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Yorkshire Terrier: health problems and what the tests show

The Yorkshire Terrier is a long-lived toy terrier with a robust overall health record. Its most common problems are dental. It is also the breed with the most diagnoses of congenital liver shunt in a large US database, and Yorkies can develop a protein-losing gut disease that leaves clear marks on the blood work.

A Yorkshire Terrier with a short pet clip, sitting on paving in a red harness.
Photo: MichalPL · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Written by the AI DiagAnimals editorial teamReviewed by the AI DiagAnimals TeamUpdated Our editorial policy

The essentials

UK Yorkshire Terriers had a median age at death of 13.6 years. Periodontal disease was the most common problem (21.1% in one year), and persistent baby teeth and patellar luxation appear predisposed. Yorkies had the highest number of congenital portosystemic shunt diagnoses in a US study, so bile acids are a key test in a young Yorkie with signs. Toy-breed puppies can develop juvenile hypoglycemia. In adults, protein-losing enteropathy shows as low albumin, and sometimes low ionized calcium and magnesium.

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Yorkshire Terrier at a glance

TraitDetail
OriginGreat Britain [1]
Breed groupFCI group 3 (terriers), section 4, toy terriers [1]; AKC Toy Group [2]
WeightUp to 7 lb (3.2 kg) in the standard [1]; UK pet Yorkies had a median adult weight of 11.2 lb (5.06 kg) [3]
Height7–8 in (18–20 cm) [2]
Life expectancyMedian age at death 13.6 years in UK veterinary records [3]; 12.5 years at birth in a UK life table [4]
CoatLong, straight, glossy and silky; dark steel blue with rich tan [1]

Origin

According to the breed standard, the Yorkshire Terrier comes from the same area as the Airedale Terrier and was first seen around the 1850s. The old Black and Tan Terrier, the Maltese and the Skye Terrier are among its ancestors, and the current name was accepted in 1870 [1].

Its popularity is falling in the UK: Yorkies made up 3.54% of dogs born in 2005 and 2.15% of those born in 2016 [3].

Common health problems

  • Teeth: periodontal disease affected 21.1% of 3,308 Yorkies in one year, and persistent baby teeth 3.6% [3].
  • Other common problems: overgrown nails (6.5%), anal sac impaction (4.0%) and overweight or obesity (3.7%) [3].
  • Kneecaps: Yorkies had 5.5 times the odds of crossbred dogs of patellar luxation [5].
  • Liver shunt: congenital portosystemic shunts were diagnosed in 2.9% of Yorkies in a US database of teaching hospitals, against 0.05% of mixed-breed dogs; Yorkies had the largest number of cases of any breed [6]. See liver shunt in dogs.
  • Heart valves: Yorkies had 2.2 times the odds of crossbred dogs of a diagnosis of degenerative mitral valve disease [7].
  • Causes of death: brain disorders (9.8%) and kidney disorders (8.7%) were the most common [3]. See kidney disease in dogs.

Blood work and screening in Yorkshire Terriers

No Yorkie-specific reference intervals are in routine use. Several breed predispositions, however, show clearly on blood and urine tests.

  • Bile acids for liver shunts: most dogs with a portosystemic shunt have markedly increased bile acids after a meal. Young dogs of predisposed breeds should be tested after 16 weeks of age, as values can be falsely low before [8]. See the bile acids test.
  • Low blood sugar: juvenile hypoglycemia usually affects toy and small breeds; portosystemic shunts and severe liver disease can also cause low glucose [9]. See blood sugar in dogs.
  • Protein-losing enteropathy: in 30 Yorkies with this gut disease, signs included diarrhea, vomiting and fluid in the belly; the severity of low albumin and a low BUN were among the factors linked with a poor outlook [10]. See protein-losing enteropathy.
  • Calcium and magnesium: Yorkies with protein-losing enteropathy can have low ionized calcium, low magnesium, low total protein, albumin and cholesterol, and a high white cell count [11].
  • Bladder stones: Yorkies were over-represented for calcium oxalate stones among 14,008 UK stones [12].

