TAKING CARE OF YOUR NEW PUPPY
The first few days are incredibly important to the well being of your new puppy. Please read these instructions carefully and keep them for future reference.
STRESS: No matter how much you love your new puppy, it is going to experience stress. Leaving everything that is secure and familiar to him/her is going to cause some fear and confusion. It is so vital to recognize the signs of stress and help your puppy through this tough time. Signs are timidity, failure to eat, lethargy, diarrhea or vomiting, and crying. Please be patient with the baby. He's looking to you to comfort, protect and lead him. You should pick up your new puppy when you have at least a day or two to spend with him before leaving him alone. If you are off of work on weekends, pick up your puppy on Friday or Saturday and make plans to spend the weekend making him a priority or take a day off of work if you have to. It's cruel to bring a puppy into a completely unfamiliar environment and then leave him alone for 8-10 hours while you go off to work. Please have some empathy for how frightening that must be and plan ahead to avoid such stress. If possible, come home for lunch if you work, or ask a friend to check in on him.
FAILURE TO EAT: Your puppy must eat often to survive. If he's off his feed, give him a food supplement such as NutriCal. This will keep his blood sugar levels stable. If he refuses the NutriCal, put some on your finger and rub it on the roof of his mouth. Make sure you keep some canned food on hand for times that he's off his normal feeding routine. YOUR PUPPY MUST EAT! Do what you have to do to entice him to eat. Cook him some chicken or a hamburger if you have to. But make sure that he eats. The NutriCal is only a short term fix. But it can be a life saver if your puppy ever gets sick, overheated, chilled, injured, or stressed. Keep some on hand at all times.
FEEDING YOUR PUPPY: Yorkies are nibblers. Make food and water available to him/her AT ALL TIMES-24/7. Yorkie puppies eat very small quantities at a time so you cannot put them on a once or twice daily feeding schedule like some dogs. This may be difficult if you have other breeds in the home, but it is vital that you heed this warning.
IF YOUR PUPPY IS SICK: Seek professional help. CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN. You have chosen to have a tiny breed as your new family member. With tiny breeds such as Yorkies, you must act quickly if your puppy becomes ill. Their size prohibits waiting to get help. At least call your vet. Many will give you tips over the phone as to what you can do before taking them to the vet's office. Of course, you can call us, the breeder, anytime you have a problem or concern about your puppy. The first thing to do is to make sure your puppy is eating and drinking. If not, give NutriCal. If there is not immediate improvement, take your puppy to the vet. If it is after hours, don't wait until morning. At least call your veterinarian and they will tell you if the puppy should be seen. If you cannot afford to go to the vet, you should not be purchasing a puppy. If you already have the puppy, take responsibility for his/her health and life. Make payments if you have to. Your puppy cannot help himself. You have to take care of him.
ALLOW YOUR PUPPY TIME TO REST: A good rule of thumb for tiny puppies is 15 minutes of play requires 45 minutes of rest. Of course, as they get used to you and their new home, those times will change. But is important at a young age not to wear them out. This is especially an issue around children. Puppies typically love kids and will play until they literally fall over. Like children, they don't know when to quit sometimes. Make sure never to leave a tiny puppy unattended with small children. Teach children to allow the puppy time to rest. If the puppy has been playing very hard, give a little NutriCal to boost his energy and blood sugar reserves and let him sleep.
GROOMING: Yorkies require regular brushing to maintain their beautiful hair coats and to avoid painful matting of the hair. It is also necessary to keep the hair trimmed around their eyes to allow good vision and comfort. Hair sticking in their eyes is obviously painful and irritating and can cause damage as it scratches the eye. For cleanliness, trim hair around buttocks and genital areas. Bathe your puppy as needed or every couple of weeks. Bathing too often can cause dry skin and hair.
CALL OR EMAIL US ANYTIME! We love these puppies and hope you will too. We want your puppy to live a long happy life. If your puppy should have any problems, please let us know. We may be able to help answer any questions or deal with problems. Marks' cell # 573-289-7122.
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