Rocky Mountain Chihuahuas
Health problems in the Chihuahua Breed....
This advice is not intended to replace the advice of a veterinarian. The info you read below is just some of the health issues Chihuahuas are more prone to. This does not mean they all have it or anything like it. I am just posting this to make people aware. Please do not freak out, as all breeds have certain things they are more prone to.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is a common ailment in toy breed dogs like Chihuahuas. Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar. The pancreas makes the hormone insulin, when there is too much insulin the body can develop hypoglycemia. Chihuahuas and other toy breed dogs can develop hypoglycemia even when they are healthy because they don't have the fat stores to use for energy, and their liver can not produce enough sugar to use as energy.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia: Symptoms include but are not limited to: Slow heartbeat and breathing, weak, sleepy, disoriented, wobbly, glassy eyed, and seizures. In some cases pets may lose consciousness and fall into a coma. Pets can die from hypoglycemia if they do not receive treatment.
Treatment for hypoglycemia: If you notice your pet is acting wobbly or weak try giving some treats or canned food, anything you know your pet will eat. If your pet won't eat, try giving it some sugar, Karo syrup works the best. Rub the syrup on the gums and under the tongue if your pet is unconscious. If your pet is not unconscious and can swallow you can give the sugar with a needleless syringe. If your pets blood sugar drops it may also begin to suffer with hypothermia, so you'll need to help keep your cat or dog warm with a hot water bottle and blankets. A milk jug filled with steaming hot water makes a good hot water bottle in a pinch. This treatment can also work with puppies and kittens who are failing to thrive. After giving initial first aid get your pet to your veterinarian immidiately.
Additional information: If you own a toy breed dog you should feed 3 small meals a day to help avoid hypoglycemia. Some owners mix KCorn syrup in the drinking water, if you do this the water should be changed daily to avoid bacteria growth. Hypoglycemia is very dangerous and can kill a dog or cat if left without treatment.
Patella Luxation
Patella luxation is probably the most common defect in the Chihuahua breed.OFA(Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) lists the Chihuahua as having a 10% affected rate, however, this may very well be quite underestimated as people who have a dog with Patella luxation might not even submit the paperwork to OFA. Although patella luxation is fairly easy to diagnose, some breeders are unaware that they do have a problem (they think that if their dogs are walking around fine, they don't have any problems), or are not checking their dogs properly. A skilled veterinarian can easily determine if a Chihuahua has any looseness in the patella joint, or if the patella itself luxates. A breeder can also become skilled, if properly taught, to determine if a dog has patella luxation or not.
Patella luxation can either have genetic causes, or environmental causes (i.e. injury). If patella luxation shows up at an early age (under 7 months or so), it is probably due to genetic causes; however, injury might also cause patella luxation to show up in the first seven months. Sources of injury could include being overweight, too much jumping (i.e. jumping off furniture), or too much stress on the patella and surrounding ligaments (ie. a dog dancing on its rear legs). These causes are especially dangerous when a Chihuahua is in the developmental stages...from a young puppy to 1 or 2 years of age. Chihuahuas might also damage their kneecap by hitting it, and even an unskilled veterinarian might cause permanent looseness if he is forcibly trying to see if the patella is loose. As a Chihuahua ages, slight looseness might be seen, especially in dogs that are very overweight and have continued pressure on the ligaments/patella.
Visual signs of grade 2 (and higher) patella luxation includes skipping, holding the rear leg up for a short time as the dog walks/runs or rear-leg weakness. Grade 1 patella luxation does not usually have any visual signs (which is why some breeders might be unaware they have a problem) except the patella can manually be pushed out of place quite easily by hand. Patella luxation can cause permanent lameness later on, as well as arthritis, especially in the more serious cases (grade 2 and higher).
If your dog does have this painful problem, your veterinarian might be able to give you some options to help alleviate the symptoms, depending on the seriousness of the problem. This might include keeping the dog lean (ie. not letting the dog get fat), the use of joint supplements such as glucosamine/choroditin, pain killers, or surgery.
Reverse Sneeze
Occasional bouts of sneezing, snorting, honking and wheezing are not unusual in chihuahuas, and is sometimes called a "reverse sneeze". This is usually caused by a elongated soft palate that is thought to become temporarily misaligned. It is a common trait in toy breeds. Pulling hard on a leash, drinking too fast or getting overly excited can lead to an episode of reverse sneezing. Reverse sneezing SHOULD NOT be confused with a different condition called "collapsed trachea". Although reverse sneezing may appear to be scary, it only lasts a short time and can be ended by massaging the dog's neck and throat and encouraging the dog to swallow or lick. Another way to slow the reverse sneeze is to clap your hands to distract the dog, or pinch closed the dog's nostrils with your fingers, forcing it to breathe through its mouths and to swallow.
