Biewer Health & Awareness
Every breed of dog has genetic issues that reputable breeders are trying to
breed out of their lines. Only through awareness and vigilant breeding practices can this
be accomplished. It is essential to address the issues that currently affect our breed and the
screening methods used to avoid them. At Baby Face, our Biewer puppies come with a one year
health guarantee against life-threatening genetic abnormalities and have been thoroughly
screened and evaluated prior to coming to your home. With that said, there are many
environmental factors, such as diet, regular health care, and preventable household dangers,
that are also important components in raising a toy breed dog. Through proper screening,
breeding, and the elimination of these hazards, we pray your Biewer puppy has a
long, happy life in your home.
breed out of their lines. Only through awareness and vigilant breeding practices can this
be accomplished. It is essential to address the issues that currently affect our breed and the
screening methods used to avoid them. At Baby Face, our Biewer puppies come with a one year
health guarantee against life-threatening genetic abnormalities and have been thoroughly
screened and evaluated prior to coming to your home. With that said, there are many
environmental factors, such as diet, regular health care, and preventable household dangers,
that are also important components in raising a toy breed dog. Through proper screening,
breeding, and the elimination of these hazards, we pray your Biewer puppy has a
long, happy life in your home.
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Routine Health Care
Your veterinarian is an essential part of the ongoing health of your Biewer puppy. It is important to choose a vet with extensive experience with toy breed dogs, Yorkies in particular.
Your puppy will come to you current on vaccinations; however, it is important to discuss a continued vaccination schedule and what diseases are prevalent in your area. Biewers puppies are so delicate that it is important not to give more than one vaccine at a time. Watch for allergic reactions with all vaccines. Spacing inoculations will help you determine which vaccine is causing a reaction. Most toy breed veterinarians understand and will be more than willing to let you come back another time. Do NOT give the Rabies vaccine until your puppy is at least 6 months old; this shot is particularly hard on them.
When your Biewer puppy is around six months old, you will need to have your vet examine the teeth to see if there are any retained puppy teeth that need pulled. Retained puppy teeth are very common in toy breeds and will quickly mess up a good bite if left in place. The vet will give the puppy a mild anesthetic, pull the teeth, and have your puppy back to you in no time.
Other dental care should include dental chews, tarter sprays, and/or brushing the teeth at least weekly. Once your puppy reaches a year old, it is important to begin veterinary dental care every six months to a year. The vet will give a mild anesthetic and clean the teeth, scraping tartar off them as needed. The Yorkshire Terrier has had issues with loosing adult teeth prematurely and since Biewers come from those lines, it is very important to take good care of them. Bad teeth can also lead to many other health issues.
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Being Safe at Home
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Puppy proofing your house is essential before you bring your Biewer puppy home. Electrical cords, small choking hazards, and harmful substances should be placed out of the puppy's reach. Anything breakable or important to you should be put up as well to save them from chewing.
On the subject of chewing, make sure you inspect toys for choking hazards before you purchase them. Leave any toys with small parts to chew off and sharp edges on the shelf. They love toys that squeak, rattle, crunch, and that can be carried around. As a rule, pig ears, bully sticks, regular rawhide, beef for chicken bones or any treat that crumbles and allows the dog to small a large portion are a bad idea for toy breeds. Look for compressed rawhide bones, Nylabone |
products, or plastic chews designed for teething puppies.
Collars are not meant for toy breeds. A regular collar can cause tracheal collapse in a small dog. Harnesses allow you to guide your dog without putting pressure on its trachea. 
You should prepare your yard as well, making sure that small objects, cigarette buds, bottles, and trash should be removed.
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You should take time inspecting your fence as well, making sure that all gaps and holes are taken care of. Biewers are very small and it doesn't take much room to escape.
Extreme heat and cold are very dangerous to toy breeds. They are meant to stay in the house the majority of the time for this reason. Make sure you put a sweater on them in the winter if the house or yard is too cool, especially if they are in a short cut. In the summer-time, make sure you offer plenty of water if you go for walks and don't leave your Biewer outside during the heat of the day. Dehydration happens very quickly and is fatal. The breed does not have much tolerance for temperature changes. If we are cold, they are freezing and the same is true for heat. |
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Hypoglycemia
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It is not uncommon for toy breed puppies to develop hypoglycemia. It is very important for you to understand it's causes, signs, symptoms, and treatment as a new owner. Hypoglycemia simply means low blood sugar. Glucose, or sugar, is found in the puppy's bloodstream. When a puppy digests food, it produces glycogen that is stored in the liver. Toy breed puppies have less ability to store and mobilize the glucose needed from the liver for adequate brain function. They also have larger brain mass compared to body weight than larger breeds which increases their glucose demand.
