THIS INFORMATION IS TO BE RETAINED BY ALL NEW PARENTS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
You’ve just adopted a chihuahua puppy. Congratulations!
Even before your puppy comes home, it would be important to
read all the information contained in this document which will
surely help new parents to better understand this breed and
prepare their home in order that it be puppy proofed and enjoyable
for all.
The space that you will provide for your puppy should of course be
secure. This means no hanging wires, no holes for the puppies head
to get caught in, no sharp edges anywhere, no wicker baskets
(chihuahua puppies love to chew wicker and can choke on tiny
pieces). Be careful with spaces that he can walk into but not out of.
Large spaces for a very young puppies is NOT a good idea. He
must be in an environment that will stimulate him to continue toilet
training without problems and still be part of the family, which
means he can see you most of the time. NO ROAMING around the
house freely for a few months would be the ideal situation. An area
designed for him during the continuation of his training will
certainly prove beneficial to the puppy and the new parents.
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The information in this document is to help new parents continue
where the breeder has left off in order to make the transition to their
new home as easy as possible.
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As the methods oulined here ae followed by the breeder, it will also make it easy for you to
know exactly how the babies are trained and allow you to continue the practice once you get
your puppy home.
It is quite possible and probable that your baby will cry the first few nights home unless of
course you have decided that baby sleeps in your bed. Then, no doubt he will not cry at all,
but may wake up during the night as he needs to go on the newspaper or puppy pad possibly a
few times. Puppies have to relieve themselves about every 2 to 3 hours, but as they mature
they will be able to hold their needs for much longer periods of time. Also, drinking and eating
will provoke to urge to eliminate very quickly when they are young.
DO NOT LEAVE your baby in a different room the first nights or weeks so you can
console him if he does wake up and cries. That dosen’t mean you have to pick him up, NO, it
means console him by voice and touch and be firm about the puppy having to sleep through
the night after the first few days with you. Do not give in to urges of letting him in your bed
just for a while. A while may become forever and after such an initiation, the puppy will get
the idea, I CRY, PARENTS COME RESCUE ME and take me to bed. If this is NOT what
you want be firm, and let the puppy cry for a minimum of 15 minutes, talking to him all the
while, letting him know you are there and he is not alone. Eventually the puppy will stop and
rest and may sleep for many hours knowing someone is in the room. You may want to put a
tiny clock with a TICK TOCK noise. This tiny clock could be put under the blanket where
puppy sleeps. The sound of the tick tock is like having siblings with him and will make him
feel safe. A stuffed teddy bear or other similar toy can be put for the puppy to feel just like a
sibling is still there with him. He would normally cuddle that toy and fall asleep thinking
he’s not alone.
Since a very young puppy usually has to go on his paper often while toilet training, we would
advise everyone to purchase a plastic pan, or rubber boot tray, keeping clean newspaper on it
at a close distance to the puppy’s bed or your own bed should you choose to have the puppy
sleep with you.
This is where the new moms will spend most of their time with their newborns. For the first 3
to 4 weeks the babies will be cuddled with mom and siblings in the maternity ward cages.
These cages are in fact the largest rabbit cages we could find, about 4 feet by 20 inches by 24
inches high. Both mom’s and babies feel safe, secure, away from the others. These cages
provide ample space should mom need to relieve herself as newspaper is layed out in half of the
cage. Also food and water dishes are readily available should mom or youngsters who have
started weining, wish to have a bite to eat. All in all these cages are very practical, clean , easy
care and secure for all puppies. A few breeders outside our own breeding programs have seen
these cages in person and have adopted our method.
Around the 3rd or 4th week of birth the babies already are showing signs of wanting to be clean
and will try their luck at toilet training by going to the newspaper right beside the bed within
this maternity ward accommodation. Once they get this practice going, we have noticed very
few accidents and babies are clean very early.
Here is another method that may be used. 2 cages of different sizes.
