Everything about checking a Yorkshire Terrier is scaled down and slowed down. This is a dog of only a few pounds, with fine bones, a delicate windpipe, and hair that reaches the floor, so do the whole check with her settled on your lap or on a padded, secure surface — never dangling, never grabbed around the neck — and use fingertips, not palms.
Mouth, Eyes, and Ears at Yorkie Scale
Lift the lip gently on each side and study the small teeth closely. In a tiny jaw, teeth sit crowded, tartar collects fast, and a loose or retained tooth can hide in plain sight; look for redness at the gum line, a tooth that wobbles, or breath that has turned noticeably foul, and watch for slower, pickier eating as a supporting clue. Look at the bright eyes for discharge, increased tear overflow staining the facial hair, cloudiness, or squinting. Then check the ears: lift the small, carried-upright ears and look inside for redness or build-up, and feel the ear edges, where the long hair can mat and hide dry or crusty skin. Keep every touch around the throat itself feather-light — when you handle the neck area, support the chest and shoulders instead of pressing near the windpipe, and note any coughing fits triggered by excitement or gentle collar pressure to describe to your vet.
Skin and Hair: Part the Silk, Feel the Frame
Part the fine, straight hair down to skin along the back, chest, and belly rather than judging from the flowing surface. Feel for mats, which on a Yorkie form quickly behind the ears, under the front legs, and anywhere a harness rubs, and check the skin beneath each mat for soreness. Look for flaky patches, redness, or hair thinning in a pattern rather than overall. Run two fingers along the spine and over the tiny ribcage: you should feel ribs easily under a light, smooth covering, and on a dog this small even modest weight gain changes that feel noticeably between checks — which is exactly why the check is worth repeating. Spread each small paw to check between the toes and at the pads, and look at the nails, which grow quickly relative to the little walking wear they get.
The Gait Tell: Watching for the Skip
Set her down and watch her walk and trot across a hard floor toward a treat. The normal Yorkie stride is quick, neat, and confident. The movement change to know on this breed is a little hop or skip in a back leg — a step where the leg is briefly carried or kicked out — alongside any reluctance to jump, climb, or use stairs she handled before. Do not press or manipulate the knees yourself; your job is simply to notice, note the date, and say how often it happens. Track appetite and energy with equal care: in a dog this small, a full day of refused food paired with unusual tiredness is a much bigger deal than the same day in a large breed.
Small Dog, Lower Threshold for Calling
Contact your vet promptly for refused food with lethargy, repeated coughing, a loose tooth or very sore gums, an eye that is squinting or cloudy, or a skipping gait that keeps recurring — small dogs have small reserves, so thresholds come sooner. Writing each check down in KinsLe's Pet Passport gives your Yorkshire Terrier's vet dated, specific observations instead of a worried summary at the appointment.