your chihuahua can not explain its symptoms, so it’s your responsibility to keep him or her healthy and to determine whether or not they need veterinary care. chihuahuas tend to want to hide their illness, so it is up to you to check your chihuahua for abnormalities.
not knowing if your chihuahua is feeling sick or how to care for your chihuahua when they are sick can be VERY stressful! this article will help you determine if your chihuahua is showing signs and symptoms of being ill and when you need to take them to see a veterinarian.
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be prepared: questions your veterinarian may ask
your veterinarian may ask additional questions to help localize or diagnose the problem. it may help to be prepared to answer some of the following questions:
- how long have you owned your chihuahua?
- where did you get your chihuahua (adoption center, breeder, previous stray)?
- what other type of pets do you have?
- what is the age of your chihuahua?
- has your chihuahua experienced any previous illnesses?
- is your chihuahua currently under treatment for an illness or disease?
- what preventative medications is your chihuahua currently taking?
- does your chihuahua receive consistent flea treatment?
- are any other pets ill?
- has he/she been vaccinated? if so, when? which vaccines?
- have there been any recent pet acquisitions?
- have there been any recent activities such as boarding, grooming, trip to the park?
- is a majority of your chihuahua’s time spent indoors or outdoors?
- have there been any recent changes in diet or eating habits?
- what brand of food, how much and how frequently does your chihuahua eat?
- what type of table scraps are offered and how frequently?
- what type of treats are offered and how frequently?
- how much water does your chihuahua typically drink per day?
- have there been any recent changes in water consumption?
- have you noticed any coughing or sneezing?
- have you noticed any lumps or bumps on your chihuahua?
- is your chihuahua urinating normally?
- Is your dog having normal bowel movements?
- when is the last time he/she had a bowel movement?
- have you noticed any recent weight loss or weight gain?
after answering some general questions, more specific questions need to be answered. a brief cursory exam of your chihuahua at home can help you determine the answers. these questions are also commonly asked when chihuahua owners are seeking help over the phone.
be prepared to answer the following questions, depending on the problem with your chihuahua:
regarding the eyes
- have you noticed an increase or decrease in tear production?
- do the eyes appear cloudy or red?
- have you noticed any discharge coming from the eyes?
- do the eyes appear bloodshot?
- are the pupils the same size in both eyes?
- have you noticed your chihuahua rubbing or pawing at the eyes?
- is your chihuahua squinting?
- do the eyes appear to be sunken or excessively protruding?
regarding the ears
- do you notice any swelling or discharge from the ears?
- are the ears drooping when they normally stand erect?
- are the ears red and inflamed?
- do you notice any odor to the ears?
- is your chihuahua rubbing or pawing at the ears?
- have you noticed a lot of head shaking?
- have you noticed any pain or crying when you rub or scratch your chihuahua’s ears?
regarding the nose
- have you noticed any congestion, sneezing or coughing?
- have you noticed any blood coming from the nose?
- have you noticed any nasal discharge?
regarding the mouth
- have you noticed any swelling of the lips or tongue?
- have you noticed any bleeding from the mouth?
- what color are the gums – tissue just above the teeth?
looking inside the mouth
- are there any foreign objects such as bones or sticks stuck on the roof of the mouth or around the teeth?
- is your chihuahua able to open and close the mouth normally?
- is there any pain involved in opening or closing the mouth?
- have you noticed any excessive drooling or foaming at the mouth?
- is your chihuahua able swallow food normally?
regarding the chest
- is your chihuahua experiencing any difficulty breathing?
- have you noticed excessive panting?
- is there any pain when the chest area is petted?
- have you noticed any recent coughing?
- is the heartbeat steady and consistent?
- what is the heart rate?
place your hand or your ear on the left side of your chihuahua’s chest, just behind the elbow. you should be able to feel or hear the heartbeat. count how many beats the heart pumps in one minute.
regarding the abdomen/stomach area
- has your chihuahua been having any diarrhea or vomiting?
- is your chihuahua able to eat and drink normally?
- does the abdomen/stomach area appear swollen or distended?
- does your chihuahua appear to be in pain when the stomach area is petted?
- is your chihuahua known to chew on non-food items such as clothing, towels, rocks, or other items?
regarding the urinary and reproductive systems
- have you noticed any difference in urinating?
- does your chihuahua seem to strain to urinate or cry in pain?
- does your chihuahua repeatedly try to urinate with no urine produced?
- is there any blood in the urine?
- how frequently does your chihuahua urinate?
- is your female chihuahua spayed?