These are made up of one very large cage and one smaller one. Both cages have had a panel
removed between them to let the babies use the toilet facility which has newspaper layed
out on the base of the pan which is placed on top the grill. We never use a grilled area in
order to protect our chihuahuas’ footing, as this may hurt their delicate feet. So if you use
this method, make sure the pans are placed UP TOP THE GRILLED AREA to protect your
baby from possible injuries.
One compartment is for the puppy to play, eat, sleep and there is an opening on the toilet
compartment side with newspaper. Puppies learn very quickly to use the toilet facilities. This
is one ideal condo type arrangement should you want to go out and leave your puppy home. He
will always be safe in these accommodations and can relieve himself at will should he need to.
This condo type arrangement is also ideal to spend the night in. Another idea is the following.
Using book wall racks from your local hardware store you
Make sure the height is at least 18 inches as
could make your own enclosure.
some puppies can climb and jump out if adventurous and strong enough.
You would use tie-wraps on the bottoms and tops to secure the shelving together in order to
make a secure pen for your puppy. Lay down a vinyl flooring that would be the same size as
the pen itself and a few inches more for good measure. Lay down newspaper, a bed, food and
water dishes and there you have a very safe area for your new puppy.
In this fashion he can see you, and the whole family can interact with the puppy. Children or
adults would be able to go sit inside the pen and play with their puppy in their play area. Make
sure the pen size is large enough to permit your puppy plenty of space to move and enjoy his
toys and be able to exercise . We would suggest a size of about 4 by 6 feet as a minimum.
THIS IS THE TYPE WE USE IN OUR BREEDING PROGRAM AND
RECOMMEND TO OUR CUSTOMERS FOR ALL NEW BABIES GOING
HOME
The above enclosure may also be used for training baby chihuahuas.
We’ve found this enclosure very practical and we would suggest new
parents to purchase this item before their baby comes home. This will
give the new puppy a secure area when he must be left alone and also
allows everyone to see the puppy. The Gate-Child 26" High Superyard
XT opens easily, so you can have access to your PUPPY. This is usually
used as you can see from the picture for BABIES to keep them safe. It is
totally portable with a carrying strap included, so you get maximum
convenience along with safety and durability. The weather-resistant
Superyard can be used just about anywhere outside, and it's extra tall--
26 inches high--so you can use it without worry. It encloses 18-1/2
square feet so your pet can have a spacious play area; an extension kit,
number (8663) can be purchased separately to increase the Superyard
size to 34.4 square feet. You can purchase this item in CANADA at
TOYS"R"US in the baby department section, or order online by going to
TOYS"R"US and clicking on the appropriate links for the baby section or
search GATES to find this item and other safety gates.---------Product-
Specific Details:SKN#: 473561 Product UID#: EC6DD36F Currently, item
can be shipped only in Canada, Size (in inches): 34.5 x 8.1 x 26.75
Shipping weight: 19.35 pounds.
This is one of the last stages in toilet training for puppies and adults.
A very large plastic pan normally found in the large cages for dogs which measure
approximately 3 x 2 feet. We purchase these individually. The dogs that have learned basic
training within the two compartment cages or other training areas will also learn within a
few months time to use the pans and will rarely soil elsewhere. We also use a very thick
vinyl or rubber flooring to assure extra protection for floors. Some individuals have told us
that they train their new puppies in litter boxes. Others will use special puppy pads which
are readily available from any pet shop.
Puppy pads can be carried in a bag and used on trips which is very interesting for new
puppy owners. Playpens are also used, the kind with mesh. You could use puppy pads or
layer the whole bottom with newspaper. You would bring your playpen with you should
you travel and your puppy would then always have the same environment in which to pass
the night and keep him safe. No worries for moms and dads and puppy is perfectly happy
when his parents carry his own personal safe area along on trips.