Hypoglycemia is more likely to occur when a Biewer puppy encounters stress, inadequate nutrition, upset stomach, too much exercise, or long periods without food. Cold temperatures, intestinal parasites, or illness and long periods of travel tend to be stressful for young pups. The primary signs of hypoglycemia include lethargy, depression, staggering gait, and muscle weakness. If left untreated, puppies can have seizures, lose consciousness, and even die. There is no rhyme or reason to what symptoms may present. Some puppies may only appear weak and wobbly, with dangerously low blood sugar levels, while others may actually seize. The goal with treating hypoglycemia is returning blood sugar levels within normal limits. If the puppy is awake and able to swallow, give him an inch or two of glucose paste, or give corn syrup, honey, or sugar water with a syringe. You should see results within 30 min. As soon as the puppy is more alert, feed him a high fat, high protein, high calorie food. You MUST get him to eat. Notify your vet and follow any recommendations he might make. If your Biewer puppy is unconscious, do NOT attempt to feed him. Instead of swallowing food or drink, he might aspirate and breathe it into his lungs causing another list of deadly issues. Rub glucose paste, corn syrup, or honey on the puppy's gums and get to the vet immediately. This puppy will likely require IV dextrose and additional support. In order to prevent hypoglycemia, feed quality puppy food at least four times a day or free feed, letting him eat as much as he wants as often as he wants. Be prepared and plan ahead for situations that might cause stress and watch for signs of illness. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, keep oral glucose paste on hand for emergencies. If you are ever in doubt and suspect hypoglycemia, give an inch or two of glucose paste and monitor his activities carefully. If your puppy has recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia, take him to the vet for further testing. Other underlying diseases can cause low blood sugar and may require long term management. Prolonged hypoglycemia can cause brain-damage in an otherwise healthy pup. |
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Liver Shunt
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Liver shunt is a very serious congenital defect that can affect the Yorkshire Terrier, and therefore our breed as well. Other breeds affected include Tibetan Spaniels, Cairn Terriers, Havanese, Shih Tzu, and Maltese. It is important to understand the anatomy and physiology of a shunt in order to grasp the seriousness of the defect. In the fetal puppy, a normal shunt is present that causes the blood to bypass away from the liver to the placenta so that the mother's body can cleanse the fetal blood during development. This normal shunt is called "Ductus Venosus". During the first few days of life, the shunt closes and the puppy's liver must begin to cleanse it's own blood. sometimes the shunt does not close, producing a "Patent Ductus Venosus" or congenital portosystemic shunt. A portosystemic shunt allows blood to bypass the liver without being cleansed. Because the liver does not filter the blood properly, toxins begin to build and the puppy begins to exhibit side effects. As a result of this process, the liver also remains small in affected dogs.
There are several blood tests and procedures that can be done to identify and treat liver shunt. The leading test for liver shunt is called a Bile Acid Test. This test was developed by Dr. Sharon Center, who believes the shunt is an hereditary mutation that involves vasculogenesis or angiogenesis (embryologic formation of the blood vessels.) Further testing can include ultrasound and/or liver biopsy, if the Bile Acid results support further investigation. Hopefully, in the future we will be able to identify carriers with a simple blood test, allowing breeders to choose their pairs more carefully. With proper, timely, diagnosis, most cases of liver shunt are treatable |
with diet and/or surgical repair. Regardless, this is one defect we must be vigilant to eliminate.
At Baby Face, we test all breeding pairs for liver shunt prior to breeding to make sure there is no underlying issue. We also encourage the testing of all puppies as soon as they are of age. The BBCA guidelines for liver shunt states that "breeding pairs that produces a puppy with liver shunt should NOT be bred to one another again." We stand by that point of view wholeheartedly. Any puppy that has had a liver shunt, should ALWAYS be spayed or neutered. Clinical Signs and Symptoms:
For more information on signs, diagnosis, and treatment of liver shunt, please refers to the link below. http://www.vet.utk.edu/clinical/sacs/shunt/faq.php |
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