A routine wellness check for a Yorkshire Terrier should be precise, because in a dog this small, small changes carry outsized meaning. Expect an exact weight, listening to heart and lungs, checking breathing sounds, feeling kneecaps and other joints, examining teeth closely, looking at eyes, ears, skin, and coat, and feeling the abdomen. Your report on coughing, appetite, stools, energy, and any hind-leg skip completes the visit. A Yorkie who seems bright while being held may still reveal important clues when watched walking, breathing after excitement, and chewing at home.
Teeth are a major Yorkie topic
Dental examination is a major part of a Yorkshire Terrier wellness check because small jaws crowd teeth and trap plaque. The vet should check for tartar, gum redness, loose teeth, and, in young dogs, baby teeth that have not fallen out while adult teeth came in beside them. Retained teeth change the bite and trap debris, so ask directly whether any remain.
Report bad breath, pawing at the mouth, dropping small kibble, or a new preference for soft food. Ask the vet to show you a brushing approach sized for a Yorkie mouth, since standard advice aimed at larger dogs often fails at home simply because the brush and angle do not fit.
Kneecaps, legs, and that hind-leg skip
Kneecap checking matters in a Yorkshire Terrier visit because the kneecap can slip in small breeds, producing the classic brief skip where a hind leg is carried for a few steps and then used again. Tell the vet how often you see skipping, bunny-hopping, or reluctance to jump, and whether it follows play or rest. The vet will feel each kneecap and watch your Yorkie walk away and back.
Weight ties directly into knee comfort. Even a modest gain is a significant load on tiny joints, so ask what your Yorkie should weigh and how to judge ribs under the coat at home. Bring treat amounts honestly, including the small extras from family members that often explain a creeping total.
Breathing sounds and the Yorkie airway
Breathing review in a Yorkshire Terrier wellness check includes listening at rest and asking about coughing, honking, gagging, or noisy episodes when excited, pulling on a collar, or drinking quickly. Describe when episodes happen and how long they last, and mention whether a harness is used for walks. A phone video of an episode is genuinely useful here, because the sound often does not happen on demand in the clinic.
Also report exercise tolerance, sleep breathing, and any fainting or blue-tinged gum episode as urgent history rather than a passing anecdote. The vet can then judge what needs investigation now and what simply needs monitoring with clear instructions.
Liver, digestion, eyes, and coat
Internal discussion in a Yorkshire Terrier visit covers appetite, growth in young dogs, stools, vomiting, and energy, and the vet may raise blood work if signs point that way or as your dog ages. A Yorkie who is a persistently poor eater, grows slowly, or seems disoriented after meals should be discussed specifically, not accepted as pickiness. Eyes are checked for dryness, discharge, and clarity, and the long coat and skin underneath are examined for flaking, matting against skin, and irritation.
Review vaccines and parasite prevention scaled to a very small dog's lifestyle, including whether your Yorkie walks on pavement, grass, or mostly stays indoors. Agree on the appetite or breathing change that should prompt a call within the day rather than at the next routine visit.
Keeping exact weights, retained-teeth findings, knee grades in plain notes, and breathing videos logged alongside your Yorkshire Terrier's record in KinsLe with Pet Passport means a new vet sees the small trends that matter most in this breed.