Bad Breath

Question
Do all yorkies have bad breath?

Answer
Kassidy,

The answer to that is yes and no.  If your Yorkie is over one year old then it probably has bad breath.  Most small dogs have to have their teeth cleaned by a vet.  Yorkies teeth are especially susceptible to tarter which can make their breath smell bad.  However, the bad breath is a symptom of a larger problem.  Regular teeth cleaning (once a year) is necessary to make sure that when your Yorkie gets older they keep their teeth.  Over time if the teeth are not cleaned they will literally rot out of their mouth and either fall out or have to be pulled.  As with people if they have no teeth they cannot chew their food properly and will die at an earlier age than necessary due to complications associated with their poor dental hygiene.  Getting their teeth cleaned once a year prevents a lot of health problems in the future.  It is a relatively expensive procedure however, usually costing anywhere from $100.00 and up depending on the vet.  It can also be dangerous as with anything that involves putting the pet to sleep to preform the procedure.

My suggestion to you would be to make an appointment with your vet and have your Yorkies teeth cleaned.  At that time you can discuss with your vet the associated health benefits, risks and anything else he may suggest that you can do to keep your pet healthy.

I hope this helps!

Melinda