that await them sometimes.

Luxating patellas in Yorkshire terriers is something you want to be looking out for. This affects their knees. This can come on slowly or all at once but you need to get it looked at.

It won’t get better on its own. Generally it will be noticed when your Yorkie is playing along. Suddenly he or she makes a noise that indicates pain. They will likely lift up one of the legs and favor it by balancing on the other three.

If both of the rear legs are affected by it, the dog may have a hard time walking normally. The sense of balance they once knew could be completely thrown off.

If the pain is bothering them enough they will learn to balance all of their weight on their front legs. If you look closely you will see the hind legs are barely off the ground and not touching at all. This is going to put a great deal of pressure on the spine of the Yorkie.

luxating patellas in Yorkshire terriers needs to be treated as soon as possible to allow your dog to live a normal life. Failure to get such treatment can result in the onset of arthritis.

This is an inflammation of the joints and your Yorkie will be extremely uncomfortable. If your dog is in good health then surgery may be recommended by your vet to correct it.

The decision to have the surgery done or not can be difficult. On one hand you owe it to your pet to ease the pain as much as possible for them. Knowing that the luxating patellas in Yorkshire terriers will get worse if not corrected means they will continue to be in more pain as time progresses.

Yet Yorkies don’t have a high tolerance when it comes to anesthesia used for surgery. Therefore they have a much higher risk of not making it through the procedure than most other breeds of dogs. Most owners will risk the surgery though as they don’t want their beloved pet to suffer.

One of the best ways to ensure the overall health of your Yorkshire terrier is to get them proper medical care. Make sure your veterinarian has experience working with Yorkies.

They don’t do well with anesthesia so preventative measures are very important for them. Early intervention when signs of a problem arise can help as well.

Never skip the regular checkups and follow all of the advice you get from your vet.