Shadowland Yorkies 

Ally found her new home in Pennsylvania! Hooray for her! She will be going home this Friday. Congratulations to your new family, Ally! :)

Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (LCP) is a disorder of hip joint conformation. It is most often seen in the miniature and toy breeds between the ages of 4 months to a year. LCP results when the blood supply to the femoral head is interrupted resulting in the death of the bone cells. As the body tries to bring the blood supply back to the bone, the femoral head may become irregular or collapse. This does not allow the joint to function properly and causes stiffness and pain. LCP is

Liver Shunt Liver shunt or portosystemic shunt is a congenital malformation of the liver that causes blood to bypass the liver while traveling fromthe GI tract to general circulation. One of the liver’s many functions is to maintain the body’s blood sugar level. Because blood is not circulating through the liver properly, hypoglycemia or low blood sugar may follow. This condition can sometimes be cured with surgery. A liver function blood test such as bile acid testing is nee

Hypoglycemia simply means low blood sugar. This can even occur in otherwise healthy puppies due to a lack of nutrition. Because yorkies have such little reserve, they must never miss a meal. If they do not eat, their blood sugar will drop to a dangerous level and this could cause death. Signs of Hypoglycemia: Lethargy/Refusal to eat Vomiting/Diarrhea Shock or coma-like state If your puppy is acting lethargic, give 1/2 dropperful of Super Stress Drops. If the puppy is not retu

All toy breeds are prone to dental disease. Proper home care and regular dental cleaning at your veterinarian will help prevent severe dental disease. The health of gums and teeth can affect other major body organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver. It is very important to keep their mouths clean! We recommend beginning teeth brushing when puppies are very young. This will get them used to the idea of someone working with them in their mouths. There are many “doggie” tooth

A microchip is a means of permanent identification for your puppy. It contains a unique number that is linked to your contact information in a database. If your puppy is ever lost and turned into a shelter or veterinary office, this number can be scanned and your puppy identified as belonging to you.The shelter or veterinary office can then contact you and help youbring your puppy home. We microchip all of our puppies and highly recommend you register the microchip in your na

We feed Royal Canin Mini Starter® and provide you with some to take home with your new puppy. If you choose to switch your puppy to a different type of food (we recommend Royal Canine X-Small Puppy®), make the change gradually over a period of 7-10 days. Start with just the food we sent for a few days. On about Day 3 or 4 you may begin lessening the amount of the old food and increasing the amount of the new food. Continue the switch gradually until only the new food is being

Many people associate kennel crates with imprisonment or punishment. It is actually a personal den or safe haven for the puppy. Crates minimize the stress and activity that comes with being left alone and having to deal with a large area. A crated puppy cannot pace back and forth or dart from window to window. He cannot work himself into a frenzy that also may include chewing and ransacking. These activities also lead to indoor accidents. Dogs are much more contented when the

Beginning Housebreaking Now that you have obtained a puppy, you have a very important job ahead of you. Housebreaking is a challenging but rewarding experience when done successfully. The following information will help you to understand the habits of your puppy, and assist you in teaching him where to urinate and defecate. A routine, constant supervision when you are at home, and confinement when you are not, will have most dogs housebroken within 12 weeks. A puppy that is n