Puppy First, Health First
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The big picture
Yorkshire Terriers typically live 11–15 years, and most enjoy long, healthy lives.
The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America calls the breed generally healthy.
A few everyday habits do much of the work.
Yorkies are known to be prone to a handful of conditions, and most are easier to manage when they are caught early.
This page explains each one in plain words: what it is, what you might notice and what you can do.
Worth knowing
This list is not exhaustive or official. Keep asking your veterinarian as your puppy grows.
Gum disease (periodontal disease) is the most common problem vets find in Yorkies, and it can start young. In UK vet records, about 1 in 5 Yorkies had it noted in a single year.
Inflamed gums (gingivitis) come first, and your vet checks the gums at every visit.
Brush the teeth every day from puppyhood, and plan professional cleanings when your vet advises.
A slipping kneecap (patellar luxation) pops out of place, mostly toward the inside of the leg.
Your vet can often feel a slipping kneecap during a routine physical exam.
Limit jumping on and off furniture while your puppy grows, and have the knees checked at routine exams.
In tracheal collapse, the windpipe narrows as it weakens, usually in middle-aged or older dogs.
A honking cough is the sign to watch for.
Walk your Yorkie on a harness instead of a collar, keep it lean and keep it away from smoke.
A liver shunt is a blood vessel, present from birth, that carries blood around the liver instead of through it. Microvascular dysplasia is a related blood-flow problem inside the liver.
Poor growth, or odd behavior after eating, needs a vet visit.
A bile acids blood test can point to either problem, and imaging confirms a shunt.
Two eye conditions run in the breed: a cloudy lens (cataract) and strands of tissue left in the eye from before birth (persistent pupillary membranes).
Cataracts can appear in young dogs or later in life, so cloudiness in an eye at any age is worth a vet visit.
An eye exam by a veterinary eye specialist looks for both, and your own vet checks the eyes at yearly exams.
Less common
Protein-losing enteropathy is a gut problem that shows up in adults as diarrhea that does not clear up, or as weight loss.
Necrotizing encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, so if you see any sign of a brain or nerve problem, call your vet right away.
DNA tests
A cheek-swab DNA test works at any age and checks for several inherited conditions.
Results come back as clear, carrier or at risk.
A carrier has one copy of the gene change and stays healthy; carrier status matters only for breeding.
An at-risk result means a higher chance, not a diagnosis: an at-risk dog may never develop the condition, or may develop it late. Among Yorkies DNA tested by OFA for an inherited loss of sight called progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), about 6 in 100 were carriers and none was affected. For your puppy, the results are reassuring, because carriers stay healthy and no tested dog had the disease.
Checkups your dog will get
Care plan by life stage
Planning for Yorkshire Terrier vet costs
These are typical published costs for treating what a Yorkshire Terrier vet exam looks at and the conditions the breed is known to be prone to. Each range shows where it comes from and when, and your own vet's estimate will differ.
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental disease care in the first 30 days after diagnosis (80th percentile of insurance claims) | $1,284–$1,420 | per 30 days after diagnosis | US pet insurer claims data (US) | 2024–2025 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | per visit | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee) | 2023–2026 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liver shunt workup (before any surgery) | $1,622–$3,937 | per workup | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
| Liver shunt surgery, shunt outside the liver (workup and surgery) | $5,408–$7,571 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
| Liver shunt surgery, shunt inside the liver, open surgery (workup and surgery) | $6,685–$9,605 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
| Liver shunt closure with coils through a vein (workup and procedure) | $10,600–$12,309 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eye tests before cataract surgery (ERG and eye ultrasound) | $500–$1,300 | per workup | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Missouri, Tennessee) | 2025–2026 |
| Cataract surgery, one eye | $3,800–$5,500 | per eye | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023–2025 |
| Cataract surgery, both eyes under one anesthetic | $5,600–$6,700 | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2025 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collapsing trachea workup (before a stent) | $2,000–$3,500 | per workup | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023 |
| Tracheal stent placement | $3,200–$3,600 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023 |
| Tracheal stent, workup and placement together | $5,900–$6,500 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023 |
Planning for pet insurance
When you are ready to compare plans, here is one option for Pawrade buyers.
Only with Pawrade, you receive a pet insurance policy with no waiting period included for immediate accident or illness coverage, 1 month, with every puppy.† You activate it by calling MetLife; instructions arrive with your travel details. Continuing MetLife coverage after the first month is strongly recommended.
View the MetLife 30-day offer →†NH, NY, RI, SC and TN residents excluded. Activated by calling MetLife; coverage begins immediately following policy activation. See the offer for full terms.
Whichever plan you look at, read the policy before you buy. Check the waiting periods, how it defines a pre-existing condition, and its deductible, reimbursement percentage and annual limit.
A waiting period is how long after you buy a pet insurance policy before a claim counts.
| Policy | Accidents | Illness | Joints |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife policy included with your Pawrade puppy† | None | None | None |
| MetLife, bought directly | None | 14 days | Not listed |
| Industry standard | 0–14 days | 14–30 days | 6–12 months |
| Nationwide | 14 days | 14 days | Not listed |
| Trupanion | 5 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Embrace | 2 days | 14 days | 6 months |
| Figo | 1 day | 14 days | Not listed |
What the Veterinary Health Report checks
The breeder's licensed vet checks your puppy before it goes home. The vet follows PetPay's exam standards, and the results go in your puppy's Veterinary Health Report.
