IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE SHEDDING ASPECT OF THE TWO DIFFERENT COATS, YOU MAY BE VERY SURPRISED. SMOOTH COATS SHED YEAR AROUND. WHERE AS LONG COATS SHED SEASONAL (TWICE A YEAR).
JUST A NOTE: IF YOU COME TO PICK UP YOUR NEW PUP, YOU'LL NOTICE MOTHER'S COAT MAY NOT BE AS THICK, LONG AND FULL AS IT IS IN HER PHOTOS. MOTHERS "BLOW" OR "DROP" THEIR COATS SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER HAVING THEIR PUPS, CHANCES ARE SHE WILL BE "OUT OF COAT", AND NOT LOOKING HER BEST WHEN HER PUPS ARE READY FOR THEIR NEW HOMES. IF YOU WATCH MY VIDEOS....IT IS NOTICABLE.
HYPOGLYCEMIA
HYPOGLYCEMIA IS WHEN THE BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS FALL BELOW NORMAL. IT IS OFTEN SEEN IN TOY PUPPIES, MOST OF THE TIME THIS IS PREVENTED BY EATING A HIGH QUALITY DOG FOOD. GLUCOSE IS WHAT THE BODY USES AS FUEL AND IS NECESSARY FOR THE BRAIN TISSUE AND MUSCLES TO FUNCTION. TYPICAL SYMPTOMS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA ARE: LETHARGY, CONFUSED, DISORIENTED, DROWSY, HAVE THE SHIVERS, LISTLESSNESS THEY CAN QUICKLY COLLAPSE, HAVE SEIZURES AND FALL INTO COMA. IF NOT TREATED IT CAN RESULT IN DEATH. EPISODES OF HYPOGLYCEMIA OFTEN OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING. A PUPPY MAY BE STRESSED BY SHIPPING OR A MISSED MEAL, BEING CHILLED, OR EVEN EXHAUSTION FROM TO MUCH PLAY,BECAUSE OF THEIR TINY SIZE TOY PUPPIES CANNOT EAT A LOT AT ONE TIME, SO THEY RUN OUT OF FUEL QUICKLY. PUPPIES SHOULD BE FREE FED (HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR FOOD THROUGHOUT THE DAY) THEY NEED A HIGH QUALITY DIET. IT IS WISE TO HAVE NUTRICAL, HONEY OR KARO SYRUP ON HAND IN CASE YOU HAVE TO GET THEIR SUGAR LEVEL UP, IT MUST BE DONE QUICKLY. IF THE PUP CAN'T LAP IT UP ON ITS OWN INSERT A FINGER INTO THE CORNER OF THE PUPS MOUTH , COVERED WITH NUTRICAL ,HONEY OR KARO SYRUP. ONCE IT GETS A TASTE OF IT , IT WILL START LICKING IT AND WILL START TO RECOVER. IF ATTACKS CONTINUE OR ARE FREQUENT, TAKE THE PUPPY TO THE VET IMMEDIATELY.
REVERSE SNEEZING
REVERSE SNEEZING IS VERY COMMON IN CHIHUAHUAS. THIS IS OCCASIONAL BOUTS OF SNEEZING, SNORTING, HONKING AND WHEEZING. THIS IS CAUSED BY A ELONGATED SOFT PALATE THAT IS THOUGHT TO BECOME TEMPORARILY MISALIGNED. IT IS A COMMON TRAIT IN TOY BREEDS. IT IS NOT A HARMFUL CONDITION. THE DOG IS COMPLETELY NORMAL BEFORE AND AFTER THE EPISODE.
YOGURT
PLAIN YOGURT CAN SAVE YOUR PUPPYS LIFE.I RECOMMEND TO HAVE SOME ON HAND WHEN YOU TAKE HOME YOUR NEW PUP. MAKE SURE THE LABEL HAS "ACIDOPHILUS" NOT ASPARTAME. STRESS OCCURS WHEN ANYTHING OCCURES OUT OF THE ORDINARY. LIKE TAKING A PUP TO ITS NEW HOME,WORMING,SHOTS, SHIPPING, RIDING. THEY ALL CREATE STRESS. STRESS KILLS OFF THE GOOD BACTERIA IN THE G.I. TRACT. PLAIN YOGURT PUTS THE BACTERIA BACK INTO THEIR SYSTEM. SO FEED THEM SOME FOR THE FIRST FEW DAYS UNTIL THEY ADJUST TO THEIR NEW ENVIRONMENT.
ANY SIGNS OF VOMITING OR DIARRHEA MUST BE TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY! IT DOES NOT TAKE MUCH FOR YOUR PUPPY TO BECOME DEHYDRATED. IF YOUR PUP SEEMS TO FEEL GOOD BUT HAS LOOSE STOOL, FROM SOMETHING NEW, YOU CAN GIVE IT 1/2 BABY DOSE OF KAOPECTATE (ONLY) OR 2 CC OF YOGART TWICE A DAY. IF THIS DOES NOT WORK IN EIGHT HOURS TAKE IT TO THE VET.
