Yorkie issues

Question
Hi Melinda

My question is regarding my Yorkie Izzy. She is almost two and seems to have increasing health issues. I took her to the vet about two months ago and he said she had grade 4 luxating patella's. She also has an inguinal hernia which was not repaired at spay as the vet was unable to feel it at the time. However I can still feel it over one year later. She also has issues with urinating frequently. Every half hour to hour sometimes and these are large amounts of urine. She drinks a great deal of water as well. I tried to email the breeder that I got her from but have heard nothing back. Researched the breeder and breed before getting here but I am now afraid that I have a dog who is a victim of bad breeding. I love her but find I get so frustrated with the frequent urination. I don't punish her for it and have read your house training tips but I am concerned that this is possibly more of a medical issue than a housetraining issue as she frequently asks to go outside. I think she may not be able to hold her bladder at times. I even considered returning her to her breeder but it would break my heart as well as my son's so I just don't think I can do that.

Answer
Shauna,

If she drinks a lot of water she is going to urinate a lot.  The question would be, why does she need to drink so much water?  Dogs who drink an excessive amount of water usually do so because they are diabetic or they have a kidney problem.  You will often see older dogs drinking a lot of water and urinating a lot when their kidneys start to fail.  I think you need to take her to the vet again and ask him to do a test on her kidney function and to test for diabetes.  You didn't mention what size she is, but with Yorkies that are very small you will usually see more health problems.

Until you get your test results back I would suggest that you get a doggie diaper.  Most pet stores carry them.  I am glad you are not punishing her for her accidents.  Since she frequently asks to go outside it sounds like she is a good dog but that the problem is not her but her health.