Thanks for your visit. Either you are reading this because you just got a new toy breed puppy, or you are planning to have a new toy breed puppy. Well, you came to the right place. These small dog breeds need special attention and care when they are puppies. In this article, you’ll get detailed instructions on just about everything you need to know to make sure your toy breed dog stays healthy, along with tips on potty training. Please note that this article was not written by a veterinarian. The information in this article is my opinion, which comes from years of personal research and experience dealing specifically with toy breed dogs. Always consult a vet if you have any questions about your dog.
We are personal owners of Yorkshire Terriers (Yorkies) and have gained a great deal of experience in dealing with this fantastic breed. Below is our darling, “Munchkin,” weighing in at just 1.5 pounds over a year old. Despite his weight, he is as healthy as possible.
The following information can pertain to any breed of toy dog. There are countless joys of owning these little boys and girls, yet toy breeds need special attention during the young stages of their life. From young, we mean 8 weeks to one year. If you have come across a breeder who sells puppies before 8 weeks of age, STOP! Small breed dogs should stay with their mothers for AT LEAST 8 weeks. Preferably, a puppy can leave its mothers around 10-12 weeks. You can read more about choosing the right toy dog breeder here.
Hypoglycemia
The most important condition to look out for when you first have your puppy is known as hypoglycemia. This condition appears more frequently in toy dogs such as Yorkies, Maltese, Pomeranian, Chihuahuas, etc. According to the US National Laboratory of Medicine, hypoglycemia is the sudden drop in the concentration of glucose (sugar) in the blood below normal levels. Although most commonly seen in puppies 5 to 16 weeks of age, adult “teacup” dogs can encounter this problem if not cared for properly. This condition occurs more frequently in smaller dogs due to the lack of muscle mass in “teacup” dogs. Less muscle mass equates to a harder time to store glucose, making the toy dog breed more susceptible to hypoglycemia.
Your puppy’s body uses glucose as its main source of energy. As long as your puppy eats regularly (see the section on feeding below), his glucose levels should remain stable. However, certain events can accelerate the onset of hypoglycemia, such as stress, low body temperature, poor nutrition, changes in food, and infections. (Read below on how to help your puppy get into his new environment.) Signs of hypoglycemia include laziness, lethargy, drowsiness, stumbling, chills, depression, and in severe cases, a coma. One of the best ways to control hypoglycemia is to feel the gums. A healthy puppy’s gums will feel warm and have a nice pink color. If your puppy’s gums feel cold and appear white, your puppy could be experiencing hypoglycemia.
If you notice any of the symptoms listed above, immediately feed them a high sugar supplement like Karo syrup, Nutra-Cal, or Nutri-Stat. Karo syrup can be found in most grocery stores and the other two supplements in most pet stores. Since Karo syrup is mainly made up of glucose, this would be the preferred supplement for treating hypoglycemia. Just dab some Karo syrup on your fingertip and let the pup lick it off. Sometimes a puppy will refuse to lick the syrup off your finger. In this case, gently open the puppy’s mouth and scrape the syrup from the back of his front teeth and allow him to swallow. Repeat the process a couple of times until the gums return to normal or the above symptoms have passed. Most puppies can recover from mild hypoglycemia in 10-20 minutes. In severe cases where your pup appears to be entering a coma, immediately take him to the local animal hospital while a passenger feeds him Karo syrup on his way.
However, severe and non-severe cases of hypoglycemia can be avoided by:
1. Pay close attention to your little puppy
2. Adequate nutrition
3. Rest
We recommend checking his gums every few hours just to make sure your little one stays healthy. If you work during the day, come back at lunchtime or as often as you can to check on your puppy’s health. The next section will discuss methods to help a puppy enter a new environment to help alleviate the rapid onset of hypoglycemia.
The first few days after bringing your puppy home
When you bring your new puppy home for the first time, he may experience some nervousness in his new environment. Everything from new images, smells, and people can be peculiar to your new pup. It should allow them to explore their new environment and encourage them to play. Talking quietly and calmly can help ease some nerves and accommodate your voice. With a little patience, your new puppy will soon acclimate to his new surroundings and enjoy his new home.
Buying a playpen will come in handy at night and at times when you can’t keep an eye on your dog. Keeping your puppy in a playpen is not cruel; it just keeps them from getting in trouble when you can’t properly monitor your dog. Remember, puppies can cause mischief faster than you can blink.
A good-size playpen for toy breed puppies measures approximately 3 ‘x 5’. Even a slightly smaller park will suffice. The goal is to give your new puppy a nice place to sleep and play, along with an area to go to the bathroom. If it is larger, your puppy may confuse where he sleeps and where he uses the bathroom. A small dog bed along with some soft baby blankets will be suitable for a sleeping and play area. Also give your new pup some stuffed toys specifically for small dogs to play with. On the opposite side of the playpen, set up a puppy potty or some scraps of newspaper for them to take care of their potty-related business. It is important to keep the bathroom area as far away from the sleeping and playing area as possible. This helps them discern where they should sleep and where they should go to the bathroom. A good gadget to go along with puppy potty pads is a potty pad holder. These work very well to prevent shredding of newspapers and urination pads.
At bedtime, your puppy will be used to sleeping with his brothers and sisters. The roughness of sleep can only cause a feeling of loneliness that makes them cry for the first few nights. When your puppy screams, just touch his nose and say ‘no’ to him in a soft but stern voice. Many people make the mistake of running to hold their puppy as soon as they hear him cry. However, it is actually letting them know that crying gives them what they want. In this situation, your new puppy is training YOU!
