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!
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550 Comments. Leave new
my chi is very skinny doesn’t want to eat or play he is 6 months old he also has diarrhea
Hi – I read your problem with your baby, & by now you’ve taken him to the vet I’d think, but he did have a reaction to the shot at best.
I hope he is better. Know that you and he are in our prayers – these babies are more than special friends to we who love them.
I super duper hope someone can answer this and I can have some clue as to what is going on with my little boy. I have an almost 2 year old deer head chihuahua named Porkchop. Yesterday he went to the vet for an annual exam. He received a past due distemper vaccine and his first booster rabies vaccine. The vet mentioned to me that he may have an allergic reaction to the rabies in which I should look for vomiting and diarrhea and swelling of his face. He was fine all the rest of the evening and throughout the night so I assumed I was out of the woods and had a happy healthy little boy. He woke me up around 5am and he was not himself. He had the glassed over look in his eyes, he was very stiff and weak, he was yelping when I touched him, and his temperature was 102.8..which is on the high end, esp. when I know his temp. normally stays in the latter 100.-lower 101. . So I went ahead and gave him benadryl just in case his allergic reaction was happening differently then the vet had described it would. The benadryl helped with his temperature. He is still eating (wet food…), and I forced water to him by a syringe because I know it important to stay hydrated when your sick and when he doesn’t feel good he doesn’t get up to do anything including eating or drinking. My boyfriend stayed home with him. When I came home for lunch, he was still not feeling any better. I then called the vet and explained to them that he was being very lethargic and weak and had a temperature , etc. He also had kept swallowing, which I thought was just because he was nautious and feeling like he needed to throw up. The vet said to go ahead and bring him in, which my boyfriend did. Earlier that morning….the vet had said he was probably just stressed from the vet visit the day before. The diagnosis when my boyfriend took him the second time was he was just sore from the vaccines. They prescribed him pain medicine. I get home from work…and he still is not feeling better! He’s trying to, but he just doesn’t. I took the liberty of looking him over thinking, maybe it has nothing to do with the vaccines at all. As he sat up on the other end of the couch looking at me , i saw something on his chest. Upon further examination , I ran through his fur with my fingers and saw that it is a reddish/purplish bruise running down his neck/throat/sternum area (he’s 3.75lbs). This explains the swallowing, and the yelping when you touch him. I am very frustrated that I am not a vet , do not even hold a degree yet, and I was able to find this…and the vet did not see it. I am now torn between… did they actually give the vaccine there, and its sore and swollen? Is there something lodged in his throat? Or did I bump into him not thinking anything of it and hurt his neck? He was a bit more lively this evening..even barking..but poor thing couldn’t keep barking cuz he got horse and started trying to throw up. If its not gone in the morning I am going to be at the vet when they open, but I just wanted to see if anyone had maybe been through a situation like this and could offer some comforting words. thanks!
My 12 and a half week old mini chi weighs 1lb 6 oz and had a clean bill of health at her last checkup (1 wk ago) when she got her 12 wk vaccinations. Since then she has had diarrhea with mucus and blood in ot off and on, so they put her on biomox (antibiotic) and an anti-diarrhea. Since, her stool is loose at times but has no longer had the blood or mucus in it. Therefore I have been giving the anti-diarrhea to her as needed. Today she awoke sounding congested. She has always grunted when excited, but now her grunts and sniffing sound stopped up. I wish I could hold a tissue to her nose and say “blow!” I am going to take her to the vet tomorrow, but until then does anyone have any advice as to why she was great pre-vet and now she has been sickly since?
our Chihuahua is 11 years old and the other day his ears were bright red and now today they are still a little red and crusty…and his left hind leg has been swollen…not sure if its a bug bite or what….he doesn’t seem to be in pain…and he doesn’t limp either…what do we do???
My 8 month old chihuahua is seemingly very healthy and energetic. She has lately been drinking her pee and eating her poop. I was just wondering if you know what could cause this. I deworm her regularly also.
your chihuahua is deficient of certain vitamins and minerals, that is why she is behaving this way. make sure you are also feeding your chihuahua an essential fatty acid formula everyday in the oil form and add a liquid multi vitamin formula to her water dish.
My chihuahua is very sick i don’t have any money to take him too the vet what can i do for him myself he has not eating 4 day please! help me.
just call your closest vet and tell them what is happening, tell them you dont have any money to pay for their services but that your chihuahua really needs help. they will help you and you can work out a payment plan for later.
