Things You Should Really Know!

I like to be straight forward and honest when it comes to potential health problems with these little dogs, and the more informed a person can be - the better prepared you are when looking at purchasing a Chihuahua to add to your family. 

HEALTH:  Generally speaking these little dogs are pretty healthy, however there are two main issues that I like potential new owners to be aware of and that is the luxating patella and teeth.. 

Luxating Patella’s:  This is the slipping of the kneecap, or dislocation of the kneecap if you prefer.  This can be hereditary and become visible at a young age, or it can develop from obesity, or appear in old age.  Most of the time it occurs it is bought on by environmental factors such as jumping from heights repeatedly.  It, however, is not life threatening.

At this time there is no DNA test to determine the condition, only a test which involves a manual manipulation of the joint by a Vet which is then given a grade.  Chintaro does not do this grading until the dog reaches a minimum of eighteen months of age.  Chihuahua’s can need more time (depending on lineage) to develop fully in body, so this must be kept in mind.  Generally speaking I look at grading between the ages of eighteen months to two years of age. 

There is no guarantee your Chihuahua will not develop a luxating patella, so please keep this in mind and become proactive about the environmental factors around your new family member.

Vets deem patella injuries as 95% environmentally caused so please take note of the below!!

                          You are the most common cause of this injury!!

• New owners bring their new little Chihuahua home and think its super cute to see them jumping off the lounge, jumping back on the floor, jumping up onto the dining room chair, jumping off outdoor settings and zooming all over the place!  Super cute to watch and will make you laugh, love, and adore them even more but let me warn you in advance - it’s not great in the long term for your beloved pet or your wallet!  

• Vets will grade slipping patella with one (1) being the lowest score and four (4) being the highest.  When it gets to a three or four, (or sometimes even a grade two!) vets might recommend an operation and it’s not cheap! so you need to be wary of whether you let them jump up and down from the furniture and consider is it worth it when your pets health might suffer in the long run.

• Please note:  I do not get patellas graded until the dog is between 18 and 24 months of age as this allows time for the dog to fully mature in body.  However, if a dog over 2 years of age is purchased from my breeding and is deemed to have patella problems within two months from the date of sale, then I would require that the dog comes back to me to be assessed by my vet who is a Toy Specialist. 

• Chintaro only ever breeds to add to their show team, so the record keeping of my breeding program along with all my dog’s health testing results is meticulous. These records will be given to my vet to help assess whether an injury of the patella is hereditary or has been caused by environmental factors since puppy has found its new home before deciding on appropriate reimbursement if necessary.

Now let’s talk about teeth!

Teeth:  Really common for Chihuahua puppies to retain their baby teeth.  Most come out on their own, but there are some that are truly stubborn.  I always recommend that from the age of 3 - 4 months that you continuously give bones, jerky or a healthy chew every second day.  Frozen raw carrot - is a treat for mine!  If there are any retained teeth, it helps those little suckers get loose.  Please do not give rawhide as it does not break down.

If you happen to notice your beloved pet has bad breath this could be because of retained teeth!  A visit must then take place to your vet to get these removed, as just like in humans a build-up of plaque and decay can cause heart issues.

Diet and Exercise:  I have seen a lot of Chihuahua's that are overweight!  Because they are tiny and have such good personalities many people tend to reward with heaps of food and lots of cuddles, but again just like obesity can give humans co-morbidities the same can happen to your little Chihuahua!.  

Treats are ok - especially when you are training and rewarding your new pet, but just remember to keep an eye on the amount.  Off set it with exercise!  I personally only feed a good quality dry dog biscuit as it helps keep their teeth clean and supplies all the vitamins and minerals needed.  I heartily recommend Royal Canin Puppy Mini’s and Royal Canin Adult Mini's.  

Exercise:  Just because they are little doesn't mean they don't need exercise!  A walk in the park will do them a world of good, and I always recommend that you use a harness just in case a dog who is off lead runs toward your little one.  Much easier to hoist up quickly and get them out of danger.

A few other things to note;

CHIHUAHUA CHARACTERISTICS:  Chihuahua’s really do need to be socialized and honestly you can’t overdo it!  You need to be aware that they can become a one-person dog, so if you socialize them from puppies get them used to loud noises, and let other people hold them and play with them you will have a wonderfully adapted dog.  I have dogs in family homes that have the best temperaments, because they have been socialized, socialized, socialized!

Chihuahuas are also alert dogs! so yes, they are going to bark if they hear someone at the door!  Praise them for alerting you, open the door and have the person who has entered interact with your new pet, let them hold, play, and praise them!  Very soon your little pet will think they are the best thing out there!

A note about young children:  Kids can be quite rough with small dogs through no fault of their own as they don't know their own strength!  I however, love having them interact with my Chihuahua's when they are monitored by an adult and are sitting on the floor - this makes it harder for the children to chase the dogs, or be rough with them, and again as a benefit for your new Chihuahua "more socializing". 

I always get young children (and adults for that matter) to only ever come from underneath a Chihuahua.  What I mean is don't just reach down and try to pat them on the head!  Chihuahua's see us as giants and until you gain their trust through socialization it’s only natural that some will be afraid.  Squat down, place your hand lower than the Chihuahua and slowly lift it upwards to scratch under the chin.  Most are ok with this straight away, and from there you can scratch ears, bellies etc...  Your little Chihuahua needs to know that they can trust you first.

So, to summarize the more socialization that you put in with your new pet - the better adapted!

And lastly, don't forget to Chihuahua Proof your Yard!  As they are the smallest dog in the world, many people who think there is no gap in their fences, could be quite surprised to find that their little Chi has escaped! So, I heartily recommend before bringing your new Chihuahua home, that you walk around your yard, and see if there are any small repairs that need to be done, before letting your Chihuahua out to play.