If you are wondering how we keep our premises clean when all our chihuahuas are indoors, here
is one solution we've found quite effective. You will notice the picture to the right is a outdoor
dog house made of rugged plastic material. We simply remove the top part and use the base as a
toilet. Laying down newspaper, the chihuahuas are trained to walk in, do their business and
walk out. We have found this method quite effective as the base has a border at the front 2
inches high, so when the chihuahuas go there, they cannot make an accident and wet the floor
as 3 sides are quite high. Therefore the clean up is a breeze and the chihuahuas seem to enjoy
the privacy of this type of toilet. You could also try using a puppy pad and layering that inside
on the base. We have tried many methods to keep our homes clean and the dogs happy
regarding toilet training and this is one way we've found that works well for us and the dogs.
Many small breeds could be trained indoors with this type of toilet.
We are constantly searching for new ways to improve our toilet
training facilities and will share any new information with all of you
concerning toilet training as soon as new methods are found to be
effective in our breeding programs.
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The first baby shots and possibly more will have been given before leaving for new homes.
OMIT the LEPTO virus vaccine, as we find this vaccine not necessary for this breed in order
to avoid complications due to allergic reactions, which are often seen after this vaccine is
administered. This will be your personal choice to have it given or not. Discuss the matter
with your own veterinarian.
We will have given to new parents their baby’s health certificate in which the vaccines that
were given will be inscribed, and all worming products administered while in the breeder’s
care will be marked. We would normally have administered a dewormer to your puppy a
minimum of 2 times and sometime up to 3 or 4 times depending on the amount of time the
puppy is still in our care, to assure that when your puppy leaves with you, he does not suffer
from worm infestation. In our breeding program we are very careful with both adults and
puppies concerning worms and regularly give deworming products to assure no infestation is
present.
Before leaving for new homes, we may use products such as
REVOLUTION, ADVANTAGE or OVITROL SPRAY
Don’t assume your baby received any kind of protection. If he did, it should be inscribed in
his health certificate. If not inscribe, ask the breeder if any of these products were used on
your baby.
REVOLUTION and ADVANTAGET are put directly on the puppy’s back, below the head
and between the shoulder area. OVITROL spray is spayed on the back, legs being careful to
avoid eyes and genetal areas. REVOLUTION will prevent infestation of TICKS, FLEAS,
MITES, heart worms and more for at least one month. ADVANTAGE protects against fleas
only and OVITROL SPRAY will protect against fleas and ticks usually. These products
protect your puppy for up 1 month and must be administered monthly during the parasite
infestation period, which normally would be between April to the end of October.
In most instances, your baby will have had his first bath before leaving us, so it is NOT
recommended to give him another for at least one month. Should the puppy soil himself in
any way, a nice soft wet cloth can do a great job to clean your puppy. You would make sure
to dry your puppy thoroughly and keep him out of drafts and colds at all times. You may
give baths at intervals of about 3 months in the winter or summer, not much more is indeed,
as chihuahuas usually do not have a doggy smell.. You do not want to dry out your babies
delicate skin. Carry WET TOWLETS with you, either individually or large containers.
You can use wet baby wipes all over his body as these wipes are harmless to your baby.
Use the non-scented preferably or with ALOE VERRA.
SQUATTING means the puppy is ready to urinate, turning and turning many times means
puppy will have a bowel movement very soon. If you see your puppy sniffing the ground and
he’s not near the newspaper, grab him quickly and place him on the newspaper staying very
close and putting him on the newspaper constantly till he urinates or defecates. As soon as
he’s done that, praise him in a gentle manner. Should your puppy have done his business
without you noticing, it will be of NO USE AT ALL to scold him after the fact.
A puppy does not have the notion to understand he’s done
something wrong unless you catch him in the act, so it’s
pointless to yell or scold the puppy, it will only scare him and
matters can eventually get worse using this method.
So if you see him sniffing or turning, grab puppy and put puppy on newspaper and keep
him there till he does his business. It takes patience, but usually it is rewarded with puppy
doing his thing where he is suppose to.
