Are you the happy companion of a chihuahua or maybe you are thinking of taking one in? Then you will surely want to know everything about them. It is good to learn as much as possible about your care. In addition, we must also know how to train it correctly, offering it well-being and balance. This way you will be able to enjoy this little Mexican for many years.
To further complete your knowledge about the life of your brave little companion, from our site we offer you all the information about the diseases he may suffer from. Keep reading this article to find out what are the most common diseases in chihuahua dogs
Some things to know about Chihuahuas
You have to know the basic care of these unique dogs in order to offer them the best life by our side, because if we take them into account we will enjoy these fluffy dogs for between 15 and 20 years. Being very small, they usually weigh between 1, 5kg and 4kg, you have to take into account the amount of food suitable for them and their sensitivity to cold. We must also know their character and their need for basic training.
Chihuahuas are a very small and very long-lived breed. These characteristics, among others, make them more predisposed to certain diseases and he alth problems that we are going to explain below. Remember that before any symptom or change in behavior or habits of your chihuahua, you should go to your trusted veterinarian to be able to solve the possible he alth problem of your companion as soon as possible.
Diseases of the teeth
Chihuahuas, being very small, have certain problems in their mouths, especially their teeth. As puppies they sometimes retain their baby teeth longer than they should. It usually happens with the fangs, which they retain for up to 5 or 8 months, but sometimes they take even longer. If they do not end up falling out on their own and spend several months in retention, we must take them to the veterinarian to remove them. What this retention causes from the first moment is that the new teeth do not come out where they should, therefore there will be a misalignment of the teeth and that is why we must prevent them from being retained for a long time. The misalignment of the teeth allows food to get stuck between them, so we must try to clean our little one's mouth while they change their teeth.
In addition, throughout its life, this breed has an easy time forming tartar on its teeth, which causes periodontal disease, making teeth falling out and causing constant bad breath. The older they get, the easier they are to produce this tartar, therefore, it is good that we accustom them from a young age to dental hygiene with a brush and chlorhexidine or some special toothpaste, in addition to taking care of their diet and thus we will ensure that they do not suffer serious mouth problems In addition, it is good for the veterinarian to check the chihuahua's mouth and even if the periodontal disease is advanced, the mouth should be cleaned by the veterinary specialist.
Palate and trachea problems
Chihuahuas, like other dogs, can be born with a cleft or split palate This is a congenital problem that results in a separation in the puppy's palate, so the nostrils and mouth are in direct contact. It can easily cause the death of the puppy because it makes feeding very difficult. Although also, and every day easier thanks to new advances, these puppies can get ahead. If we know that the parents are carriers of this gene, the best we can do is rule them out as reproducers, not as partners in our lives.
Another problem that occurs in the palate of Chihuahuas and that is much more common, is hoarseness or reverse sneezing that occurs due to a misalignment of the palateSometimes we hear that after swallowing water or saliva or inhaling air, our chihuahua chokes and snores loudly until it goes away in a few seconds. This is because when they swallow or even take a deep breath, sometimes the soft palate becomes misaligned for a few moments. It is something normal in small dogs like chihuahuas and nothing serious happens to them, it ends up going away by itself but we can really help them to get over it sooner by calming them down.
There is another problem similar to this last one that we have mentioned, it is the tracheal collapse It produces a result similar to the misalignment of the palate, since which causes them to make a hoarse noise as if they were choking. When they inhale air, exercise or are very excited, for example when they greet us, sometimes this collapse occurs in the trachea, having difficulty breathing and causing a hoarse gasp. Normally it goes away after a few seconds, but we can help them relax the trachea with a light massage in the neck area.
Eye Problems
This breed has bulging eyes, this physical trait causes them to suffer certain eye problems. They are prone to conjunctivitis and it is also easy to get wounds on their eyeballs. Due to these injuries that are caused by trauma to the eye, other problems can occur such as uveitis or lens displacement and these give way to secondary glaucoma, which is a symptom of these other problems and other diseases, so it is solved by treating the main problem.
If we look closely we will see that many times they have tearful eyes and the hair around them is wet, this is because tearing is the way in which their body helps them keep their eyes well hydrated and clean possible. In addition, some suffer from obstruction of the tear ducts, which means that this tearing is not as effective and their eyes stain much more. It is for all this that we must maintain good hygiene of the eyes of our chihuahua.