Hi there , I have a year old baby boy chi and he is very health but I just noticed that his penis I swollen and he seems exhausted I also have a 5 mouth baby girl could it be possible that they have mated and that’s the cause of his penis swelling ?
I have a 9 year old long hair chi…she is very frightened of thunder, but copes with it by snuggling and panting…2 x’s now within the year she has starting panting, then drooling, her front legs go stiff, then her back ones, she is not in pain and she is fully aware (and there was no thunder)…she just wants to be cuddled and looks scared….both times I took her to the animal hospital (because it was late evening) and they are perplexed. This last time then took xrays, but the spine is fine and there is no pain so pinched nerve did not seem likely. Our vet is now looking into possibilities….they tested for lyme’s disease, but it came back not Lyme’s Disease. The vet did not think it was a pinced nerve either. Next they are testing for worms, which it does not seem likely. Any ideas of what to look for? When the spell is over, she is fine….a little wiped out, but walks normal and is fine. It has us baffled, but I am worried for her little heart.
hi, my 4 year old chihuahua was so excited to go outside that she jumped off the couch and didnt land properly. She’s limping from her back left leg and its a day. She’s not showing any pain. I am able to rub it and their is no swelling. Because shes not showing any sign of being in pain i decided to wait another day or two before taking her to her vet. But in the mean while does anyone know what it could be or has experience anything like this. I’m am watching it and not letting her jump or do much walking hoping that by her resting it for a little will help. Any advice.
I have an 18 year old male Chihuahua. His name is Cocoa and yes he is really 18 years old. I took Cocoa to the vet has he has been having quite a bit of pain about 1 1/2 hours after eating. Blood tests over all came back normal or just slightly elevated. Nothing pointing to a problem. I have been searching the internet for answers and now believe my dog has a problem with his Pancreas. My vet says he is too old for surgery and put him on pain meds., that I have to give him 2xs a day. I am looking for advice on what else I can do for him. Thank-you.
my chiwawa terrir in the last forty minutes he has puked been shaky closing his eyes he had two bowls of water but hasnt touched him food from this morning!its six oclock i dont know what to do hes whininy and hes jusy laying on my lapp closing his eyes shaking and he looks like hes in ALOT of pain. His puke was white and foamy and i found grass and hair.Could that be the problem? hes hasnt puked in a while but im scared of losing him WHAT SHOULKD I DO? :'(
My chihuahua keeps darting across the room or even off my lap as if he has been startled or struck or something. I read something about dogs doing this some time ago, and that it is a symptom of a disease but now can’t find any info about it. Anyone know what this my be?
My Chihuahua keeps on making a kind of snorting/hacking nosie and I’ve read all these stories and some of them say the dog dose this because he is excited but it’s late at night and he has been laying on the bed looking sick I think it is something he might of ate?
my chihuahua had her puppies yesterday. i’m not sure if she delivered her placenta because i noticed something that looked like a greenish blackish string sticking out of her vagina. she is discharging something greenish and blackish with some blood from her vagina and when i touch her head it is very warm. is she sick or is the discharge normal.
please contactl a vet or an experienced chihuahua breeder to ask for their advice.
My 2 year old Chihuahua has been licking herself a lot last couple of days everything else is perfectly normal. I took a closer look and her behind looks a bit inflamed. Her bowel movements and eating are fine. Is this something I should worry about?
use minty chloryphll for there digestive system , use yucca root as an anti-inmflamatory, use lomatium root for antiviral antibiotic antibacterial. for kidney stones. read up on it . but this combo is yer answer. please do your research on this before you try it.
Hi I got my chi (13wks) second needle, they told me that she could get a fever. She vomited all night and wouldn’t eat or drink so I called the vet and they said it was ok aslong as she starts to eat within 24hrs . She started to drink and eat abit after 24hrs but now it has been almost 48hrs and she sleeps alot…..no more vomiting and stool is ok but hardly eats or drinks……how many days can the side affects last…….I am scared to get her 3rd one next month…….
look i came on this site for advice .all i found was the same answer take the dog to the vet.why does this advise site exist dont you know we are all not ritch.or come into some dificulty in life.we just need help
if you do not have the money to take your chihuahua to the vet then you should not have a chihuahua to begin with. a dog is a responsibility and it is your responsibility to take them to the vet when they are ill.
