I’m a jailbird, mommy!

I’m a scary elephant, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  Hi everyone!  Thank you for all of your wonderful supportive emails and suggestions for helping me cope with this annoying carpel tunnel.

I couldn’t let Halloween go by without wishing everyone a spooky and safe night and sharing pics of Gideon and Hope in their costumes.  I’ve included 2 videos at the bottom of this post — one of sweet Thelma Louise and one of Gideon and Hope in their costumes.

Be sure to keep your Yorkie in her safe place while “trick or treaters” come to your door tonight.  Chocolate and candy aren’t good for pets so keep a few “doggy” treats handy so your Yorkie can share in the Halloween fun once all the excitement is over.

Happy Halloween everybody and see you in December for TODAY’S TIDBIT.

Carpal Tunnel you say, mommy?

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  My carpal tunnel is out of control, folks so I’m forced to take a few weeks off from typing and working on our website here at AbsoluteYorkies.com. 

But the good news is  our archives are full of important and interesting articles that we’ve posted in the past so please take the time to check out what you might have missed!

I’m taking the month of November for therapy, etc. and I’ll be back with new and exciting TIDBITS at the beginning of December just in time for all the Christmas planning and festivities!

Next Wednesday I’ll be posting a pic of Gideon, Hope and Thelma Louise in their Halloween costumes (not much typing required for that is there!) so see you then!

Please feel free to email us at kathryn@absoluteyorkies.com to say hello and if you have any suggestions for relieving the discomfort of carpal tunnel (other than surgery) I’d be glad to hear from you!

Have a wonderful day and see you here next Wednesday for a cute Halloween pic and TODAY’S TIDBIT.

Love to my two mommies!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  Sweet little Thelma Louise is the newest addition to our family!  She’s a very special 4 year old Yorkie with a sweet and gentle nature.  Traumatized as a young puppy while away from Marilyn, she asked for Thelma back and we have been working with her ever since to help her regain her confidence.

Bringing a new doggy home can be a bit of a challenge when you have other dogs already established at home.  Gideon has had no difficulty accepting Thelma but Hope has not yet warmed up to her.

Hope is displaying her dominance by mounting Gideon and this behaviour is not a sign of her trying to mate with him (everybody is fixed) but rather a sign of her showing her dominance in the pack.

She’s also very jealous when I cuddle Thelma but she’s learning to be patient and that she must share my time with the other Yorkies.

Hope and Thelma are giving each other their own space right now and in time I’m sure will become the best of friends.

We’re thrilled to have Thelma and love her so much already!  I’m in Toronto tomorrow so see you back her next Wednesday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.

I’ve been spayed, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  How do you know if your Yorkie is in heat?  Ideally we recommend having your Yorkie spayed before her first heat but telltale signs do exist to let you know she’s coming into heat.

Your Yorkie is likely to act differently because of her changing hormones.  She may be more nervous, have to urinate more often, lift her hindquarters towards male dogs and shift her tail to one side.  You’ll also notice a blood tinged vaginal discharge and the vulva will be swollen.

To prevent your dog from coming into heat HAVE HER SPAYED before she’s six months old (please talk to your vet about the best time to have your Yorkie spayed).

Spayed dogs are far less likely to develop breast cancer and are not at risk for ovarian or uterine tumours.  And spaying will prevent any unwanted pregnancies.

Check out “ASPCA’s Spay-Neuter” webpage for more information.  Have a wonderful weekend everybody and see you on Wednesday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  Thank you so much for reading our blog and loving your Yorkies (and other lovely breeds of dogs) as much as we love ours! 

Just a few quick reminders for you so that everyone in your household has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday:

• Turkey skin and gravy are VERY high in fat and can play absolute havoc with your Yorkie’s stomach and pancreas.  Be especially observant of well meaning guests and little hands reaching under the table to feed tidbits from the Thanksgiving table.  Better yet, put your Yorkie in her safe place away from the dinner table.
• Make your house a “NO BONE” zone.  Turkey bones can splinter and get caught in your dog’s throat or in her intestines so no bones for your Yorkie. 
• Corn on the cob is still readily available and it’s delicious roasted with lots of butter and salt.  Dogs LOVE butter too and will try and eat the discarded cobs.  Chunks of the cob can get lodged in your Yorkie’s throat and intestines so please take your garbage right outside to your receptacle to prevent your dog from digging out cobs and bones from the garbage.
• Many dogs get very excited and anxious when guests come to stay.  Some may have accidents on the carpet or floor because they’re excited and it’s a change of routine.  Please be sensitive to your dog’s excitement knowing that accidents may happen.
• Keep your Yorkie in his safe area when guests are coming in and going out.  Your Yorkie could bolt out the door in fear or excitement and get struck by a car in the street or just keep running.  It’s so important to make sure your dog is microchipped and that your identification is up to date so you can be reached if your dog escapes and her microchip is scanned.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving folks and be safe.  I’m in traveling in New York State next week but I’ll be back on Friday, October 12 so see you then for TODAY’S TIDBIT.

