LONG COAT VS SHORT COAT
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).
HYPOGLYCEMIA
HYPOGLYCEMIA IS WHEN THE BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS FALL BELOW NORMAL. IT IS OFTEN SEEN IN TOY PUPPIES, MOST OF THE TIME THE SYMPTOMS CAN BE CONTROLLED BY EATING, OR BY GIVING SOME GLUCOSE, SUCH AS SUGAR WATER TO THE PUPPY. 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, COLLAPSE, AND FALL INTO COMA OR HAVE SEIZURES.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 FED SEVERAL TIMES A DAY, A HIGH QUALITY DIET. IT IS WISE TO HAVE NUTRICAL, HONEY OR KARO SYRUP ON HAND.YOU HAVE TO GET THE SUGAR LEVEL UP AND 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 AND PRY IT OPEN ENOUGH TO GET A FINGERTIP COVERED WITH HONEY IN ITS MOUTH. ONCE IT GETS A TASTE OF IT , IT WILL START LICKING IT AND WILL START TO RECOVER. IF ATTACKS CONTINUE AND 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.
I FEED MY DOGS/PUPS, "DIAMOND" SMALL BREED KIBBLE. (SOLD AT A PET MART) THEY ALSO GET A TWO TABLESPOONS OF "MIGHTY DOG" CAN FOOD IN THE AFTERNOON. THESE DO 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 BOTH THESE BRANDS. 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)
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.
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!)
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. THEY LOOK LIKE A SHORT COAT AND ALL OUT OF PROPORTATION. THIS IS JUST A GROWING PHASE. NOT TO WORRY.