Chihuahua puppies and older chihuahuas love to eat on a soft surface. They are just funny
that way. You will then not be surprised when you see puppy take a kibble, bring it to his
favorite blanket or bed and munch. A few seconds later, puppy will get another kibble and
do the same thing. They are not that fussy eaters, they just love soft surfaces when they are
eating. Sometimes puppy may keep the food in his bed for later as a reserve and sometimes
even hiding foods under his blanket. Puppy may eat tiny amounts at a time, so leave the
kibble out all day for young puppies and especially the very tiny chihuahuas.
The LONG COATS do not need any more care than the SHORT COATS. A brushing once
a week is quite sufficient. You will have purchased some products for your new baby such as
EAR and EYE cleaning products. They should be used once a month for the EARS. Using
a Q-tip, you would put a bit of the product on the tip and clean as far as you can see inside
the ear. Check the ear for fowl smells or dirt. If puppy keeps scratching constantly around
the ear area, he may have gotten some ear mites which look like little black deposits but
WAX DEPOSITS look about the same. Usually a bad smell is associated with MITES or
bacterial ear infection, so keep a watch on the ears every once in a while to make sure they
are clean and parasite free.
The EYES should be kept clean also, maybe wiping them with a small damp cloth and
drying afterwards. Make sure the puppy does not get dust in the eyes. He is very close to
the ground don’t forget, and can get dust in the eyes very easily. The chihuahua is not
known to have eyes that water or drip, so if any such condition should arise, check things
out with your veterinarian just in case. Normal cleaning around the eyes is usually
sufficient for this breed. Sometimes the EYES may water when puppy is teething so make
sure it’s nothing serious which generall it is not.
The long coats may need a bit more eye cleaning than the short coats as they have a bit
more hair around the eye area. All in all however, both coats are fairly easy care. Raising
long coats we’ve found that they shed less than the short coats and when they do shed the
hairs tend to be easier to remove from clothing or furniture.
DO NOT let their CLAWS get too long. Once a month clipping is a
must. Always removed the tips to make sure the puppy does not get
caught in any blanket or harm another tiny chihuahua in the eye area.
They can often get hurt especially if the dew claws are still there.
We have had individuals who were concerned about the ear
issue of their chihuahua puppy. Many individuals have
contacted us saying when will the ears come up, if not already
up of course. To clear up this particular concern, we have
decided to include this paragraph in order to explain the
process involved in the ears going up and staying up for this
breed.
Concerning the ears of the Chihuahua: It is possible that your puppy may have ears
going up and down at different stages during his growth period. Some days ears are up,
other days ears are down. Some days both are down, next day both are up. This is a normal
process for some puppies and can last between the age of 6 weeks to 6 months depending
on the size of the ears.
Some puppies have ears up from the 6th week or earlier and the ears never come down.
Chihuahuas with larger ears may take more time, and the long coats may also take a bit
more time with the ears coming up, but eventually the ears will come up, so don’t be
concerned with this while your baby is growing.
It is extremely rare that we do have ear problems, but of course anything is possible. Some
chihuahuas sometimes keep a tip curled, or the ears just don’t stand up for some reason.
This is of course not detrimental to their health, it’s really a matter of the look.
Often during the teething period the puppies ears could be up and down on any given day.
In most instances the ears do come up and stay up. Some babies may have had damage done
to their cartilage during playtime and therefore some injuries sustained may cause one or
both damaged ears to never come up. This case is extremely rare however. We cannot
guarantee that both ears will go up an stay up, this is quite impossible to speculate but in our
experience, 99.9% of the time the ears go up and stay up.
So give your puppy time and eventually those gorgeous ears will look fabulous.
MY CHIHUAHUA BABY OR ADULT SNORES, TREMBLES, MAKES FUNNY NOISES
WHILE HE SLEEPS OR SEEMS TO CHOKE SOMETIMES. WHAT IS THE
PROBLEM?
