What to do if your Yorkie is not eating well or refuses to eat
The Yorkshire Terrier, a miniature dog weighing about 3 kilograms, is the most popular four-legged pet, living as a full member of the family in many homes. Every responsible owner worries about keeping playful, touching dogs. Visits to veterinarians, reading literature, communicating on online forums - and it seems that everything is known about the animal. But it still happens that the dog becomes lethargic, apathetic, and turns away from his usual, previously loved food. The owners are sounding the alarm. What to do if your Yorkie doesn't eat well? How to solve this problem?
Historical reference
The Yorkshire Terrier breed has been known for many years as a decorative pet. The homeland of these dogs is Yorkshire, which is located in England.
Yorkshire Terrier puppies have been bred for a long time by crossing different breeds of small dogs. The ancestors of Yorkies are considered to be the Maltese, Manchester and Cairo terriers, as well as other breeds that, to one degree or another, influenced the emergence of the new breed.
One of the versions of the origin of the Yorkshire Terrier
Decorative pets originated from the hunting breed - “Ratcatcher Terriers”, which were popular among the inhabitants of ancient England. During these times, it was forbidden to have large dogs in the country to prevent poaching, and the population suffered from an infestation of rodents.
As a way out of this situation, the British kept small terrier pets at home. Thanks to that situation, over time a new type of small hunting dog was developed. Their weight did not exceed seven kilograms, but they skillfully exterminated rats.
British sailors ensured widespread distribution of terriers around the globe. They took these dogs on board ships for the same purpose - to kill rodents. On Russian lands, the first representatives of this breed were registered back in 1971.
Causes
Like many miniature decorative dogs, Yorkshire terriers are often spoiled with treats, capricious, and try to manipulate their owners with pitying glances. Therefore, these picky eaters will not eat everything that is offered to them. Often the problem of poor appetite appears in small dogs that have free access to food, because... satiety sets in. The spirit of competition, as when living among one's brothers at an early age, is absent. But there are other reasons.
Why a Yorkie refuses to eat, there are many reasons, both easily eliminated and more serious ones that require the intervention of specialists. There are psychological and physiological reasons for this behavior. Let's look at the most typical cases.
Increased anxiety
Some dogs become anxious due to loud, frightening, panic-inducing sounds: fireworks, thunderstorms, gunshots. There is no question of food in such situations: the animal is scared and trembling. This condition quickly normalizes when the irritating factor disappears.
Refusal to eat from a bowl
The decrease in appetite is associated with the frequent habit of owners of giving food to their pet out of a bowl, from their hands, because a Yorkie is a small dog and needs very little to be satisfied. If during the day the pet was fed from the common table, he may well refuse his food. The dog gets used to this type of food, does not eat from the bowl and waits to be fed this way again. There is no need to force feed the animal - it will ask for food when it gets hungry.
Refusal of dry food
If your Yorkie won't eat dry food, what should you do? When a dog is tired of monotonous food, has become tired of the taste, and no longer wants to eat granules, veterinarians advise switching the animal to natural products. The choice here is huge, and when you get used to porridges with meat, you change the boring cereal for another. The food must be fresh, otherwise the dog may not only refuse to eat such food, but also get sick after tasting a spoiled product.
Poor appetite occurs due to the switch to a new dry food made by another manufacturer, the taste of which is not to the dog’s liking.
Poor appetite during estrus and pregnancy
Hormonal changes during pregnancy, which can result in a dog vomiting, are a common reason for refusing food.
The first estrus is a severe stress for the dog’s body, a period when it becomes lethargic, sad, capricious or aggressive, and loses interest in life. Yorkie doesn't eat well after being in heat. Changing food habits is normal during these periods.
Characteristics of the breed
Yorkshire Terriers are among the smallest breeds in the world. Despite this, they are very cheerful. By purchasing such a puppy, you will get a very mischievous, brave, but at the same time quite stubborn pet. But don’t try to fight it, because stubbornness and curiosity are characteristics of the breed.
A brave baby will immediately react to the approach of strangers and will furiously scare them away by barking. Terriers constantly need attention, various manifestations of love, and are partial to the search for adventure and new experiences.
The popularity of Yorkshire terriers is explained by the presence of many positive qualities. A dog of this breed is extremely loyal to its owner, playful and cheerful. In addition, terriers are perfect for living in apartment conditions; even in small living spaces they will not create inconvenience.
Their external attractiveness and elegance are important. It is for this reason that terriers are predominantly purchased by the fairer sex. Nature has endowed the Yorkshire Terrier with the talent to win hearts; everyone around him unconditionally likes him and leaves no one indifferent. If you have already decided to get a Yorkie, it is unlikely that you will ever want to give preference to another breed.