I just had to make the decision to put my 11 week old baby to sleep and I am totally devasted. We had only had him since 8 weeks and we did the immediate vet visit and 1st round of puppy shots. He was due for 2nd set in two days but did not make it to that. Last Wednesday, exactly a week ago, my husband called me at work to tell me that Maddy just didn’t seem himself. He had the sniffles, very runny nose, very watery eyes, and his wonderful appetite was stopped. The vet said heart sounded great, lungs clear, no fever, yet put him on Clavomox (amoxicillin) and and antibiotic salve for his eyes. I gave him meds and nutrical like clockwork, yet by Friday he seemed worse. By Saturday morning he was salavating so much it was foamy and he would run in circles and howl so I rushed him to the ER vet. They witnessed a strong seizure within only minutes of getting him to the back. I was told he was on IV fluids, valium, and phenobarbitol for seizures. That seemed to help for a couple of hours and the vet seemed optimistic telling me dogs can be epileptic yet live long lives with daily medication to prevent seizures. Then they started back again. By Sunday evening they were so bad they could not get them to stop so I had to realize that he had fought long enough and suffered long enough. He was such a precious pup. When I picked up his body, the vet could not give me a definite but said it looked a lot like Distemper but we still don’t know and never will
Hello, my chihuahua is 1yr. and 6months old. Today when she woke she would not eat or drink. She seemed to be moving around well though. Then tonight all she wanted to do was lay there snuggled under her blankie. It sounds like she is thirsty, but she ill no drink. I tried to make her drink on her own and she wouldn’t then I tried to make here drink for a syringe but again she would not. I’m scared because she never did this before. I also checked her temp. and it is 1 degree higher then it should be. What should I do?
call your vet as soon as possible to let them know what is going on. ask them if they will see her for a check up. book the check up.
try giving your chihuahua a piece of a romaine lettuce leaf – the inner core, the crispy part that contains water. it can help hydrate her without actually giving her water.
see this feed your chihuahua romaine lettuce informational nutrition article
Just wanted to make sure i came back to update, i left a blog on here about my baby lucy who was 8 weeks old back in october. she was vomiting and had diarhea for the week that we had her, we took her to the vet 4 out of 7 days and one of those being the first day we had her, vet said she was fine even though she had bloody diarhea. as the week went on she couldnt even drink water, the night before she passed she wouldnt get up and wonder and didnt want anything to do with playing. that morning we took her to the vet where they declared her dehydrated and sent us to an emergency clinic bc they were not capable of putting a catheter in her neck. as soon as we got to the er clinic they tested her for parvo and it was positive. i did everything i could, i took her to the vet all week. bought special food. no one did this simple test. parvo killed my baby girl lucy at midnight on halloween. it broke my heart. i may have only had her for a week but she was my pride and joy. im sorry for the sob story, there is a point behind all of this. take your puppy as soon as they are not acting like themselves, read up on them! and most importantly read up on the vetrinarian you take them too! you yourself need to be aware of things like “parvo” most common virus for a dog and i might still have lucy today if it would have been caught in time. after going into cardiac arrest they said she would have nero. damage and wouldnt live a very nice life. lucy now sits in my living room in a pink urn:) and if i can help anyone at all out with their chi. i would love it.
Hi I have an 8 year old male chihuahua his been vomiting and doesn’t want to eat only drink water I took him to the vet and they gave him a shot and some pills so that he doesn’t vomit anymore but they told me to not let him drink water until he tries to eat but he wont and all he wants to do is drink water and lay around what should I do?
call your vet and update them on his status and ask them what to do next
My chihuahua is 7 months pld and all of a sudden she is drooling, wheezing, and her eyes are droopy. What should i do?? I’m very scared and worried for her. This is the first time that has ever happened.
take your chihuahua to the vet as soon as possible.
Hi, my chihuahua is 6 years old, usually very playful/energertic. but very randomly she is being very lethargic, weak, looks like it hurts her to walk so she barely even moves. Also she cant/ wont even jump onto the couch or on the bed. i can tell that she is going through some kind of pain by her eyes, i just dont know what it is. she is also eating normally and going to the bathroom normally. i am going to the vet soon but i wanted to know if anyone knew what she has. i am scared my my chihuahua. please help thanks!