It is normal during sleep time for your puppy to shake, make funny noises like a little
chirping bird and sometimes even seem like he’s having little convulsions. Nothing to worry
about, your puppy is dreaming and this is normal behavior. Some adult chihuahuas may
also, from time to time, have the same type of sleep pattern.
ALL THIS IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR
Your puppy or adult chihuahua may also seem like he’s chocking sometimes during waking
hours. Check if at the time this is happening he was not drinking water very quickly,
getting over excited during play times etc. If this is the case, he will have that seemingly
chocking sound for a few seconds and things should go back to normal rather quickly. It
can also occur when your Chihuahua plays too rough or if he has been running around for
a few minutes. Also, the short nosed chihuahuas may have more of these episodes than the
longer nosed ones. HOWEVER, if the condition continues beyond 10 or 15 seconds, and
happens many times during any given day, then it would be preferable to at least check
things out with your veterinarian to make sure there is no obstruction in the throat that is
causing the problem. Most of the time, things get back to normal and the puppy or dog will
continue on his merry way.
MY BABY’S MOUTH SMELLS BAD, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Often times, in young puppies, you may have an occasional bad breath problem. This is
often due to some baby teeth being stuck and that have not fallen normally. While visiting
your veterinarian, sometimes these baby teeth can be removed manually without
anesthesia if a bit loose, and within a few days’ time, after the gums heal from the tiny
extraction, your puppy’s breath should go back to normal. If constant bad breath is
noticed, this is probably due to baby teeth that are stuck and adult teeth coming out. This
should be seen to, and the stuck baby teeth removed during the sterilisation of the puppy.
Therefore, when visiting your veterinarian and before sterilisation is done, ask him to
check if any teeth are stuck, and instruct him to remove any of these teeth at the same time
the sterilisation is done. This will save you money and less stress for the puppy if he need
not be put to sleep as often for such intervention to be done. You might want to brush
your puppy’s teeth daily to assure better gum and teeth maintenance and help with
plaque, which is often the cause of bad breath as the the puppy matures.
You would use a doggy toothpaste, NOT human toothpaste
There are many flavors to choose from that your puppy may love. You would use a small
human baby toothbrush for this purpose. You would start at the back teeth towards the
front. Some puppies do struggle when you start this practice but eventually will see it as full
time if you are persistent. If he stuggles too much, then start with your finger, putting some
paste on your finger and just rubbing the gums eventually graduating to the brush very
slowly. Chihuahuas do have teeth problems sometimes, having such a small mouth, and
teeth can get crowded so that plaque accumulates very quickly. If this happens then every 2
or 3 years have your puppy’s teeth cleaned by your veterinarian. If you opt for daily teeth
brushing you might save quite a bit, and you may not need the vetenarian to do this for you.
Bad teeth and bad breath can cause other conditions which could be detrimental to your
puppy’s health, so good hygiene for the gums and teeth would be beneficial. If you do not
have the patience for this daily practice, do check to have your puppy’s teeth cleaned
regularly as per your veterinarians advice.
Bad breath can also indicate digestive problems and can be looked after by your
veterinarian. So make sure his teeth are clean, no baby teeth are stuck and your baby’s
breath should be fine. Dry kibble is best also with this breed as it tends to scrape the teeth
more, leaving less plaque deposits.
A COLAR OR A HARNESS?
We STRONGLY recommend a cat harness and leash for your CHIHUAHUA puppy.
A CHIHUAHUA puppy can easily get out of a color and escape. So be careful and choose a
tiny cat harness when they are puppies and graduate to a larger harness should it ever be
needed. Often a cat harness can be used for the life of your puppy. You would always use
the harness even if you are holding your puppy outdoors. This way if ever your puppy got
scared for some reason and jump out of your arms you would have something to hold him to
prevent a fatal blow to the head. You may start by just putting the harness on your puppy
getting him used to this for a while. He will probably scratch and not want it on him but
eventually the harness will become like a second skin. It will then be easier to bring him
outdoors with the leash.