THE CHIHUAHUA IS A DELIGHTFUL CHARACTER. PEOPLE HAVE COME TO ADORE THE CHIHUAHUA FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, INCLUDING ITS SMALL SIZE, TEMPERAMENT, INTELLIGENCE, COAT TYPES AND COLOR RANGE, AND LONGEVITY.
CHIHUAHUAS LIVE LONG LIVES, WELL INTO THEIR TEENS. ONE OF THE REASONS FOR SUCH A LONG LIFE SPAN IS THAT THE BREED HAS NEARLY NO LIFE-THREATING DISEASES TO WHICH IT IS GENETICALLY PREDISPOSED.
I FEED MY DOGS/PUPS, "DIAMOND" SMALL BREED KIBBLE. (BLUE BAG)(SOLD AT A PET MART OR THE GRANGE CO-OP) THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN CORN WHICH CAN CAUSE MANY ALLERGIES. IF YOU CHOOSE TO CHANGE THE BRAND OF FOOD, DO IT SLOWLY, SINCE THIS IS WHAT YOUR PUPPY HAS BEEN EATING. I HIGHLY RECOMEND THISBRAND. BLUE COATED DOGS NEED A SUPPLEMENT CONTAINING OMEGA 3 AND 6 FATTY ACIDS, FOR THEIR COATS."DIAMOND", HAS THIS SUPPLEMENT IN IT. (SAFFLOWER OIL IS A GOOD SOURCE AS WELL) THIS IS A HIGH QUALITY FOOD AND IS THE PERFECT SIZE. FOR A CHIHUAHUA.
FEEDING
VACCINE
IMPORTANT:DO NOT GIVE THIS PUPPY A VACCINE CONTAINING "LEPTOSPIROSIS" UNTIL HE/SHE IS AT LEAST READY FOR HIS/HER ADULT BOOSTER. SO, REMEMBER, WHEN YOU TAKE THE PUP HOME, AND CONTINUE WITH THE PUPPY VACCINES ASK THE VET TO NOT ADMINISTER THIS VACCINE.
LIFE SPAN
JUMPING
PLEASE DO NOT LET HIM/HER JUMP FROM HIGH AREAS SUCH AS A BED, COUCH OR CHAIR UNTIL THEY CAN JUMP UP ON IT BY THEIR SELF. THEIR KNEES ARE NOT GROWN OR READY FOR THIS ABUSE AND CAN CAUSE DAMAGE, THAT WILL SHOW UP DOWN THE ROAD! (I HAVE DOGGY STEPS FOR MY PUPS/DOGS TO USE, THEY WORK GREAT!)
VOMITING / DIARRHEA
EARS
IF THEIR EARS ARE NOT STANDIND AT ALL OR SHOW ANY SIGNS OF STANDING BY THE 15TH OR 16TH WEEK. YOU CAN DO WHAT SHOW BREEDERS DO. NOTE: YOU CANHAVE GENERATIONS OF STANDING UP EARS ANS STILL GET THAT OCCASIONAL PUP THAT WILL NOT. THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN DO: WASH PUP AND CLEAN AND DRY THE EARS. BUY "ELMERS" KID WHITE GLUE. PUT GLUE ON FINGERS AND PULL UP ON THE EAR, THE HAIR WILL ACT LIKE A SPLINT. LEAVE ON FOR 7-10 DAYS. TAKE OFF WITH WARM WATER. LEAVE OFF FOR A DAY THEN REAPPLY. IT MAY TAKE 4 WEEKS FOR THIS TO WORK. THIS SHOULD WORK IF THERE ARE NO OTHER PUPS TO PULL AND CHEW ON THIS ONES EARS. ALSO WHEN THEY ARE TEETHING THEIR EARS MAY FALL. FIRST ONE THEN THE OTHER BACK AND FORTH BUT THESE USUALLY ALL WAYS COME BACK UP. ALSO, REMEMBER THEY CAN COME UP AS LATE AS 16 WEEKS OF AGE. IF THEY ARE ALMOST ALL THE WAY UP, DO NOTHING THEY WILL COME UP ON THEIR OWN.
TEETH
CHIHUAHUAS CAN HAVE A HARD TIME LOSING THEIR BABY TEETH. IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THEIR BITE CORRECT KEEP WATCH, IF YOU SEE THEIR ADULT TEETH COMING IN AND THEIR BABY TEETHING STAYING IN, IT CAN THROW OFF THEIR BITE. YOUR VET CAN PULL THESE BABY TEETH. IT IS ALSO DURING THIS TIME YOU MAT NOTICE THAT YOUR PUPS HEAD LOOKS WAY TO BIG FOR ITS BODY, HUGE EARS, AND LOOK TO LONG IN THE LEGS. THEIR COAT LOOKS LIKE A SHORT COAT AND THEIR BODY MAY ALSO LOOK OUT OF PROPORTATION. THIS IS JUST A GROWING PHASE. NOT TO WORRY.
