There are not a lot of allergies that Yorkshire Terriers can fall prey to. Nonetheless, we’ve mentioned the ones that could affect your Yorkie, so you know what to look for and what to do in case he has one.
A Yorkshire Terrier is one of the most adorable little dogs that you can have as a pet. He may be a little high on maintenance and his vet bills may be a little steep, but he’s a pure bundle of joy if one ever existed. When purebred, they are less prone to health problems like allergies. However, you cannot totally discount them either. They are an inherently healthy breed, but they could encounter an allergy now and then. This DogAppy article will tell you about some of the possible allergies in Yorkshire Terriers and also what you can do about them.
Skin Allergies
Your Yorkie could fall prey to a skin allergy if he gets infested with fleas. Difficult though you may find to admit that your home could harbor these tiny winged tyrants, don’t let your poor dog suffer just because you refuse to admit infiltration. So, if you see that your dog is continuously licking or chewing on the hair in the area around his hind legs, feet or flanks, then check to see if he has fleas in his coat. A simple test using a wet tissue paper to wipe off the skin will show you dirt and dried blood as signs of a fleas infestation. You may have to get him checked by a good vet to get them treated. After administering the required medication, make sure that you also fumigate your home to extricate the insects and to prevent recurrence of the allergy. Apart from fleas, the Yorkie may also be allergic to a particular grooming or cleaning product that you may be using for him. So, if you notice him licking and chewing or rubbing his face against soft surfaces, check to see if lesions are present on his skin. Try a change of cleaning and grooming products and see if the condition gets worse or better. Unfortunately, trial and error is the only way to deduce what the irritant is.
Food Allergies
Your Yorkie can also be susceptible to food allergies, which unfortunately, take a long time to manifest themselves, and thus become really hard to diagnose. They take at least a year to finally come to the surface. So, it may happen that you suddenly find your dog suffering from itchy and inflamed skin, in areas like the stomach, ears, face, and the legs after consuming his daily food. This could be indicative of a food allergy. Take your dog to the vet after you are sure that it isn’t a skin allergy (by conducting the test given above). He will prescribe a diet for your dog that will eliminate the possible irritant. For this, the entire diet plan will need to be revamped, and a new plan for your Yorkie, comprising mainly rice and protein (meat or lamb) will be prescribed for some weeks. A gradual introduction of other ingredients will be made to this diet to find out what the allergen is. Remember, no snacks or treats for him while he’s on this elimination diet. Don’t get affected by the cute little tilt of the head. It’s all for his benefit, so metal up!
Respiratory Allergies
It’s surprising how similar Yorkshire Terrier allergies are to human allergies, right? Well, here’s one more that your Yorkie could be vulnerable to: respiratory allergies. Similar to the pollen allergy that a lot of human beings face, your dog too could get affected by it. The symptoms are similar to other allergies in dogs. Itchy, dry, flaky skin, along with possible red and inflamed lesions, and also constant licking and chewing the area. However, the difference is that your dog will exhibit these symptoms only in a particular season or weather condition. So, if you suspect that he could be suffering from a pollen or dust allergy, you need to take due precautions to see that the allergens and irritants are kept at bay. This includes keeping your house dust free by installing filters and making sure that your dog is not exposed to the outside air too much, at least until his symptoms reduce.
Luckily for you, allergies are not a very common problem with Yorkshire Terriers. You just need to exercise a little extra precaution and make sure that your little friend has a clean, well maintained and well-groomed lifestyle, in addition to expert medical advice as and when needed.