You are very neat, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  What does being a Yorkie owner say about you?  I recently came across a cute article about different dog breeds and what might be said about you owning a particular breed.  Of course as a Yorkie owner I had to read on!

According to the PetPlace.com article, What Does Your Dog Say About You?:

“Yorkshire terrier owners tend to be fastidious and very organized. They are independent and enjoy a good debate. They keep a very neat and clean house and dress meticulously. A bad hair day is rare but when it happens, it will ruin the whole day. Favourite TV show: Clean Sweep.”

Woo hoo!  So true for me…I love a good debate and my poor husband’s hardly finished reading his newspaper and whoosh – it’s in the recycle bin!

Have a splendid weekend everybody and see you on Friday for TODAY’S TIDBIT (I’m out of town again on Wednesday so no post that day).

We won’t eat any pennies, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  The last penny was made in Canada this past May!  But pennies still turn up everywhere – in between the couch cushions, on the floor in the car, scattered on dressers or on the ground outside.

Puppies are like babies – everything goes right into their mouths.  Pennies are no exception.  But pennies made after 1982 have a higher zinc concentration so if your Yorkie swallows a penny her gastric acid can penetrate the zinc centre of the penny and cause a rapid absorption of zinc – INGESTING AS FEW AS 1 TO 3 PENNIES CAN BE TOXIC TO YOUR DOG!

Pennies aren’t the only culprits.  Zinc can be found in first aid creams, galvanized metal, nuts and bolts on dog cages and some board game pieces.  Keep all first aid medications out of reach and do not let your dog chew on any parts of his carrying cage or bed.

Zinc toxicity is rather uncommon but still persists.  Symptoms include: vomiting and diarrhea; loss of appetite; pale or yellowish gums and a brownish-orange colour to the urine.  CONTACT YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY if your dog is experiencing any of these symptoms.  And if you suspect your Yorkie has swallowed a penny or any foreign object CONTACT YOUR VET RIGHT AWAY. 

Play it safe!  See you on Friday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.

I don’t want anybody to steal me, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  Small dogs like Yorkies are an easy target for dog thieves.  They can be scooped up and put in a purse or car before you even realize your Yorkie is missing.  In the United States, dog theft has risen 200% since 2008 with 71 dogs stolen in 2008 to 224 dogs in the first half of 2011!

A little prevention can go a long way to keep your Yorkie is safe: 

• Make sure your dog is microchipped and all your contact information is accurate. 
• Never leave your dog alone in the yard as a thief could reach over the fence and take your dog (we’ve talked about not leaving your dog alone in the yard as hawks can swoop down and snatch your Yorkie in a blink of an eye). 
• If you’re going away for a getaway it’s best to leave your Yorkie with a friend, your breeder or board her.  Having someone just pop in isn’t enough.

It’s sad that we have to worry about our Yorkies being stolen but it’s something we have to be aware of.  I’m off to Michigan folks so we won’t be posting on Friday.    Have a great week and see you next Wednesday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.

I like my Buddy Belt, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  I’ve seen some lovely collars out there for doggies but as a Yorkie owner I want you to remember that Yorkies are more prone to a collapsing trachea than other larger breeds. 

Many new Yorkie puppy owners bring cute little collars when they pick up their Yorkies from Marilyn, our resident Yorkie breeder from Adanta Yorkshire Terriers and collars can be really harmful to your Yorkie.

Strain on your Yorkie’s throat while wearing a collar and leash may cause damage to her windpipe and cause it to collapse.  Her windpipe becomes obstructed and breathing becomes difficult.  A honking-like cough is often present with a damaged trachea.

Your Vet can help diagnose if your Yorkie has a problem with her windpipe.  She may prescribe a cough suppressant or other medication to reduce inflammation.  If your dog is overweight, losing weight can also help with your Yorkie’s breathing.

Prevention is really the best medicine!  Put a doggy harness or Buddy Belt (Buddy Belts are amazing — we love them!) on your Yorkie and then attach the leash to it.  Harnesses come in many styles, collars and sizes.  Buy a harness today and save your Yorkie’s trachea!

Have a great weekend folks and see you on Wednesday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.

We miss Tinkerbell so much, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  It’s so sad when our furry family members pass away and leave us devastated.  Almost a year has gone by since Tinkerbell “crossed the Rainbow Bridge” and not a day goes by that I don’t think of her.

Grieving the loss of a pet is a difficult and often lonely process.  Students at The University of Guelph along with a faculty advisor are offering grieving pet owners the “Pet Loss Support Hotline” at 519-824-4120, Ext. 53694, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. (volunteers will return messages left on the answering machine).

The hotline’s main goals are to provide a supportive listening environment for pet owners who are considering euthanasia and those whose animals have died.  Volunteers are well trained by watching videos using actors as well as role-playing with live actors. 

Volunteers will even send you a package of materials to help you with your grief and a condolence card with a personal message.

Feedback has been really positive from people who have called the hotline.  Read the full article at, “Hotline Offers Support For Grieving Pet Owners.” 

Sadly, pets do pass away.  Thank you to the dedicated and compassionate volunteers at the Hotline for caring about us pet owners.  See you on Friday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.