Molera
A molera or soft spot on the top of the head is similar to a human baby's fontanel and is considered a breed characteristic not a defect. Most Chihuahuas have an open molera that is there for the life of the dog. It will not be a problem as long as you're gentle when petting or handling his head. In rare cases, the molera remains quite large and can be a sign of a serious problem called hydrocephalus.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is a common ailment in toy breed dogs like Chihuahuas. Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar. The pancreas makes the hormone insulin, when there is too much insulin the body can develop hypoglycemia. Chihuahuas and other toy breed dogs can develop hypoglycemia even when they are healthy because they don't have the fat stores to use for energy, and their liver can not produce enough sugar to use as energy.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia: Symptoms include but are not limited to: Slow heartbeat and breathing, weak, sleepy, disoriented, wobbly, glassy eyed, and seizures. In some cases pets may lose consciousness and fall into a coma. Pets can die from hypoglycemia if they do not receive treatment.
Treatment for hypoglycemia: If you notice your pet is acting wobbly or weak try giving some treats or canned food, anything you know your pet will eat. If your pet won't eat, try giving it some sugar, Karo syrup works the best. Rub the syrup on the gums and under the tongue if your pet is unconscious. If your pet is not unconscious and can swallow you can give the sugar with a needleless syringe. If your pets blood sugar drops it may also begin to suffer with hypothermia, so you'll need to help keep your cat or dog warm with a hot water bottle and blankets. A milk jug filled with steaming hot water makes a good hot water bottle in a pinch. This treatment can also work with puppies and kittens who are failing to thrive. After giving initial first aid get your pet to your veterinarian immidiately.
Additional information: If you own a toy breed dog you should feed 3 small meals a day to help avoid hypoglycemia. Some owners mix KCorn syrup in the drinking water, if you do this the water should be changed daily to avoid bacteria growth. Hypoglycemia is very dangerous and can kill a dog or cat if left without treatment.
Patella Luxation
Patella luxation is probably the most common defect in the Chihuahua breed.OFA(Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) lists the Chihuahua as having a 10% affected rate, however, this may very well be quite underestimated as people who have a dog with Patella luxation might not even submit the paperwork to OFA. Although patella luxation is fairly easy to diagnose, some breeders are unaware that they do have a problem (they think that if their dogs are walking around fine, they don't have any problems), or are not checking their dogs properly. A skilled veterinarian can easily determine if a Chihuahua has any looseness in the patella joint, or if the patella itself luxates. A breeder can also become skilled, if properly taught, to determine if a dog has patella luxation or not.
Patella luxation can either have genetic causes, or environmental causes (i.e. injury). If patella luxation shows up at an early age (under 7 months or so), it is probably due to genetic causes; however, injury might also cause patella luxation to show up in the first seven months. Sources of injury could include being overweight, too much jumping (i.e. jumping off furniture), or too much stress on the patella and surrounding ligaments (ie. a dog dancing on its rear legs). These causes are especially dangerous when a Chihuahua is in the developmental stages...from a young puppy to 1 or 2 years of age. Chihuahuas might also damage their kneecap by hitting it, and even an unskilled veterinarian might cause permanent looseness if he is forcibly trying to see if the patella is loose. As a Chihuahua ages, slight looseness might be seen, especially in dogs that are very overweight and have continued pressure on the ligaments/patella.
Visual signs of grade 2 (and higher) patella luxation includes skipping, holding the rear leg up for a short time as the dog walks/runs or rear-leg weakness. Grade 1 patella luxation does not usually have any visual signs (which is why some breeders might be unaware they have a problem) except the patella can manually be pushed out of place quite easily by hand. Patella luxation can cause permanent lameness later on, as well as arthritis, especially in the more serious cases (grade 2 and higher).
If your dog does have this painful problem, your veterinarian might be able to give you some options to help alleviate the symptoms, depending on the seriousness of the problem. This might include keeping the dog lean (ie. not letting the dog get fat), the use of joint supplements such as glucosamine/choroditin, pain killers, or surgery.
Reverse Sneeze
Occasional bouts of sneezing, snorting, honking and wheezing are not unusual in chihuahuas, and is sometimes called a "reverse sneeze". This is usually caused by a elongated soft palate that is thought to become temporarily misaligned. It is a common trait in toy breeds. Pulling hard on a leash, drinking too fast or getting overly excited can lead to an episode of reverse sneezing. Reverse sneezing SHOULD NOT be confused with a different condition called "collapsed trachea". Although reverse sneezing may appear to be scary, it only lasts a short time and can be ended by massaging the dog's neck and throat and encouraging the dog to swallow or lick. Another way to slow the reverse sneeze is to clap your hands to distract the dog, or pinch closed the dog's nostrils with your fingers, forcing it to breathe through its mouths and to swallow.
Molera
A molera or soft spot on the top of the head is similar to a human baby's fontanel and is considered a breed characteristic not a defect. Most Chihuahuas have an open molera that is there for the life of the dog. It will not be a problem as long as you're gentle when petting or handling his head. In rare cases, the molera remains quite large and can be a sign of a serious problem called hydrocephalus.
