Your Yorkie's First Vet Visits

6 min read 🐶 Puppy Care Basics

The Initial Checkup

Schedule your first vet visit within 48-72 hours of bringing your puppy home, even if the breeder says they're fully checked.

What the Vet Will Check:

Heart murmurs (common in Yorkies, often benign but needs monitoring)
Fontanelle (soft spot on skull — Yorkies can retain this longer than other breeds)
Luxating patella baseline (knee issues are breed-specific)
Liver shunt screening (Yorkies have a higher incidence than most breeds)
Weight and body condition

Questions to Ask:

What's the vaccination schedule for a Yorkie this size?
When should we spay/neuter? (Yorkies often benefit from waiting until 12+ months)
What parasite prevention is safe for their weight?
Do you have experience with toy breeds specifically?

Yorkie puppies follow a standard vaccination timeline, but their small size means dosage precision matters.

Core Vaccines:

Age	Vaccine	Notes
6-8 weeks	DHPP (1st)	Distemper, hepatitis, parvo, parainfluenza
10-12 weeks	DHPP (2nd)	Booster dose
14-16 weeks	DHPP (3rd) + Rabies	Required by law
12-16 months	DHPP + Rabies boosters	Then every 1-3 years

Important for Yorkies:

Spread vaccines out — don't combine multiple shots in one visit for puppies under 4 pounds
Watch for reactions for 24 hours after (lethargy, facial swelling, vomiting)
Ask about pre-treatment with antihistamine for very small puppies
Keep puppies away from dog parks and unknown dogs until fully vaccinated (16+ weeks)