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Caring for your Yorkies Ears, Nails and
Eyes:
Cleaning and Examining the Ears:
 After
a bath is a good time to clean and examine the ears for wax,
odors, redness and even fleas.
To clean the ears you need cotton balls, cotton swab, ear-cleaning
solution (I like Witch Hazel and Aloe Vera) and tweezers.
Then, follow these steps:
- Remove any excess hair blocking the ear canal. You
will tweeze it out, or pluck it with your fingers.
- Dab a little ear cleaning solution on a cotton swab
or cotton ball and gently wipe out the inside of the ear.
Important: Don’t stick the cotton swab down the
ear canal as you can puncture the ear drum.
If you notice redness, swelling, or a foul odor this can be
a sign of an infection you will want to take your Yorkie to
the vet.
Trimming Ears:
You need to keep the hair on Yorkie’s ears
trimmed to keep them erect. To trim the hair around your Yorkie’s
ears, use clippers with a #40 blade
Follow these steps:
Do
this in a brightly lit area where you can see, and be careful
not to cut the ear skin. With your Yorkie secure, put a finger
behind the ear to hold it when you’re clipping. Trim
the hair on the front and back of the ear about half the way
down to form a V-shape. If necessary, use scissors to neaten
the hair on the sides of the ears.
Trimming around the Anus:
Yorkies
with their long hair are difficult to keep clean around the
rectal area. You will want to trim the hair around this area.
Use a pair of scissors, or a clipper, and simply cut the hair
short about an inch in diameter around the rectal area. Do
this at least every month.
Cleaning
the Eyes & Face:
To
clean the eye area use a cotton ball and warm water to loosen
the mucus in the corners then use a flea comb and comb through
the area down to the mouth, This comb has very tight teeth
that will grab the excess mucus to be removed.
Trimming
Nails:
Untrimmed nails can cause a number of problems such
as cracking, curling and even getting caught on something
that can rip a nail out. The simplest way to prevent these
problems is to regularly trim your dog’s nails.
The best time to trim your Yorkie’s nails
is right after a bath that is when the nail is softer. So
after every bath, check your Yorkie’s nails to see whether
they’re due for a trimming.
The key to trimming nails is to be careful not to cut into
the quick. This is the nails bed that runs down the middle
of the nail. The quick is full of nerve endings and a vain,
if you cut it, this is quite painful and it will bleed.
Trimming
nails can be stressful for both you and your Yorkie, you
may want to have it done by your groomer or vet.
To
trim nails, you need a pair of sharp dog nail clippers and
some styptic powder.
- Hold your Yorkie in your lap or on a non-slip area and
with your free hand lift one paw, using your thumb and
fingers to work the hair away from the nail and apply
enough pressure to the toes to extend the nail slightly.
- Clip several small slivers of the nail off at a 45-degree
angle, looking carefully at the nail after each snip.
You’ll be looking for a small black dot in the center
of the nail, which is the beginning of the quick.
- When
you see the quick, stop.
If you happen to cut into the quick, use the styptic
powder to stop the bleeding, give him lots of loving and praise
plus a special treat.
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