DiNozzo
Well-Known Member
For background, I have 2 dogs- one a KC registered Yorkie that we bought from a breeder who is now 9, and a supposed Yorkie that should now be around 13 (never got his papers so unsure on this).
We bought the older one to keep the pup happy as he fretted dreadfully on his (whether for an hour or 5 minutes!). At the time we were looking, there were no pups available as the plan was, but we saw Jack's advert so went to have a look, despite not being the puppy we were looking for (we were told he was 4 then).
He did not look like a purebred yorkie though they said they'd used him to breed, and thats why they were selling him due to keeping his daughters to breed.
He also had never in his life been loved, or particularly well cared for. He came home stinking with full anal glands, long matted hair. He was a very nervous dog, who was not in the best of health.
So, we spent a month letting him settle in, cleaning him up and brushing his hair before taking him to the vets to restart his vaccinations and to get him castrated, his anal glands cleaned and his teeth brushed due to extreme buildup of plaque.
The anaesthetic nearly killed him. He went into severe shock, and despite the vets best efforts at warming him, he was sent home to have a 'last night'. He miraculously came round at home (being cuddled up with me and duvet!) and took him back the next day for a check up- the vet couldn't believe her eyes!
Since then he has picked up everything that goes around- he's the reason we vaccinate for kennel cough, as we don't go anywhere for them to need it.
He's aged pretty well apart from going pretty well blind due to cataracts which don't seem to bother him, and being selectively deaf!
However on Wednesday he took a turn for the worse, wouldn't eat, wouldn't move, wet himself (he is occasionally incontinent, usually on days we've been out in the car- seems to make him not want to wee and then it comes out by surprise later!).
We booked an appt. at the vets for today when he was typically much brighter, had eaten, and was telling the younger one off again. She felt it was down to an infection, gave us a pot for a urine sample and then said it could also be an enlarged liver causing the problem.
Now because I was too excited that there was nothing immediately wrong (I had prepared myself all night to say goodbye to him), I didn't really take in what an enlarged liver would mean. What effect would that have on his life/health- would he need medication for it?
We bought the older one to keep the pup happy as he fretted dreadfully on his (whether for an hour or 5 minutes!). At the time we were looking, there were no pups available as the plan was, but we saw Jack's advert so went to have a look, despite not being the puppy we were looking for (we were told he was 4 then).
He did not look like a purebred yorkie though they said they'd used him to breed, and thats why they were selling him due to keeping his daughters to breed.
He also had never in his life been loved, or particularly well cared for. He came home stinking with full anal glands, long matted hair. He was a very nervous dog, who was not in the best of health.
So, we spent a month letting him settle in, cleaning him up and brushing his hair before taking him to the vets to restart his vaccinations and to get him castrated, his anal glands cleaned and his teeth brushed due to extreme buildup of plaque.
The anaesthetic nearly killed him. He went into severe shock, and despite the vets best efforts at warming him, he was sent home to have a 'last night'. He miraculously came round at home (being cuddled up with me and duvet!) and took him back the next day for a check up- the vet couldn't believe her eyes!
Since then he has picked up everything that goes around- he's the reason we vaccinate for kennel cough, as we don't go anywhere for them to need it.
He's aged pretty well apart from going pretty well blind due to cataracts which don't seem to bother him, and being selectively deaf!
However on Wednesday he took a turn for the worse, wouldn't eat, wouldn't move, wet himself (he is occasionally incontinent, usually on days we've been out in the car- seems to make him not want to wee and then it comes out by surprise later!).
We booked an appt. at the vets for today when he was typically much brighter, had eaten, and was telling the younger one off again. She felt it was down to an infection, gave us a pot for a urine sample and then said it could also be an enlarged liver causing the problem.
Now because I was too excited that there was nothing immediately wrong (I had prepared myself all night to say goodbye to him), I didn't really take in what an enlarged liver would mean. What effect would that have on his life/health- would he need medication for it?