- has your female ever had puppies? if so, at what age?
- if your female is not spayed, when was her last heat cycle and was she bred?
- do you notice any discharge from the vaginal area?
- is your male chihuahua neutered? if so, at what age?
- do you notice any discharge from the penis?
- if your chihuahua is not neutered, do you notice any swelling of the testicles?
- have you noticed your chihuahua excessively licking or grooming the genital area?
regarding the musculoskeletal system – bones and joints
- have you noticed any limping?
- are any legs or joints swollen?
- has your chihuahua been excessively licking at one area of his/her legs?
- does your chihuahua show signs of pain when walking?
- is your chihuahua able to walk normally?
- does your chihuahua walk on his/her knuckles?
- does your chihuahua drag any legs when walking?
- does your chihuahua seem to be in pain when petting him or her?
by supplying the answers these questions, your veterinarian will be in a much better position to help your chihuahua. additional tests may be necessary to find out what the problem is, but the answers to the above questions can greatly narrow the area of concern.
please note that famous chihuahua is providing this information to chihuahua owners as a guide so you know when to take your chihuahua to see your veterinarian. if at any time your chihuahua is showing signs or symptoms of illness and discomfort, don’t wait, just go the vet!
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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 your chihuahua! it also teaches you the secret to making your chihuahua live longer!
below is a sample page from the section on chihuahua health!
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Comments 550
My pup is showing no sign of being sick yet throw up a bit of blood last night . Shes eatting , playing ect just fine . No diarrhea just blood in her throw up once
My 5 year old chihuahua has been acting normal up until a few hours ago. She has been wobbling and she won’t open her eyes very much and she is really cold. Could you give us any advice as to what might be wrong
my dog jumped out of the shopping cart and on the concrete started to Yelp and only lasted for a couple seconds He walks just finare there any I should be concerned or worried about your watching
our 11 month old Chihuahua do not like food at all.We have to bland food and make him eat with spoon.we have him when he was 2 month old and from day one he did not wanna eat.we try let a go to see if he would eat when he gets very hungry but he would make him self sick but wouldn’t touch a food.he goes to wet regularly,have all his shots.we fill he do not like meat at all.he like to snack on peppers,carrots..we try organic crunchy food,table food,regular dog food noting works.we worry when my mom goes home to europe he will not eat on his own when we are at work and kids in school.
so my 3 1/2 month old “teacup” or runt chihuahua is throwing up all the time.. it started on a friday night and came out clear and foamy.. today is tuesday and now it just looks like his digested food. he doesnt really seem to have any other symptoms hes just as playful as ever but a couple times a day he will start crying and then vomit.. any advice?
My chihuahua is four months old and just a few minuets ago drank a lot of water kind of fast and the his belly got hard and bloted! And I’m freaking out please tell me he’s fine!
My sweet Bella gave birth for the first time to 4 beautiful girls last December. She was a champ trough the pregnancy and birth, but right after giving birth she had mastitis and I had bottle feed the girls the rest of the way. Which reminded me of pass times with my own children. Anyway, the girls are a riot to this day, each with an amazing personality. But my concern is Bella. A few weeks ago I noticed she was limping (sometimes more than others), she just had her first period after giving birth and was very weak. ( But that isn’t what’s concerning me either)
Almost 8 months and Bella seems lethargic most of the time, her hips at times won’t let her be mobile, she can spend most of the day laying in a big pillow and just waking to eat or pee. Even that she’s been fully potty trained to use the pads she now chooses to pee on the bare floor and won’t poop in the designated area at all. The other day I can tell she was hurting and a baby aspirin helped that time. My husband keeps telling me is normal for dogs to sleep most of the day and not move around but when I look at her my heart tells me is something else. Please advice; I haven’t run to the vet because I’m still paying for her ER visit Rigth after birth.
Author
Please call your vet and tell them this is happening right away.
My Chi will shake until she starts panting. Is this dangerous to her?” Josie is a little over 1 year old. She just started the day after I put her meds for fleas and heart worms etc. Now she is doing more
Hi I have a 1 monthe old female chihuahua and she has been acting really odd for about two days now at frist she was playful and active now she can barely stand eats very little and her breathing is no the same she has been breathing as if she were out of breath and she is constantly squinting one eye alot
Hi I have a nine year old chihuahua and she sleeps with my parents at night but this month she can’t sleep my mom says and she can her stomach growl this happened twice this month and I’ve seen her eat grass is there anything major wrong with her?!!….please help!!!
