 The Chihuahua, as a breed, is sturdy and should not be delicate, however, with the popularity of miniature anything, ignorant and/or unscrupulous breeders out there actually endorse the mythical "teacup" ideal and create dogs that are tiny, weak, unhealthy, and frail. Because of this, this section will address health concerns for both normal Chihuahuas and those that are not so lucky.Concerns you may have or should watch for:
"Sorry, we don't have any teacups available. We don't carry any teapots either."
Heart Problems ñ especially the runts, er..ahemÖ"teacup" variety
Let us first define a distinction between what is a runt and what is merely small. A runt is commonly the smallest dog in the litter ñ in the case of Chihuahuas, that is not always a bad thing. So we will agree, for the
time being, that the runt is actually a dog who is not as advanced developmentally as its littermates. Most of the time, this will result in the dog being smaller as well as having other problems. Merely being small but otherwise healthy does not signify being labeled as a runt. Considering that an average, healthy Chihuahua is maybe 3 to 4 pounds in size, how much smaller can a person possibly want? Most responsible breeders won't even breed dogs
under that size because the health of the dog is the priority.There are a variety of heart problems that exist but what seems to be more common, especially in runts, are enlarged hearts and holes in one of the ventricles. These conditions are not necessarily fatal but can be without proper diagnosis and treatment. In California, UC Davis is probably the ultimate authority on these issues. "How cute! The kids have taught Chico to skip!"
Patella Luxation
Patellas are the rear "knees" of the dog. It's kind of a ball that slides along a groove. There are two fundamental reasons a bone will come out of that groove, or luxate. One is that the groove deteriorates, causing a shallowness so that the bone slides off the track, so to speak. The other is due to the tendon holding the bone into the groove to pull it out. What causes breeders so much concern is that the causes for either of
these things to happen are manyÖthe main one being genetic. Breeders try to be very careful about ensuring that dogs with a predisposition to patella luxation are not bred because it's a painful, debilitation condition, not unlike hip dysplasia in larger breeds.A dog can damage the patella the same way a human can pull a muscle. Sometimes it all at once and sometimes
it's due to strain over a period of time. A breeder should have enough data on their lines to tell if there is a patella problem or not Being a recessive gene, it is possible to eradicate, but not easily. It also may be in a line but not necessarily obvious. "Ack! My dog has a hole in its head!"
Moleras and Hydrocephalus
Moleras are the soft spot on the head. ON human babies, they are called fontanels and are expected to close
over a period of time. In Chihuahuas, they may or may not and it is simply a breed peculiarity! There are plenty of veterinarians out there who believe that the existence of a molera is due to a condition called hydrocephalus, a fatal condition of the brain. While it is a possibility, if your dog is more than a few months old ñ you have nothing to worry about! In some cultures, a Chihuahua is not considered purebred unless it has a small
molera! If the molera is exceptionally large or if there are several holes, talk to your breeder or a veterinarian experienced with the breed. "Why is my dog making that crazy sound? Does it HURT?"
Wheezing, Snorking, and Collapsing Tracheas
Chihuahua people refer to it as 'snorking' or "Reverse Sneezing". Most of the time, it's not a problem,
especially if your dog has just become excited or just had some cold water. You can pet them, stroke their throats or plug their noses to force them to swallow. Any of these remedies will help.If your dog tends to do this for a long period of time, their eyes bulge a bit or it just really bothers you ñ take them in and check for a collapsing trachea. This is a condition these little guys are prone to, so even if your dog never
had a problem when younger, age or weight gain [notably, the two together] can still cause this to happen. Sometime, it is hard for the vet to diagnose unless they go through it in the vet's office. In any case, if you suspect this, or any of the other items mentioned here, may be happening to your Chihuahua, take them to a veterinarian familiar with Toy Breeds right away! |