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For continued good health, you must have your baby vaccinated with a SECOND set of shots
and possibly a THIRD set of shots depending at what age he has left the breeder’s care and
what he has received while in the breeders’ home. Check with your veterinarian for further
worming should it prove necessary. Regular stool sample examination (about every 6 months
to 1 year or so) is a good practice to assure your baby is not infested with any kind of worm.
Most of the breeders of our website will have used the worming product named STRONGID
or REVOLUTION. Your puppy will have most likely received worming medication possibly
2 times before leaving the breeder’s home.
STRONGID is a very mild worming product and you should follow your veterinarian’s
advice concerning future wormings should it prove necessary. Worms can weaken your
puppy’s immune system, so do take care not to expose your puppy to other dog’s excrements,
where worms can be transmitted by a puppy licking such excrement. If a puppy licks a dog or
licks the genital areas of another dog that has worms, your puppy could easily get worms in
this fashion, so do be careful. Be CAUTIOUS when taking your puppy to a local park or
letting him socialize with other puppies or dogs who may be infected with parasites. Caution is
the key to keeping your puppy in the best of health and well protected.
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RABBIES
Your baby will most likely NOT have been given the RABBIES VACCINE.
Normally, this vaccine is not given before the age 3 or 4 months to chihuahua puppies.
If you adopt a puppy that is over the 4 or 5 month’s of age, he may have received the Rabbies
vaccine. So check with the breeder concerning this point, but it should be inscribed in the
puppy’s health certificate if it has been administered. Usually this vaccine should be
administered around 3 to 4 months for chihuahua puppies. This vaccine would be
administered the 1st and 2nd year and then would be administered only every 3 years normally.
It is no longer necessary to vaccinate against Rabbies yearly, and especially not for this breed,
as they are house pets most of the time, and very rarely exposed to the great outdoors such as
bigger dogs would be. Usually staying at home or on personal property, they very rarely, if
ever would be infested by such a problem as rabbies, which is in fact, extremely rare in
Canada.
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NUTRITION
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We do include a puppy pack when puppies leave for their new homes.
WHAT IS A PUPPY PACK?
Normally, this pack would include: A ROYAL CANIN (MINI) DRY PUPPY FOOD as we
use this product exclusively in our breeding program.
We may also include some HUMAN baby meats/broth and\or some sort of puppy canned
foods, dog cookies, raw non-colored beef bones, toys made from puppy safe products without
removable parts, chew ropes etc. KEEP in mind that the products that the breeder does
furnish for your puppy is what the breeder gives himself to the puppies during their stay with
in the breeder’s home . All products used have proven to be very important factors in
regards to the health of our puppies and also our adult dogs. We only use the very best
products on the market to ensure continued good health for all our adults in order to produce
strong and healthy puppies.
If you wish to make changes to the puppy’s diet, make
them only after discussing these possible changes with
your breeder or your own veterinarian. DO NOT OFFER
new products to the puppy as he may easily suffer from stomach cramps, very loose bowels
or other ailments. Treat your new puppy just as you would a new born baby. Any changes in
diet could be detrimental to his health at this early age. Your puppy does not need anything
else, as all foods provided are extremely rich and hearty and good for your puppy’s
continued health.
SO THAT MEANS NO TABLE SCRAPS AND NO SPECIAL TREATS.
All the foods in your puppy pack are quite sufficient to satisfy your new baby. Wait until the
puppy is well over the 4 month mark to introduce new products into his diet if that is your
choice.
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When administrating any medication or worming pill to your puppy, use some canned food (1
teaspoon) and put the crushed pill mixed in. The puppy will normally eat it not realizing the
product is in the food and it makes it easier for you. Ask your vet for some NUTRI-PET for
your puppy if it has not been provided by the breeder with the Puppy Pack. You will give your
puppy 1 inch in length of this product once a day. This can be continued for 2 to 3 weeks during
the first weeks at home with you. When the puppy is eating right and sufficiently, the Nutri-Pet
need not be continued but kept just in case of illness or sugar lows. It is a vitamin/mineral
supplement and an extra booster for your baby. This product is used more with tinies than the
puppies that would be from 4 to 7 or 8 pounds as adults.
