My yorkie is so skinny.

[TinkersMommy777]

I recently rescued a sweet yorkie girl. Tinker Bell is her name. She is the sweetest little thing. However, I am very worried that she is too skinny. She seems like she is skin and bones. I have never had a yorkie and I didn't know if maybe it is normal for the breed? She is 8 months old and only 2.5 lbs. She seems to eat a lot but I rarely see her drinking her water. I have an appointment with the vet next week but was just wondering if anyone could offer any helpful thoughts, tips and or advice? Thanks.

[Buster Brown]

Originally Posted by TinkersMommy777

I recently rescued a sweet yorkie girl. Tinker Bell is her name. She is the sweetest little thing. However, I am very worried that she is too skinny. She seems like she is skin and bones. I have never had a yorkie and I didn't know if maybe it is normal for the breed? She is 8 months old and only 2.5 lbs. She seems to eat a lot but I rarely see her drinking her water. I have an appointment with the vet next week but was just wondering if anyone could offer any helpful thoughts, tips and or advice? Thanks.

Hi Welcome to YT!
It is hard to tell as the weight is also determined by the size. Tinker Bell may have parasites which could be effecting her ability to gain weight. I would check with the Vet about bringing a stool sample and a urine sample to test for Giardia, Coccidia, and other parasites. Yorkies are better off if they are on the slim size as they have knees issues so the added weight can cause problems. Here are some dog weight charts to get a reference but they are for a larger dog but the pictures should give you a rough idea.

Google Image Result for http://dogmatters.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dog-weight-scale.jpg
http://www.arthritisindogsblog.com/w...sity-Chart.png

[gracielove]

If she feels bony she may very well be under weight. It could be worms or it could be something else. Make sure they check a stool sample. If it is not worms they need to check into other possibilities.

[TinkersMommy777]

She's already done the deworming but I think a stool test would be a great idea. I will make sure I bring one on tuesday when I take her in. Thanks so much. I love her so much I would be crushed if anything was wrong with her. She is very very tiny in general. She still looks like a puppy. XS leash harnesses and collars don't even fit her.

[Buster Brown]

Originally Posted by TinkersMommy777

She's already done the deworming but I think a stool test would be a great idea. I will make sure I bring one on tuesday when I take her in. Thanks so much. I love her so much I would be crushed if anything was wrong with her. She is very very tiny in general. She still looks like a puppy. XS leash harnesses and collars don't even fit her.

I have heard that some people use ferret leashes with small dogs and perhaps a cat collar. Yorkies do have very delicate trachea's so you must be careful.
I use a collars only for tags and make sure that the harness goes lower, more across their chests the neck.

[gracielove]

There are a several different types of worms and they usually need different medications to be rid of all of them. Yes, a stool test would identify exactly what worms, if any, she has. Tape worms many times are missed in stool tests since the segments are only passed out at certain times during the life cycle. Worm medication can also be hard on the dog's system and there is a recovery period that is needed after the worming so pinpointing exactly what worms a pet may have is really important.

Sometimes the tiny ones are more prone to problems. Just the fact that she is tiny is enough to be an alert to you and your vet. Hopefully, you vet is aware of the various problems that some Yorkies are prone to have.

[Amirah-momma]

Originally Posted by TinkersMommy777

I recently rescued a sweet yorkie girl. Tinker Bell is her name. She is the sweetest little thing. However, I am very worried that she is too skinny. She seems like she is skin and bones. I have never had a yorkie and I didn't know if maybe it is normal for the breed? She is 8 months old and only 2.5 lbs. She seems to eat a lot but I rarely see her drinking her water. I have an appointment with the vet next week but was just wondering if anyone could offer any helpful thoughts, tips and or advice? Thanks.

If she isn't drinking a lot try ice cubes. Whenever my girl doesn't drink much I give her and ice cube and put a couple in her water. She loves to play with them and gets plenty of water because she nods up drinking as she plays with the ones in her bowl.

[sandy simpson]

Be sure she is eating tasty food. I mix wet with dry food for my finiky boys. Feed her more times each day. With such a little tiny stomach I would feed her at least 3 or 4 times a small amount of food. Hand feed if you need to. Pray that she eats.