OUR 4YR OLD CHI IS ACTING WEIRD, JUMPY, ANXIOUS, LICKS HIS LIPS EVERY 5 SECONDS, DOESNT TRUST US, IS SHAKY, RUNNING AROUND & THEN LAYING DOWN JUST WATCHING(THIS HAPPENS A FEW TIMES A MONTH, IS HAPPENING NOW AND HAS BEEN 4-5 HOURS ACTING WEIRD, DOESNT USUALLY GO THIS LONG, HOUR OR SO BEFORE), ONLY THIS TIME JUST YELPED WHEN PAM TRIED TO PICK HIM UP ARE THESE JUST LIL FITS OR SPELLS OR SEZIERES?? ANY THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU.
our 4yr old applehead chi sometimes(2-3 times a month) will stop trusting us, wont play, acts anxious, kinda jumpy, wont sit next to pam(that is the craziest part, loves her and doesn’t normally leave her side), licks his lips every 5 or 10 seconds, wont come over when called and no love from him, just now she tried to pick him up, he yelped, but not in pain we don’t think, like a scared yelp, is super nervous. Normally does NOT shake as some nervous breeds, IS PRETTY CHILL & loving, does not bark incessantly, YET THESE LIL FITS KINDA SCARE US. wE DONT KNOW IF ITS SPELLS, SEZIERES, FITS OF SADNESS?? ANY THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS?? THANK YOU
Hello, i have a male Chihuahua, who’s 2yrs old. He’s been acting very strange for 2days now & my boyfriend & i are very worried. 2days ago in the middle of the night he threw up something tan & yellow, it looked as if it had chunks & a lot of it. & after that he’s never been the same. He won’t eat or drink & vomits whitish clear stuff occasionally. Also he’s not playful anymore, jus wants to lay around, he doesn’t even want to walk at time.
Can someone please explain to me what’s wrong with my baby boy, & what i should do. Im extremely worried. Thank you.
My does nose is warm. she is very tried, and does not want to move. We gave her water, and a cloth around her neck. will this help and What should I do?
hi my dog keeps on throwing up every minute she eats she throws up is she sick ??
can you please help me can you tell me what to do
Hi my dog has 3 months and won’t eat and he is weak, lost weight, and he is throwing up and i dont know what to do. can you please help me out
I have a 2 almost 3 month old chihuahua/shih tzu mix and today I took him out of his crate and the arm and leg of one side, he had no feeling or control over. I was told it may have fallen asleep but then he vomited up a white flimsy string like thing but it wasn’t a string. Then he lost his appetite and his energy and it is hard for him to breathe and he has been squinting a lot. I don’t know what is wrong so someone please help!! I am worrying like crazy because he never acts like this
I have a chi that’s 2 years old, she is white and has very little fur, about a month ago I noticed some gray spots on her sides, her neck, and on her bottom , they look like freckles. I thought she had gotten dirty but I bathed her and they are still there. She doesn’t scratch or act any different, I changed her food about a month before the spots showed up but nothing else has changed. Any ideas?
My chihuahua has been shaking but she has been eating and drinking just fine going to the bathroom fine but she just laying around I tried deworming her what could it be
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Hi,
I have a 11 year old Chihuahua that was coughing a lot and hacking which I thought was a tracheal collapse. Turns out she has a pretty bad heart. A xray showed that her right side of her heart was enlarged. Since I start the prescription for Salix, I am noticing that she is seeming sluggish and not motivated. She also seems to breathe in and snort in more than before. Has anyone had this issue with Salix? Is the sluggishness and snort breathing a side affect? She is also on Enalipril. So prior to taking these medications, she only had a hacking cough once in a while and collapsed once in a while….. But now after taking the medication, she seem sluggish and breathes in with a snort through her nose. I don’t know what else to do and I don’t want to put her to sleep. I would rather let her go on her own. Please let me know if anyone else had these same issues and if so.. should I take her off any of the meds?
Hi my 5yo female chi/pom just stopped being able to walk or stand.I was at the vet 15 mins after she stopped walking/standing,vet said could be b1 def,thyroid or neck instability. Nothing was said about Lyme,or a pinched nerve so I’m looking for any other ideas. Her blood test was normal. Thank you
I inherited a Chihuahua jut this weekend. she seems very well. she was living in a very stressful environment and ours is not. she is sleeping a lot she is eating but drinks very little water. I plan to take her to a vet but first the humane society first. I love her. we took her for a walk today. I have birds also. they are healthy. I have never had a Chihuahua before. I have had other dogs