Gracie was our first yorkie. I wanted a small dog and did a lot of research at the library to decide which breed was best for us. I fell completely in love with the Yorkshire Terrier breed. I then tried unsuccessfully to find a reputable breeder in my area through the local kennel clubs. I was desperate and in a hurry, which I now know is a big mistake. I traveled several hours to a small town outside of Birmingham, Alabama to visit the home of a lady I knew very little about. I have never been to a breeder's house and did not know what to expect. Looking back I now know that the conditions of her home should have been a big red flag to me, but at the time I just wanted a puppy and didn't know better.
The second red flag should have been that she sent Gracie home with me at 7 weeks of age. She was much to young and delicate to go anywhere, and we almost lost her. As we were leaving the breeder's house with Gracie she gave me some medicine and said to give it to Gracie twice a day until it was gone. She said that yorkies have delicate stomachs and that this would help settle her stomach for a few days. 24 hours after the last dose of medicine we were rushing Gracie to the vet because of diahreah and vomiting. It turned out that she had coccidiosis and giardia! The breeder had obviously known this and that's why she sent the medicine, but she didn't bother to tell us.
During the vet exam a heart murmur was also discovered. She later had an ultrasound which confirmed a low grade murmur.
The breeder was defensive and unwilling to admit that any of these problems could possibly exist. She did offer to take Gracie back and replace her with a littermate. But we felt that the littermate would probably have the same problems, and we were in love with this little dog; we did not feel that she would receive proper medical treatment if we sent her back. So Gracie remained with us and became the joy of our lives.
Soon after she recovered from the giardia and coccidiosis she began having seizures. She is on phenobarbital now, which keeps things pretty much under control.
She is a fabulous obedience dog, and earned her Canine Good Citizenship quickly. We were planning to continue working her in obedience because she seems to really like it. But she gets so excited when she goes places like to class or to a dog show, that we have decided not to continue these things because we don't want to risk her having a seizure from the excitement. So she stays at home with us playing fetch and laying in the sun. She sleeps in our bed and basically rules the house.