Every breed has weaknesses, and Yorkies are known for dental problems like baby teeth that don’t fall out and huge tartar build-up.

For Teacups, add another issue: there’s often not enough room in their mouths for healthy teeth. That makes nutritious feeding a challenge and you may be faced with costly dental work almost immediately to relieve your dog’s pain.

Any dog with poor teeth will be more difficult to feed and unfortunately this is a serious issue for very small dogs like Yorkies. One of the health concern with “teacup” Yorkshire Terriers –and this is a big one — is low-blood-sugar shock or hypoglycemia. Because they’re so small, “teacups” can run out of energy very quickly, especially if they are cold or stressed or haven’t eaten within the past 2 or 3 hours. This causes their blood sugar to plummet, and they begin to go into shock. If not treated immediately, the dog can die.

Besides causing feeding problems, teeth that can’t grow in properly because of a too-small jaw, can cause pain, infection and bleeding. Bacteria develops which can spread to other parts of the body and cause heart and kidney failure.

What can you do about your Yorkie or “teacup” Yorkie’s dental problems?

It’s very important to watch your small dog’s dental development closely. Make sure the baby teeth fall out (at around 6 months). Feeding your Yorkie more hard kibble than soft food is helpful; ask your vet or trusted pet store to recommend a top-quality food for your Yorkshire Terrier. Brush his teeth at home (with dog toothpaste, not human) and arrange for dental cleaning at the vet’s once tartar build-up is apparent.

Besides dental problems, super-small or “teacup” Yorkies are challenging to house-train. They are very fragile and can break bones just jumping down off the couch. Because their organs aren’t always fully developed, they can fail suddenly, leading to death.

The so-called “teacup” Yorkie is often thought of as a special breed or size, but it isn’t. Instead, the “teacup” is simply a smaller size of the Yorkshire Terrier, usually the result of puppy mills and unscrupulous breeders trying to “miniaturize” an already small breed, to make it even cuter and more adorable.

Sadly, that cute size usually comes with a high price in health problems for your dog, and potential heartbreak for the owner.

Read more details about the potential health problems of “teacup” Yorkshire Terriers at Deb’s website http://www.growingupyorkie.com Deb, a self-taught expert and confessed lover of Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese and their crossbreed, Morkies, spells out the problems you can encounter with a dog that’s been ‘miniatured’ by unscrupulous breeds. You’ll also see tips and hints to help you find and rate a good dog breeder.

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