What to do
If your Yorkie doesn't eat well, what to do in this situation, only a veterinarian can help.
What symptoms require immediate consultation with a specialist for a thorough examination:
fever, high temperature;
refusal of water or increased thirst;
along with ignoring food, giving up favorite treats for more than 7–8 hours;
lethargy, apathy or causeless aggressiveness;
the dog whines and does not allow you to touch its belly;
prolonged, frequent estrus, changes in the nature of discharge, unpleasant odor;
yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes;
change in color of urine, feces;
constipation or loose stools;
Frequent regurgitation, the pet vomits yellow liquid profusely.
If a diagnosis has been made, tests have been taken, and a disease has been identified, the doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment and special medicinal food.
If there is no redness of the gums, tartar, damage in the dog’s mouth, and no wounds on the body, and the doctor has not found any serious health problems, then the reasons for refusing to eat are not so dangerous and can be decided by the owner himself.
Ignoring regular food, but actively eating treats, natural behavior, cheerfulness and cheerfulness of the terrier is a reason to start correcting the eating habits of your four-legged friend.
What actions to take if your Yorkie is not eating well:
Do not focus on this problem, but start choosing the right, balanced diet, focusing on the benefits and taste preferences of the pet.
Choose one specific type of food: natural, dry or wet food (canned food), follow a meal schedule.
Reduce the portion of food by increasing the interval between feedings.
You can get a second Yorkie, competition will awaken the spirit of rivalry, everything will be eaten faster.
The dog must be taught to feed properly from childhood, this will prevent problems with appetite disorders.
Adhere to the correct feeding regimen. If there is food left in the bowl or it is untouched, after 20 minutes you need to remove it before your next meal. When your pet gets hungry, it will happily eat the contents and over time it will acquire the habit of eating on a schedule.
Snacks between meals are not allowed; rewards in the form of treats are allowed only during animal training.
There is no need to force or persuade your dog to eat; this can lead to a complete loss of appetite, aggravating the situation.
During walks, provide your pet with the opportunity to actively move.
Under no circumstances should you give alcohol: vodka or wine to increase your pet’s appetite; you can cause burns to the mucous membranes and poisoning; it’s better to spend more time with your dog in the fresh air.
More about sizes
Unfortunately, there are a huge number of people who misinterpret breed standards and are convinced of the existence of such sizes as:
- super - mini: up to 1.5 kg;
- mini: 1.4 – 2 kg;
- standard: 2 – 3.1 kg. This is not a subspecies, but a deviation from the norm.
Small dogs have many developmental defects, bitches are not able to reproduce, and the number of years they live is reduced to a minimum - only 3-4 years.
Such individuals have an incorrect bite, drooping ears that do not stand up, and in male dogs the testicles do not form. An incorrectly formed skeleton and head will bring many problems. The bitch will be unable to develop properly and will have no prospects for breeding.
The worst thing is that, in pursuit of fashion, unscrupulous breeders deliberately underfeed puppies so that they supposedly have a mini size. Be careful, a mini Yorkshire terrier whose weight does not meet the standard is a deviation.
For clarity, the weight of the Yorkshire Terrier and its norms, a table that will help you figure it out.
Remember that every dog is individual, just like a person, weight gain may vary slightly, but the end result is always the same. If you suspect a shortage, contact your veterinarian for advice. Problems may be with the diet or individual characteristics of transferring certain components.
Yorkshire Terrier and my poor diet. What should I do?
Not a single dog has ever died from hunger with a full bowl.
choose one good food and feed it all the time. can be soaked in warm water. Natural food can be given 1-2 times a week without mixing with dry food. and always when feeding dry food there should be fresh water available.
My favorite dry foods are Acana, Bosita, and Orijen. cheaper - pronature.
I give it to Bosch, my parents also have a Yorkie, they give me Royal Canin, unfortunately my parents also fed their Yorkie incorrectly like I did until yesterday.
You yourself should answer this question only after you have studied all possible forums, asked doctors and weighed all the pros and cons. Because they give you advice here, but the animal depends only on you. For example, I alone can prove to you with foam at the mouth that all dry food is evil, and then also prove with foam at the mouth that it is better to restore the gastrointestinal tract after eating from the table and poor nutrition using a medicinal line of food, for example Royal Canini Intensinal. Do you understand? You must accumulate information. For now, stay on the food, it’s good, see how the animal reacts, you can test the feces for digestibility - this is very indicative. After 2 weeks of normal feeding, for example. And then look. Just remember that you need to transfer from food to nature gradually and within 2 weeks. This rule is. Otherwise, the gastrointestinal tract will be stressed again.
