““teaka the famous chihuahua is a very healthy 16 years old because of this!”
did you know chihuahuas can live up to 18 years old if you do two things?
here’s what you need to do to help your chihuahua live a long and healthy life:
- brush your chihuahua’s teeth everyday!
- keep your chihuahua at a healthy weight!
because chihuahuas are one of the top dog breeds predisposed to periodontal disease, it is fundamentally important that you brush their teeth every day at the same time if possible to prevent periodontal disease.
daily teeth brushing can add an extra 2 – 4 years of healthy life to your chihuahua’s expected lifespan
how does not brushing your chihuahuas teeth lead to disease?
if your chihuahuas teeth don’t get brushed, food particles and bacteria will collect along the gum line forming plaque. if the plaque is not removed, minerals in the saliva combine with the plaque and form tartar (or calculus), which fixes itself strongly to the teeth.
the plaque then starts to mineralize after it forms and the tartar begins to irritate the gums causing inflammation known as gingivitis, which is seen as reddening of the gums and causes bad breath.
“if gingivitis is left untreated, it will progress to periodontal disease which is irreversible and very painful.”
how does keeping your chihuahua thin prevent disease?
research shows that if your chihuahua stays at a healthy weight, he or she will live 2 – 4 years longer and old age diseases like arthritis, kidney failure, hypothyroidism and diabetes will either be prolonged or not appear at all.
three signs to tell if your chihuahua is overweight:
- if you can’t fee their ribs because of too much body fat
- your chihuahua has no waistline – they should have an hourglass shaped body when you look down their back
- if your chihuahua’s belly bulges out and down when you look at your chihuahua from the side
“each extra pound of fat is one mile (2.2 km) of extra blood vessels for the heart to pump blood through” ~ doc truli
so what are you waiting for? start brushing your chihuahua’s teeth if you haven’t been doing so already and keep your chihuahua at a healthy weight with a nutritious diet and plenty of exercise!
“get this information and more in an ebook delivered right to your inbox!”
the amazing ebook, caring for chihuahuas made easy, breed information, health care and nutrition teaches you about common chihuahua health problems and how to properly care for them!
below is a sample page from the section on periodontal disease and obesity!
related: signs and symptoms of a sick chihuahua
ref: virtuavet.wordpress.com/2010/05/10/how-to-help-your-chihuahua-live-18-years/
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