FOR NEW CHIHUAHUA OWNERS

In lots of ways, bringing a new Chihuahua pup to your home is a lot like bringing home a newborn human baby. There are some things to watch for and some do’s and don’ts that are helpful.

MOST IMPORTANT!! Chihuahuas may be susceptible to a form of low blood sugar called hypoglycemia. You probably won’t experience it but in the event that you do, it is an emergency! A little sugar given to your Chi in some form, may save his life.

A little about hypoglycemia: Small dogs,Chihuahuas especially, have a very small fat reserve around the liver. Whey they get stressed for some reason (like going to a new home), or if they play too hard (using a lot of energy), or miss a meal, the fat reserve is used up and the body will begin to draw upon the blood sugar for energy. If this condition is left unchecked, the dog will grow progressively weaker until it falls into a coma and will eventually die.

The good news is that this condition is easily arrested and puppies who do experience hypoglycemia will usually outgrow it by 16 weeks of age. You should try to keep his stress level as low as possible during the critical period. The most dangerous period is between 6 and 10 weeks of age. During that time frame the puppy is weaned from the dam, wormed, vaccinated, bathed, his toenails are trimmed and sometimes he is sold to a new environment. Also, the immunity that a puppy gets from the mother’s first milk will drop off somewhere around the 9th week and that will increase his vulnerability to virus and bacteria. All together, these factors contribute to a very stressful time for the little Chi. Some puppies breeze right through it and some have problems.

Signs of hypoglycemia vary; usually the Chi will get a sad forlorn look on its face, then it will become inactive, eventually staggering, falling down, or just laying down, followed by what looks like sleep. This sleeplike condition will turn into a form of tooth-clenching seizures and spasms, followed by a comatose condition and eventually death. Not all symptoms may be seen at any one time, so watch for any lethargic behavior or lack of coordination. If your puppy seems too sleepy, wake him up, stand him up and make sure he stands and can walk normally. If he lies back down, falls or staggers, then get some sugar into him. If you are unsure of how to proceed, call your breeder or veterinarian immediately.

Hypoglycemia is seen most often in the smaller Chihuahuas, but we caution all new owners to watch your puppy carefully until he is at least 16 weeks of age. Many breeders will not even sell a puppy until it is 12 weeks old. This is a judgment call by the breeder as to when the puppy is strong enough to leave. Once that call is made,the new owner has to take over and become the puppy’s guardian. It is hard to hold the breeders responsible for hypoglycemia when they aren’t there.

We find that the best source of sugar for your Chi is to put a little Nutri-Cal Vitamin Paste, Light Karo Syrup or honey into their drinking water (1/2 tsp.) once a day or directly into the Chi’s mouth. This should keep their sugar at the proper level. Give a little more on “stressful” days. In severe cases where the Chi is unconscious and unable to swallow, a veterinarian may have to inject a glucose solution into the Chi’s bloodstream. One good idea is to make sure your Chi eats just prior to his being out of your sight for any extended period of time. You can also give him a tad of one of the above sugars just before you leave him. NO CANDY! You must make sure to leave some food and water available so the dog can eat while you are away. Some Chi’s are nibblers that eat very slowly and some are finicky so take that into account and leave him with nutrition that is tempting enough that he will eat something while you are not there.

Stress can be a real problem to Chihuahuas. Some reasons are: being sold and taken to a new environment, a temporarily depressed immune system caused by vaccinations, a radical and sudden change of diet and being terribly frightened by something. Some things humans might considers being of little consequence, such as trimming toenails or bathing him, can be terrifying to him. Like people though, some handle stress better than others. The point is that you should minimize stress in his life whenever possible and keep him eating to offset any possible bouts of stress-induced hypoglycemia.

Stress induced cough in a Chihuahua is not uncommon. Sometimes they will have a horrible gagging cough or backward like sneeze and someone may try to convince you that it is “kennel cough” and that your pup will die. This condition is usually temporary and will go away as he becomes accustomed to his new home. Some Chi’s will continue this all their life if they get too excited or stressed. Just pet him and get him to calm down and he will be fine. There are other conditions that can cause a dog to cough, but if by calming him this works after a few minutes, don’t worry.

A change in diet can also cause a Chi’s bowel movements to become loose for awhile. Sometimes stress, a change of homes or even the sugar supplement can cause this. It will clear up too. Don’t Panic! Give him a little time.

If he is a finicky eater, try him on cottage cheese, boiled chicken, steak (cut in tiny pieces), scrambled eggs or any source of high protein that he will eat (within reason). Do not give him whole milk (hard on the digestive system), chocolate (poison to a dog’s system), raw eggs (at least the white part) or bones (bones will splinter and damage the intestinal tract) of any kind!!!

Isolation is the best form of protection for a new puppy until it has had enough vaccinations in his system to begin building its own immunity. Parvo and other problems can be brought into the environment on the bottom of shoes, clothing, other animals or by humans who have been exposed to an infected animal. This is an airborne virus. If your puppy is under 16 weeks of age it is a good idea to keep him away from other animals as much as possible and to have friends and family wash their hands before they handle the new Chi. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to exposing your new puppy to outside and other animals.

Watch your puppy carefully the first few days after you take him home. You will learn what is his normal behavior patterns. Monitor his eating habits, bowel movements, play patterns and sleep times. Most puppies have 2 speeds, full speed ahead and “crash”. Any time you see variations in behavior that trouble you, don’t hesitate to your vet. With Chihuahuas it is better to address a potential problem before he is in serious trouble. These little dogs are pretty fragile until they reach 4-6 months of age. After that, Chihuahuas are very hearty little dogs. They require very little grooming and they live a long time. Feed the best foods available and your Chi’s immune system will be sturdy well into its old age. Chi’s don’t usually eat much so you won’t go broke feeding them. You will probably save money because good nutrition now will prevent system breakdowns later on in life. “He is what you feed him...so to speak.”

By all means, fight fleas!!!! Puppies can literally become anemic if they are being eaten alive by fleas. Fleas carry tapeworm larvae and dogs get tapeworms by ingesting a flea. Tapeworms deprive the puppy of nutrition and that can lead to hypoglycemia!

By all means, find a vet that you and your Chi will be comfortable with. I suggest you find one that is very knowledgeable with the toy breeds, especially Chihuahuas. Like in any field, there are good ones and not so good ones. And always get a second opinion if you are not comfortable with the first one. Some will try to get you to "buy" everything.

You should also have your Chi's sleeping quarters ready. Whether you crate train, which I find the best way, or not, is totally up to you. But my Chi's love their bed and it is a place where they can feel safe and totally theirs. This is especially nice when you have more company than usual, like on the holidays, etc. It will not add extra stress if they have their own place.

A little bit of information and common sense can keep a Chihuahua with you for years to come. Take some time to study Chihuahuas, especially your own, and never hesitate to call your breeder or vet. Remember, they will be a part of your family for many happy years.