Related articles

Bile acids test in dogs

Fasting and after-meal samples and the cut-offs.

Read the article

En français : Yorkshire terrier.

Questions to ask your veterinarian

  1. Should my young Yorkie have a bile acids test, and when?
  2. What signs of low blood sugar should I watch for in my puppy?
  3. Is my dog’s albumin normal, and should calcium and magnesium be checked?
  4. Do the teeth need cleaning, and are there persistent baby teeth?
  5. Are the kneecaps stable?
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Frequently asked questions

How long do Yorkshire Terriers live?

In UK veterinary records, the median age at death of Yorkies was 13.6 years [3]. A UK life table gave a life expectancy at birth of 12.5 years, the second highest of the breeds studied [4].

What health problems do Yorkshire Terriers have?

Periodontal disease is by far the most common, and persistent baby teeth and patellar luxation appear predisposed [3]. Yorkies are also at increased risk of congenital liver shunts [6].

Are Yorkies prone to liver shunts?

Yes. In a US study of 2,400 dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts, Yorkshire Terriers had the largest number of cases, with shunts diagnosed in 2.9% of Yorkies [6].

What blood test checks for a liver shunt in Yorkies?

The bile acids test. Most dogs with a shunt have markedly increased values after a meal; in predisposed breeds it is done after 16 weeks of age [8].

Why do Yorkie puppies get low blood sugar?

Juvenile hypoglycemia mostly affects toy and small breeds and is thought to come from an immature liver with low glycogen stores [9].

Sources

  1. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. FCI breed standard N° 86: Yorkshire Terrier. 2026. fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/086g03-en.pdf
  2. American Kennel Club. Yorkshire Terrier: breed information. akc.org/dog-breeds/yorkshire-terrier
  3. O’Neill DG et al. Yorkshire Terriers under primary veterinary care in the UK – demography and disorders. Companion Anim Health Genet. 2025;12. doi.org/10.1186/s40575-025-00145-y
  4. Teng KT et al. Life tables of annual life expectancy and mortality for companion dogs in the United Kingdom. Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):6415. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10341-6
  5. O’Neill DG et al. The epidemiology of patellar luxation in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England. Canine Genet Epidemiol. 2016;3:4. doi.org/10.1186/s40575-016-0034-0
  6. Tobias KM, Rohrbach BW. Association of breed with the diagnosis of congenital portosystemic shunts in dogs: 2,400 cases (1980-2002). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2003;223(11):1636-1639. doi.org/10.2460/javma.2003.223.1636
  7. Mattin MJ et al. Prevalence of and risk factors for degenerative mitral valve disease in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England. J Vet Intern Med. 2015;29(3):847-854. doi.org/10.1111/jvim.12591
  8. eClinPath, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Bile acids. eclinpath.com/chemistry/liver/liver-function-tests/bile-acids
  9. eClinPath, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Glucose. eclinpath.com/chemistry/energy-metabolism/glucose
  10. Simmerson SM et al. Clinical features, intestinal histopathology, and outcome in protein-losing enteropathy in Yorkshire Terrier dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2014;28(2):331-337. doi.org/10.1111/jvim.12291
  11. Kimmel SE et al. Hypomagnesemia and hypocalcemia associated with protein-losing enteropathy in Yorkshire terriers: five cases (1992-1998). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2000;217(5):703-706. doi.org/10.2460/javma.2000.217.703
  12. Roe K et al. Analysis of 14,008 uroliths from dogs in the UK over a 10-year period. J Small Anim Pract. 2012;53(11):634-640. doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-5827.2012.01275.x

Laboratory methods and reference intervals vary. This article explains; it does not diagnose. For a decision about your pet, use the original report and talk to your veterinarian. Our editorial policy.

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