Focus
Heart
Heart murmur, and how loud it is (grade)
02
Breathing
How open the nostrils are · Coughing or congestion
03
Temperature, pulse and breathing rate
Temperature · Pulse · Breathing rate
04
Eyes
Discharge · Vision problems · Eyelash problems · Cherry eye
05
Ears and hearing
Debris or discharge · Ear mites · Signs of infection · Hearing
06 Focus
Mouth and bite
Teeth and jaw alignment · Bite (overbite or underbite)
07
Skin and coat
Fleas and ticks · Hair loss · Signs of infection
08 Focus
Kneecaps
Kneecaps that slip, and how much (grade)
09
Hips
Hip pain
10
Hernias
Belly-button (umbilical) hernia · Groin (inguinal) hernia
11 Focus
Soft spot on the skull
An open soft spot, and its size
12 Focus
Body condition and weight
Body condition score · Weight
13 Focus
Reproductive organs
Both testicles in place (males) · Extra skin folds around the vulva (females)
14
History of vomiting or diarrhea
Any history of vomiting or diarrhea (reported, not examined)
15
Stool test for parasites
Fecal flotation test, with any treatment given
16
Past surgery and notes
Any past surgery · The vet's explanation of anything abnormal
The vet listens to the heart with a stethoscope for a murmur, which can be the first sign of a heart problem present from birth.
The vet checks the bite, the teeth and the gums, and looks for baby teeth that have stayed in.
Yorkies keep baby teeth more often than dogs in general, and gum disease can start young, so the mouth gets a close look.
The vet feels both knees for a kneecap that slips out of place (patellar luxation), something a routine physical exam can find.
Slipping kneecaps run in the breed, so the knee check is a useful first look.
The vet feels the top of the skull for a soft spot that has not closed (an open fontanelle).
The vet weighs the puppy and checks its growth and body condition.
In a Yorkie, poor growth or odd behavior after eating can point to a liver shunt, which needs a full vet work-up.
In a male puppy, the vet checks that both testicles have come down.
The vet listens to the heart with a stethoscope for a murmur, which can be the first sign of a heart problem present from birth.
The vet checks the bite, the teeth and the gums, and looks for baby teeth that have stayed in.
Yorkies keep baby teeth more often than dogs in general, and gum disease can start young, so the mouth gets a close look.
The vet feels both knees for a kneecap that slips out of place (patellar luxation), something a routine physical exam can find.
Slipping kneecaps run in the breed, so the knee check is a useful first look.
The vet feels the top of the skull for a soft spot that has not closed (an open fontanelle).
The vet weighs the puppy and checks its growth and body condition.
In a Yorkie, poor growth or odd behavior after eating can point to a liver shunt, which needs a full vet work-up.
In a male puppy, the vet checks that both testicles have come down.
Puppies grow and change quickly, and their immune systems are still developing, so no exam can find everything. The Veterinary Health Report is a strong early look at your puppy and a written starting point that your own vet builds on.
Health guarantee
Every Pawrade puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.
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Frequently asked questions
Most Yorkies live long, healthy lives, and several conditions run in the breed that daily care helps with. They include gum disease (periodontal disease), a narrowing windpipe (tracheal collapse) and kneecaps that slip out of place (patellar luxation). Two liver blood-flow problems, a liver shunt and microvascular dysplasia, are on the list too. Two eye conditions (cataract and persistent pupillary membranes), a gut disease that leaks protein (protein-losing enteropathy) and a brain inflammation (necrotizing encephalitis) complete it. Daily tooth brushing, a harness instead of a collar, a lean weight and regular vet checks help you stay ahead of them.
It is a narrowing of the windpipe, and it is usually diagnosed in middle-aged or older dogs. A harness instead of a collar, a lean weight and a smoke-free home all help, and a honking cough needs a vet check.
A liver shunt (portosystemic shunt) is a blood vessel, present from birth, that carries blood around the liver instead of through it. A puppy that grows poorly or shows nervous-system signs after eating needs a vet visit, and a bile acids blood test can point to the problem.
A slipping kneecap (patellar luxation) runs in the breed, and it pops out of place mostly toward the inside of the leg. Your vet can often feel it during a routine physical exam, and limiting jumps while your puppy grows helps protect the knees.
Cheek-swab tests cover an inherited, slow loss of sight called progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) and primary lens luxation, an inherited eye problem. They also cover degenerative myelopathy and hyperuricosuria. Two more tests look for inherited brain and metabolic conditions described in the breed, Leigh-like subacute necrotizing encephalopathy and L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria.
A carrier has one copy of the gene change and stays healthy, and carrier status matters only for breeding. An at-risk result means a higher chance of the condition, not a diagnosis, and an at-risk dog may never develop it or may develop it late.
Yorkshire Terriers typically live 11–15 years. In the senior years, twice-yearly checkups help your vet catch changes early.
Older Yorkies do best with vet exams twice a year. At each one, your vet listens for a heart murmur, asks about a honking cough, checks the eyes for cataracts and reviews kidney values. Keep up daily dental care too.
Brush every day from puppyhood, because gum disease can start young in Yorkies. Between about 3 and 7 months, as the adult teeth come in, your vet checks for baby teeth that stay put, especially the canines. Leftover baby teeth are often removed at spay or neuter, and your vet will tell you when a cleaning is due.
When to spay or neuter is a decision to make with your own vet, because it depends on your dog. Any baby teeth that stayed in are often removed during that surgery.