Problems in the joints and vertebrae
Small breeds, such as Chihuahuas, are prone to joint dislocation, especially the knees. Sometimes, when you play with him, you may notice that he limps a little in one of his hind legs, probably the kneecap has come out of the joint, but don't worry because normally in a moment he goes back to being well on his own. If you notice that he is still limping after a while, it is better that you look at his leg and give him a light massage in the area or take him to your trusted veterinarian. This problem can also be due to being overweight or obese, so if this is the case, you will need to redirect your Chihuahua's diet so that it loses some weight.
Another problem that these little ones are somewhat prone to is herniated disc This problem occurs when the intervertebral disc slips out of position, so affected dogs find it difficult to walk and move as the misplaced intervertebral disc can compress the spinal cord. If we detect that our dog barely moves, cannot walk well and has pain in a specific area of the back, among other symptoms, we must go to the veterinarian to have the relevant tests carried out for a clear diagnosis and once a hernia has been diagnosed discus, will offer us the best treatments based on anti-inflammatories, absolute rest, analgesics, physiotherapeutic rehabilitation and perhaps a surgical operation depending on each case.
Brain diseases
There are two brain diseases to which the Chihuahua breed has a certain propensity. One of these is hydrocephalus, which is an accumulation of fluid in the brain that we can detect by symptoms such as seizures, blindness, deafness, changes in the behavior of our can and sometimes enlargement of the skull. It is a complicated disease, since it can cause other complications and therefore, at the first symptoms, we should go to the veterinary specialist. The other disease is epilepsy, a hereditary neurological disease that occurs when there is a high electrochemical activity in the brain that goes out of control. If our chihuahua has an epileptic seizure, we should go to the vet to find out if it is epilepsy or if it was a secondary seizure due to another disease.
Mitral regurgitation
This is a degeneration that occurs in the mitral valve of the heart. It is one of the most common heart problems in dogs.
It is detected in regular check-ups at the vet since a heart murmur is heard on auscultation. The causes of this disease can be several, since this pathology can be primary, such as a malformation of the mitral valve, or secondary due to other heart problems. Chihuahuas are one of the breeds in which this disease is more prevalent.
Cryptorchidism
Cryptorchidism occurs when a male puppy fails to descend one or both testicles. Your vet will easily spot this on a physical exam and will be able to offer you the best treatment. If in a short time the testicles have not descended it is better that they be removed, since if they are left inside they can end up developing a torsion and cancer. Chihuahuas are one of the breeds prone to this problem in males.
Fontanelle
The fontanelle is a small cleft in the skull of puppies at birth and which gradually closes as they grow. It is something that nature has wisely done in mammals to make childbirth a little easier, since it makes it easier for the head to adapt to the cervix, something that a closed skull could not offer.
In very small breeds such as chihuahuas or yorkshires, it sometimes happens that during their growth this cleft in the skull does not close completely, so as adults they continue to have a fontanel. Luckily, it is a problem that should not worry us since the dogs that suffer from it lead a completely normal life, we just have to be more careful with that part of the head.
Hemophilia A
Hemophilia is an inherited disease, so if you know a male or female has the disease or is a carrier of the gene it is best to remove them from breeding. Hemophilia causes the clotting process of the blood to be abnormally slow causing significant bleeding even in minor injuries. For this reason, if we know that our dog suffers from hemophilia, it is very important that our veterinarian knows it in the face of possible future surgical interventions. If the blood loss has been important, it is vital that the dog be hospitalized to stabilize and control it until it is well, we must think that the loss of a lot of blood can cause from anemia to the death of the dog. There are several types of hemophilia, but Chihuahuas are more likely to have Hemophilia type A
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia occurs when there is a major drop in blood sugar, so while it lasts, the body cannot properly absorb nutrients and this causes exhaustion, weakness and in severe cases even coma and death of the dog. This problem has more than one cause, from malnutrition to extremely low blood pressure. Low blood sugar is a very common he alth problem in miniature and toy dogs. It occurs most often in Chihuahua puppies, but it can also happen to them as adults. In addition, the less the dog weighs, the more prone it will be to this he alth problem, so within the Chihuahua breed, those that are smaller, weighing only 1.5kg or even sometimes less, are dogs that are more likely to suffer from this. issue. We must therefore take good care of your diet and general he alth to avoid hypoglycemia.
