Chihuahuas or chihuahueños are very small dogs that weigh less than 3 kilograms and with a life expectancy of between 15 and 20 years, so they are very long-lived. It is a very widespread breed throughout the world, since it is a highly sought-after pet due to its ability to adapt to life in cities, among many other qualities.
If you already have or are thinking of sharing your life with one of these cheerful and affectionate companions, pay attention to this article on our site about all Chihuahua care.
What food should I feed my chihuahua and how?
Being the smallest canine in the world, it is very important to carefully monitor the amounts of food we provide. These should be small, because we have to think about the size of your stomach, and distribute them in two daily servings. If you have doubts about the amount, find out about the recommended amount of food for a chihuahua.
The best type of food is a feed that is correctly adapted to the needs of our pet. Today there are feed specially designed for this breed. Some brands that already have this product are Royal Canin and Eukanuba.
You can also choose to learn about types of homemade diets such as BARF.
How to help them regulate their temperature?
These little ones come from a tropical climate so their coat of hair is not very dense and they are mostly short-haired, although there is also the long-haired variety. Because of this and because of their size, they are a breed prone to cold.
If we live in a warm climate, simply by providing them with shade, cool shelter and abundant water, we will no longer have to worry about regulating their body temperature, since it will occur in a very natural way.
On the other hand, if we live in rather cold areas and with low temperatures, it is essential that we observe if our partner is cold, something that we will know more safely by touching him and not only guiding us by his tremors, because this breed tend to shiver for more reasons than cold, such as stress, fear, anxiety, and even joy and excitement.
In this case, we must provide them with blankets and warm places inside the house where they can curl up and in the street we must keep them warm with some kind of special sweater for them, without the need to overdo it and try not to freeze them the pads of the paws, with shoes for dogs of their size and special ones for snow or, more simply, taking them from time to time in our arms.
Do they need a lot of physical activity?
It may seem to us that being so small they don't need a lot of physical activity, but in reality they are very active and nervous dogs by what is not convenient that they accumulate energy.
So we should give them at least a couple of walks a day that will help them get tired and play with others of their kind, just as we should play with them inside the house or exercise them from time to time.
We must also take into account that they are not very resistant, compared to larger dogs, to prolonged physical activity, so we must let them rest whenever they need it and if we take them on excursions, take into account counts your pace and resistance.
Behavior and education
These little guys are very clever as well as very affectionate with their owners and companions. Being very intelligent and observant, they immediately take measures to get away with it and become what we could say “capricious children”.
Thus we find that many are excessively pampered, dogs that have jealous behavior and often take advantage of their owners from from there, asking for more food, more attention, more signs of affection and brazenly marking what is theirs to third parties.
They are also a breed with very little fear of other dogs despite their size difference, so we have to educate them so that they don't look for problems in which they could easily lose out. Due to this same quality of defending what is theirs and theirs, Chihuahuas are also very good guard dogs.
It is necessary that we take care of their education from the basic issue of where to relieve themselves, to the fact that they learn to share with other dogs and that they are not always going to get their way, setting limits and giving them treats when appropriate.
Hygiene and special care
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Bathing and grooming:
It is very important to keep our pet in good hygienic conditions. In the case of Chihuahuas, one bath a month should be enough. It is not good to bathe any dog more often. We must take into account the type of hair of our companion to choose a suitable shampoo, always used for dogs, whether it is special for short hair or for long hair, for white hair or for black hair, or simply a special soft oatmeal shampoo. for puppies
The temperature of the water should never exceed 27ºC and it is preferable that they dry themselves with towels and run around, they also have a great time drying themselves like this. In case of being Long hair should be regularly brushed to avoid knots and tangles that lead to skin problems, in addition to cutting it when necessary. In addition, special attention must be paid to the hair on the inside of the ears in long-haired specimens, ensuring that it is not wet and always clean and trim it when necessary, thus avoiding unwanted otitis.
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The eyes:
As easy to see, his eyes are remarkably large in proportion to the rest of your face and head. This means that their eyes are somewhat exposed and they always tear because it is always moist and hardly ever dries out. This constant tearing makes the hair around it darker and dirty, which is why it is very important that we keep this area clean and free of rheum. We can help ourselves with physiological saline or with an infusion of cold thyme or chamomile and with a sterile gauze wrapped around our finger and moistened in one of these liquids, gently clean our little one's eyes and their surroundings. In this way we will keep our hair clean and our eyes he althy and without conjunctivitis or other complications.
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Teeth:
Small dogs have poor quality teeth compared to larger dogs. medium or large in size, so their teeth deteriorate much earlier than normal in dogs.
It is normal for Chihuahuas to have tartar on their teeth from a young age and their oral he alth is complicated by bad breath and tooth decay. It is very important to help them maintain a he althy mouth, although it may seem complicated, but it really is not. We will have to provide them with special edible prizes for mouth care and special toys that help them clean their teeth just by playing.
Some of these things contain products that help them remove plaque and keep their breath fresh, but also simple toys with strings help them clean and brush their teeth, similar to when we use dental floss. If this is not enough, we always have the option of brushing their teeth ourselves with a small brush and a few drops of chlorhexidine (similar to our mouthwash) especially for dogs that we can buy at our vet. If our friend's mouth is still in poor condition, we should go to the vet to have his mouth professionally cleaned, thus avoiding possible diseases and tooth loss.
Most common diseases and he alth problems
There are certain diseases that this breed is prone to such as:
- Double dentition or retention of baby teeth
- Cleft or cleft palate
- Fontanelle or slightly open area of the skull that does not close properly during growth
- Cryptorchidism or retained or missing testicles
- Epilepsy
- Secondary glaucoma
- Hypoglycemia
- Obesity
- Disc herniation
- Joint Dislocation
- Hoarseness or problem in the trachea that produces a slight choking like a temporary cough
- Hydrocephalus
- Hemophilia A
- Heart problems: mainly mitral regurgitation
In the face of all these diseases and more that these canines can suffer from, it is very important to maintain veterinary check-ups and ensure that it is always the same veterinarian who does the examination, since he or she will be aware of the particular problems that may arise in each case.