Always keep NUTRI-PET in your chihuahua doggy pharmacy, just in case.
Canned foods, may be given to the very tiny chihuahuas or those more likely to suffer from
sugar lows. You would serve 2 teaspoons at the morning meal and 2 teaspoons at the
nighttime meal. Some tinies never require this so go by what your breeder has recommended.
In between these servings of canned, you always leave the dry kibble at the puppy’s disposal
with fresh water and watch that he eats well daily.
Since SUGAR LOWS or HYPOGLYCEMIA can show up in the very small puppies it is VERY
IMPORTANT to make sure your baby has eaten enough on a daily basis. For all other
chihuahua babies of larger sizes, usually it is NOT a problem.
IF A PUPPY DOES NOT EAT ON ANY GIVEN DAY, THIS IS A
SIGN THAT SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY WRONG.
DON’T LET THE PUPPY GO THE SLEEP IF HE HAS NOT EATEN
FOR A WHOLE DAY. HAVE HIM CHECKED BY YOUR VET AS
THIS IS NOT NORMAL BEHAVIOR. This may mean he is suffering
from worm infectation and this is upsetting him. Always check then
for either COCCIDIOSIS or GIARDIA which are often the cause of
distress in young puppies.
A PUPPY IS ALWAYS HUNGRY AND CURIOUS TO EAT AND IF HE DOES NOT, AND
NOTHING IN HIS BOWL HAS BEEN TOUCHED ALL DAY, THERE MUST BE
SOMETHING NOT GOING RIGHT. A GOOD QUALITY KIBBLE WILL SATISFY A
PUPPY’S APPETITE MUCH BETTER THAN CHEAP KIBBLE, SO HE MAY EAT ½ a cup
to 1/3 CUP OF GOOD QUALITY KIBBLE, BUT MAY REQUIRE MUCH MORE IF THE
KIBBLE IS NOT OF GOOD QUALITY, SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. The cheaper kibble may
keep him FAT, so you really do not want that for your puppy or older chihuahua.
Sometimes, just chewing up the litter newspaper or plastic toy can
cause stomach upsets, so be careful about what your puppy chews.
Always purchase puppy safe toys, which means, no detachable parts,
and make sure to check any toys which comprise a squeaker of any
kind, as some squeakers are only glued onto the toy and not
integrated into or inside the toy. Latex toys are better than rubber
toys, as rubber can be chewed during the teething period and pieces
could be swallowed by your puppy. Those tiny baby teeth are very
sharp and can easily detach pieces of rubber. REMOVE any
produding eyes from toys as these can be chewed and removed by the
puppy and swallowed. The key is, ALWAYS play it safe.
If your puppy has not eaten for 24 hours he could easily develop HYPOGLYCEMIC
SYMPTOMS and could go into shock, so be very cautious. Too much running around,
exhaustion and not eating enough can all lead to HYPOGLYCEMIC SYMPTOMS. Good
eating habits and lots of rest is the key to a healthy and happy puppy. DO NOT LET
visitors or young children run around with a chihuahua puppy and avoid letting your baby
play with larger pets at first that could exhaust him. These factors are all very important. It is
not rare for this breed to become tired very easily, so do be careful.
HERE ARE SYMPTOMS TO LOOK FOR WHICH MEANS YOUR BABY IS IN SUGAR
SHOCK OR IS HAVING A HYPOGLYCEMIA EPISODE:
The puppy does not easily lift his head, his temperature drops, puppy
does not move much, his head stays back and his body is rather stiff
or just limp, his jaws may become stiff to the point of not opening
the mouth and his gums are of a pale color not pink as it should be.