Thanks for the advice, the fact is that he loves the natural food more, and I’m afraid that it will be difficult for him to eat food alone. When I mixed the natural food with dry food, he often ate the natural food from there and left the food. But I’d better consult a doctor When he gets better, I want to check his stomach and pancreas.
If you’re not too lazy to cook especially for a dog, natural food is better.
Royal Canin became a complete product after it began to be produced in Russia.
How many dogs have you raised on dry food, on natural food?
I have many of my puppies raised on natural food and dry food. I’m all for high-quality dry food, because it’s one thing to feed an Erka with natural food, and quite another to prepare natural food for a dog weighing 40 kg. It was too expensive for me and I didn’t have enough time.
although if by natural you mean porridge with the addition of chicken heads - then yes, natural is even cheaper)
Girl, stop being hysterical, the Internet is full of information on how to feed your Yorkie correctly.
You don't have any real problems yet. and there is no need to ask for advice on a non-specialized forum, as the owner of a Mini Yorkie, I can say that you will have a hard time training your dog, but there can only be one recipe, whether you feed natural or dry.
Character traits
To answer the question of why you should have a pet of this particular breed, it is not necessary to know all the information about the Yorkshire Terrier. To do this, it will be enough to learn about the character of the Yorkshire Terrier. They are extremely cheerful and kind animals, they love to play, run and jump.
The pet goes for a walk with great pleasure. But as soon as he gets outside, the hunter genes immediately make themselves known. He actively picks on other dogs and cats. This fighter does not even care that the enemy may be significantly larger in size. He reacts very actively to everything that happens around him, and can arrange races with cyclists or pigeons in the park. Therefore, you should not expect a quiet walk with your Yorkie.
In its mind, a small pet is the protector of its owner. Therefore, sitting in his arms, he sometimes growls at a stranger. A dog of this breed is constantly full of energy, like an infected battery. If the animal does not have the opportunity to throw out energy, problems will arise with damaged shoes, furniture and other things.
To avoid such troubles, you need to take your pet for walks in new places more often and play outdoor games. A detailed description of Yorkshire Terrier dogs will help you decide whether to buy such a puppy or not.
Standard sizes
The official breed standard adopted by the ICF and RKF provides a list of basic criteria that the Yorkshire Terrier must meet. In it, in addition to the general appearance of the dog, its temperament, coat structure, color and other things, the dimensions are also indicated.
The standard does not have regulations regarding the minimum height of a Yorkie, but the maximum allowable figure is established - the height of a standard Yorkshire terrier at the withers should not exceed 25 cm. Most often, males grow up to 23 cm at the withers, females - up to 20 cm.
The height of the dog at the withers should coincide with the height at the croup.
Body length is also important for Yorkies, which must be measured from the withers to the base of the tail. According to the standard, the body of a Yorkshire Terrier should be square, which means that the length and height of the dog should be approximately the same.
The length of the body should not exceed the height of the front legs (an excess of even 2 cm is noticeable and unacceptable), ideally it should be 1-1.5 cm less, then the dog’s figure is considered well balanced.
It should be taken into account that only exhibition representatives of the breed are evaluated according to these parameters.
Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich
Even before purchasing a puppy, you need to decide for what purpose it is being purchased - to participate in exhibitions or simply as a pet. If a show career is planned for your pet, then choosing a puppy must be approached with maximum responsibility, because... a pet-class puppy is unlikely to accurately meet all the criteria of the breed standard. However, it must be said that today the boundaries of the standard are quite blurred and a Yorkshire terrier with a weight and height much greater than the recommended one is not uncommon. All the indicators specified in the standard, by and large, only help judges at competitions decide which dog to give preference to.
Disease - collapse of the trachea
Quite often tracheal collapse occurs in toy terriers. The disease is associated with a malformation of the cartilaginous rings of the trachea. Typically appears at 4-6 months. Symptoms include a periodically hoarse cough that can begin with strong excitement (the joy of the owner returning home), after barking. One gets the feeling that the toy terrier is suffocating, taking frequently repeated breaths as if choking. Similar symptoms may occur when the velum palate descends. Only a veterinarian can differentiate these diseases. If the diagnosis of tracheal collapse is confirmed, it is possible to install an implant to help the terrier's trachea not lose its shape when inhaling and exhaling.
WOLMAR WINSOME ® ACIDOVIT - Prevention of gastritis in toy terriers due to improper feeding and stomach problems.
Toy terriers are very emotional dogs with an easily excitable nervous system. This is often reflected in their physical condition, manifesting itself in small tremors of the whole body. However, tremor can also be a sign of malaise or illness. Let's talk more about when and why a Toy Terrier trembles.
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