MOLERA
THE MOLERA IS A SOFT SPOT FOUND ON THE TOP OF A CHIHUAHUA PUPS HEAD. iT CAN VARY IN SIZE AND SHAPE AND CAN TAKE A YEAR TO CLOSE. IN THE PAST, THE MOLERA WAS PART OF THE CHIHUAHUA BREED STANDARD . iT WAS ALSO ACCEPTED AS A MARK OF PURITY. IT IS STILL MENTIONED TODAY. THERE ARE PROBLEY JUST AS MANY CHIHUAHUAS BORN WITH A MOLERA AS WITHOUT.
EYE COLOR
JUST BECAUSE A CHIHUAHUA MAY HAVE BLUE EYES, PARTIAL BLUE EYES OR ONE BLUE EYE, SOME THINK IT MUST BE A MERLE. THIS IS NOT TRUE.
THE DEFAULT EYE COLOR FOR DOGS IS BROWN. AMBER COLOR EYES-SHADES OF YELLOW-GREEN. AMBER EYES IS A DILUTED RECESSIVE GENES USRALLY FOUND IN COAT COLORS OF LIVER, CHOCOLATES, BLUES AND ISABELLA COATS. (ISABELLA COAT IS A PALE GREYISH BROWN THAT IS A DILUTED LIVER/CHOCOLATE) BLACK COATS CAN ALSO HAVE AMBER EYES, WHEN THE RED COAT GENE DILUTES TO A CREAM OR WHITE LEAVING THE NOSE BLACK AND EYES ARE BROWN OR AMBER. (NOTE: IT IS GENETICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR A LIVER/CHOCOLATE DOG TO HAVE A BLACK OR BLUE NOSE OR A BLUE COAT DOG TO HAVE A BROWN NOSE.
BLUE EYES- ONE OR BOTH OR PARTAIAL-
A. LACK OF PIGMENT: LACK OF PIGMENT OR VERY DILUTED PIGMENT ON THE RIM OF THE EYE OFTEN RESULTS IN BLUE EYES, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO ALBINO HUMANS. WHEN A DOG HAS LARGE AMOUNTS OF WHITE COAT AROUND ITS EYES, THE CELLS ARE UNABLE TO PRODUCE ANY PIGMENT, THE EYES TEND TO BE BLUE.
B. MERLE: OFTEN MERLE DOGS HAVE ONE BLUE OR AMBER EYE, WITH OR WITHOUT A SPLIT EYE. THE MORE GREY/DILUTED AREAS OF COAT THE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE 2 BLUE EYES WITH A BUTTERFLY NOSE. HEAVILY MERLED COATS WITH LARGE AREAS OF BLACK OR CHOCOLATE/LIVER ARE MORE UNLIKELY TO HAVE EITHER OF THESE TRAITS. DOUBLE (HOMOZYGOUS) MERLES ARE LIKELY TO HAVR BLUE EYES AND A PINK NOSE BECAUSE OF THE COMBINATION OF MERLE DILUTION AND LARGE AMOUNTS OF WHITE AROUND THE FACE. (NOTE: THE BUTTERFLY NOSE IS PATCHES OF RANDOMLY LOCATED COLOR FROM A DOT OF PINK TO ALMOST THE WHOLE NOSE. DOGS WITH EXTREME WHITE GENE CAN ALSO HAVE THIS. A NOSE THAT LOOKS DULITED IN COLOR IS A DUDLEY/SELF COLOR NOSE, IT IS NEVER PINK.
C. INHERITED: THIS IS INHERITED AS A COMPLETELY SEPARATE GENE, UNAFFECTED BY COAT COLOR, AND HAVEFULL BLACK NOSE PIGMENT AND BLACK AROUND THE EYE RIMS, WITH BLUE EYES OR SPLIT BLUE EYES.
NOTE: ON WHITE COAT: WHITE ISNT A COLOR IT IS THE LACK OF PIGMENT IN THE SKIN. THE LACK OF PIGMENT AFFECTS THE EYES AND NOSES. TO THE PINK/PARTY, DUDLEY/SELF COLOR NOSES AND BLUE EYES. THE SECOND TYPE OF WHITE IS A DILUTE RED. THE COLOR GETS LIGHTER. IF IT IS DILUTED ENOGH IT CAN BECOME WHITE OR HAVE A SLIGHT IVORY/CREAM SHEEN TO THEIR COATS BECAUSE THEIR CELLS ARE STILL PRODUCING A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF PIGMENT. THE NOSE STAYS DARK, EYES USRALLY DARK TO AMBER.