If any of these symptoms occur, your puppy is probably having a hypoglycemia episode.
GET the NUTRI-PET or some corn sirup, honey or mix 1 large teaspoon of sugar in ½ cup of
water. Get your puppy to take 1 or 2 inches of the NUTRI-PET by forcing it into his mouth
slowly and letting him swallow. Do the same if using corn sirup or honey. If using the
sugar/water, use an eye dropper and put a bit in his mouth drop by drop and let him swallow
or use a seringe with the needle removed which is always practical to keep in your puppy
pharmacy. If the symptoms do not go away within ½ hour and your puppy does not seem to
respond within that time, GO TO THE VETERINARIAN IMMEDIATELY as this may be a
high risk factor situation and will need the vet’s help in order to snap out of it using other
products to get the puppy back to a normal state.
If your baby is already in a coma because of HYPOGLYCEMIA DO NOT WASTE ONE
MINUTE AND GET TO THE VET’S OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.
We do advise all new parents to be patient and use good judgment the first few months at
Some people carry the tinies
home with this breed and especially with the tinies.
in their arms for too long periods of time, not giving them a
chance to explore things on the ground. This is NOT a good
idea. Puppies may get thirsty or hungry, and if carried for long
periods of time will miss out on a meal they need. They are smaller than
many other breeds and do require special care. They are otherwise normally very strong
individuals and will do quite well if all the care is given to assure good health.
Visitors are great, but too much handling at an early age will exhaust a tiny puppy. Keep him
safe, put him in his bed when you see he is getting tired and let no one disturb him during his
rest periods. Waking him up to show off your baby is not a good idea. Everybody will have
plenty of time during waking hours to enjoy the new arrival.
Keep your chihuahua away from cold and drafty floors. He is rather sensitive to cold or too
much heat .
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THE MOLERA
Since the molera may never close for some chihuahuas, it is very
important never to drop this breed, and especially on the head area. Falls
can be fatal for them , so do use caution.
Unfortunately, some people and many veterinarians not familiar with the
CHIHUAHUA BREED, have tried to link the mere presence of a molera with the
condition known as hydrocephalus, and some we have found have stated that the
mere presence of of a hole at the top of the head area, called the MOLERA or
FONTANELLE, will also lead to convulsions later on in life. This has caused many
newcomers to the breed serious concern and quite a few new parents visiting their
veterinarians for the first time with their baby chihuahua, have been told that this
is a defect. The TRUTH is, that a domed head with a MOLERA present DOES NOT
predispose the Chihuahua to these conditions. In "Diseases of the Brain" 1989,
Green & Braund stated that many clinically normal toy breeds may have OPEN
FONTANELLES (molera) without being associated with hydrocephalus. Drs. Walters
and Rivers, Veterinarians at the University of Minnesota concluded that, there did
not appear to be any relationship between the presence or size of a fontanelle
(molera) and the condition of hydrocephalus. Dr. Alexander de Lahunta of Cornell
University in New York, one of the top neurologist in this country, stated that it
would be WRONG to conclude that any opening is abnormal. While it would be
impossible to list all the medical documentation, these are just a few included here,
and are perfectly clear, and do state, that the presence of a molera DOES
NOT mean the dog has a medical problem.
If you need any information or assistance, we urge you to contact the breeder FIRST. Many
veterinarians do not have much knowledge concerning this breed and often could treat a
chihuahua puppy with too much medication. Over accination is also an issue with this breed.
Discussing your concerns with the breeder would be suggested, as the breeder is surely your
best link and source of information about this breed. As chihuahua breeders who raised and
breed for many years we therefore understand their needs and would generally be able to
assess a problem quickly and find a solution.
If veterinary care is the only solution, then by all means you must care for your puppy in this
case, but normally, the breeder can help you out in many minor, non-urgent situations.
We are always available to answers questions, so don’t hesitate to ask after you’ve taken your
baby home.
Our commitment is in helping all new parents successfully raise their new addition.