Harnesses, not collars: protecting a Yorkie trachea
Yorkies are prone to tracheal collapse — the windpipe weakens and narrows, and a dog who pulls against a collar is squeezing the very thing that’s failing. The first sign is usually a dry, honking cough, like a little goose, especially when excited or after drinking.
Our rule for 40 years: walk every Yorkie in a harness, never a collar. A harness puts pressure on the chest and shoulders instead of the throat. Keep walks calm, avoid yanking leash corrections, and keep your Yorkie at a healthy weight — extra pounds press on the airway too. A honking cough that keeps coming back earns a vet visit, not a wait-and-see.
Found this useful? Support the rescue — or get Yorkie know-how by email, free, a few times a year.
Kidney problems: the signs we watch for
The other health problem we see most in Yorkies is kidney trouble, especially as they age. Kidneys fail quietly, so the signs are subtle at first: drinking and urinating more than usual, a fading appetite, weight loss, dullness, bad breath that smells ‘off,’ and vomiting more often than a hairball explains.
Caught early, kidney disease can be managed for a long time with the right diet and your vet’s plan — measured protein, plenty of fresh water, and regular blood work so you’re watching numbers, not guessing. For seniors, blood work before any anesthesia is non-negotiable in our house. If your older Yorkie is drinking the bowl dry, don’t wait for the yearly visit.
Found this useful? Support the rescue — or get Yorkie know-how by email, free, a few times a year.
Feeding: judge the food by what’s in it — and what it costs per pound
Bags make big promises. We’ve learned to ignore the marketing and judge a food the plain way: read the ingredients, and do the math on price per pound. A food your dog eats eagerly, digests well, and keeps a shiny coat on is worth more than a fancy bag they pick at.
We’ve fed a quality frozen food for 35 years with healthy dogs to show for it, and we don’t chase trends. Feed measured meals (little dogs get fat quietly), go easy on treats — under a tenth of the day’s food — and change foods slowly over a week, mixing old into new. Steady beats fashionable, every time.
Found this useful? Support the rescue — or get Yorkie know-how by email, free, a few times a year.
Senior Yorkie care: the golden years, done right
A senior Yorkie is one of life’s great pleasures — Pepper, our 14-year-old rescue, runs her corner of the couch like she owns it. Seniors need twice-yearly vet visits, honest dental care (bad teeth poison everything, including kidneys and heart), and blood work before any procedure.
At home: ramps or steps instead of jumping off furniture, a warm bed out of drafts, meals they don’t have to compete for, and patience with slower walks and the occasional accident. Keep their weight steady — carrying less is easier on old joints and old airways. Old isn’t sick. Most of what seniors need is just somebody paying attention.
Found this useful? Support the rescue — or get Yorkie know-how by email, free, a few times a year.
Grooming basics for that silky coat
A Yorkie’s coat is hair, not fur — it grows, tangles, and mats right down to the skin if it’s ignored. Brush a few minutes every day and you’ll never face the shave-down that neglected coats force. Work mats out gently with your fingers first; never yank.
Baths every two to three weeks with a gentle dog shampoo, ears checked and cleaned, and nails trimmed regularly — overgrown nails change how a little dog stands and walks. Brush teeth or use dental chews; in a breed with dental trouble baked in, mouth care is health care. And if a coat ever gets beyond you, there’s no shame in a professional groom — ask us about our community grooming help.
Found this useful? Support the rescue — or get Yorkie know-how by email, free, a few times a year.