Yorkshire Terrier - Yorkie Breed - The four most important congenital health problems are:

1. Patellar luxation
2. Portosystemic shunt (Liver Shunt)
3. Retinal dysplasis
4. Tracheal collapse

These four disorders are somewhat common in the Yorkie breed and can seriously affect the health of your pet and may require medical or surgical intervention.

Patellar Luxation

The knee cap (patella) normally fits into a groove in the thigh bone (femur). The patella slides up and down in this groove as the leg bends and straightens. Patellar luxation means that the knee cap has slipped out of the groove. There are several reasons why this happens, including malformation of the groove. Luxation may happen only occasionally, or may happen continuously. The knee cap may pop back into the groove on its own, or your veterinarian may need to push it back into place. Your yorkie will be lame when the patella is out of place. Over time your yorkshire terrier may develop other degenerative joint changes, such as osteoarthritis.

View complete article on patellar luxation.

Portosystemic Shunt (Liver Shunt)

In a yorkie with a portosystemic shunt (PSS) there is abnormal blood flow in the liver. Blood should flow from the digestive tract to the liver via the portal system into the blood vessels of the liver, and then to the caudal vena cava which is the large blood vessel carrying blood back to the heart. In a portosystemic shunt, as the name implies, portal blood by-passes the liver and goes directly to the systemic venous circulation (caudal vena cava). One important function of the liver is to clear toxins, many of which are by-products of protein digestion, from the blood. In PSS, these toxins are not cleared, and circulate in the body. This causes the clinical signs associated with PSS, many of which are neurological. The complex of neurological and behavioural signs caused by liver dysfunction is called hepatic encephalopathy.

Portosystemic shunts may be acquired secondary to another disease, or they may be congenital - that is the yorkshire terrier is born with a shunt. A congenital shunt usually occurs as a single abnormal blood vessel that is a remnant of normal embryonic development. These shunts are defined as intra-hepatic or extra-hepatic depending on the location of the blood vessel in relation to the liver.

Most yorkshire terriers with congenital portosystemic shunts show clinical signs before 6 months of age. Where signs are subtle, the condition may not be diagnosed until much later. View complete article on portosystemic shunt (liver shunt).

Retinal Dysplasis

The normal retina lines the back of the eye. The retinal cells receive light stimuli from the external environment and transmit the information to the brain where it is interpreted to become vision. In retinal dysplasia, there is abnormal development of the retina, present at birth. The disorder can be inherited, or it can be acquired as a result of a viral infection or some other event before the yorkie pups were born.

There are 3 forms of retinal dysplasia

i) folding of 1 or more area(s) of the retina. This is the mildest form, and the significance to the dog's vision is unknown.

ii) geographic - areas of thinning, folding and disorganization of the retina.

iii) detached - severe disorganization associated with separation (detachment) of the retina.

The geographic and detached forms cause some degree of visual impairment, or blindness. View complete article on retinal dysplasis.

Tracheal Collapse

Tracheal collapse is a narrowing of the inner diameter of the trachea, that fluctuates with the stage of the respiratory cycle. The rings of the trachea (made of cartilage) lose their ability to maintain their shape, and collapse when the yorkshire terrier breathes, causing a harsh cough. Most often this disorder is seen in middle-aged toy and miniature breeds. Chronic respiratory infection, obesity, and heart disease can all contribute to the development of the condition, but it appears that there is also a congenital deficiency (ie. a yorkie is born with it) in the make-up of the trachea itself. View complete article on tracheal collapse.

View entire article on all about congenital yorkie health problems.

Another health problem that all Yorkie owners need to be aware of is hypoglycemia. Click here to learn more about hypoglycemia health problem with yorkshire terrier.