Information for the New Chihuahua Owners
In some respects, bringing your new Chihuahua puppy home is like
bringing home a tiny newborn human baby. There are various things to
watch for and some do’s and don’ts that are helpful.
Most important, Chihuahua’s, like many other toy breeds, may be
susceptible to a form of Low blood Sugar called hypoglycemia. If you
experience this with your puppy it is a Emergency. A little bit of sugar in
the form of Honey, Karo syrup, pancake syrup. . I recommend a
Teaspoon of syrup, directly into the mouth of the puppy, if they are
exhibiting signs of hypoglycemia. Nutri-Cal vitamin paste, Nutri-stat
vitamin paste, given to your puppy may prevent the symptoms and
possibly save it’s life. Listed below is a brief explanation of hypoglycemia
Small dogs, especially Chihuahua’s, have a very small fat reserve around
the liver. When they get stressed for some reason (like going to a new
home), or if they play too hard (using lots of energy), or miss a meal, the
fat reserve is used up and the body will begin to draw upon the blood
sugar for energy. If this condition is left unchecked, the dog will grow
progressively weaker until it Falls into a Coma and Eventually Dies.
The good news is that this condition is easily Prevented and the puppies
that do experience hypoglycemia will usually out grow it by 16 to 20 weeks
of age. Your goal, as a new owner, should be to keep the puppy’s stress
level as low as possible during the critical period.
Often the most dangerous period is between 6 and 10 weeks of age.
During that time frame, the puppy is weaning away from the dam, wormed,
vaccinated, bathed, toenails are trimmed, and sometimes he is sold into a
new environment. Also, the immunity that a puppy gets from the mother’s
first milk will drop off somewhere around the 9th week (or sooner) and that
will increase his vulnerability to virus and bacteria. All together, these
factors, contribute to a very stressful time for the little dog. Some puppies
breeze right through it and others have problems.
If we sell someone a puppy, we always tell him or her to call us at anytime
day or night if they see something in their dog that they are not sure is
right or feel like the pup is having a tough time with. If is 3 am and the
puppy is having some problem, we want you to contact us so we can help.
We do not recommend that anyone buy a dog from a breeder who doesn’t
have a similar attitude. Your breeder should be your mentor and a
shoulder to lean on for as long as you need the assistance. We breeders
are responsible for the creation of these little creatures and we owe it to
them to make sure that we are there for them as well as the buyer.
Signs of hypoglycemia vary; usually the dog will get a sad, forlorn look on
its face, then it will become inactive, eventually staggering, falling down or
just laying down, followed by what looks like sleep. This sleep like
condition will turn into a form of tooth-clenching seizures and spasms,
followed by a comatose condition, and eventually death. Not all the
symptoms will be seen at any one time, so watch for any, Lethargic
behavior or lack of coordination. If your puppy seems too sleepy, wake
him up, stand him up and make sure he can stand and can walk normally.
If he lies back down, falls or staggers, then get some sugar into him. If you
are unsure of how to proceed then call your Breeder and/or you
Veterinarian. My number is 218-556-2514. Call me anytime day or night...
Hypoglycemia is usually seen in the smaller specimens of the Chihuahua
puppy, but we caution all owners to watch your puppy carefully until he is
at least 20 weeks of age. We sell our puppies when we believe they are
weaned, and emotionally stable enough to move to a new home, and a
new life. It comes down to is a judgment call by the breeder as to when
the puppy is strong enough to leave. Once the call is made, the new
owner has to take over and become the puppy’s guardian. It is hard to
hold the breeder responsible for hypoglycemia when they are not there.
Sugar in the drinking water, pancake syrup, Karo Syrup, Nutri-Cal vitamin
paste, Nutri-Stat vitamin paste (same as Nutri-Cal, but less expensive),
honey all help to restore lost blood sugar. In severe cases, a Veterinarian
may have to inject a glucose solution into the dogs bloodstream. This
occurs in cases where the dog is unconscious and unable to swallow. The
injection is usually made into a major blood vein such as in the jugular
vein in the throat. One good idea is to make sure your dog eats just prior
to his being out of your sight for any extended period of time. You can also
boost him with some Nutri-Cal before you leave him. I recommend a
ribbon size piece, similar to what you would put on your tooth brush. You
must make sure to leave some food available so that the dog can eat
while you are away. Some Chihuahua’s are nibblers who eat slowly and
some are down right finicky, so take that into account and leave him with
nutrition that is tempting enough he will want to eat while you are away.
Stress can be a real problem for some Chihuahua Puppies. Common
sources for high stress are, being sold into a new home, or taken to a new
environment, a temporarily depressed immune system caused by a
vaccinations, a radical and sudden change of diet, being terribly
frightened of something. Some things that we humans consider of little
consequence, such as nail trimming or giving him a bath, can be terrifying
to your little dog. Like people, some dogs will handle stress better than
others. The point being made is that you should minimize stress in your
puppy’s life whenever possible and keep him eating to offset any possible
bouts of stress-induced hypoglycemia.
Stress-induced cough in a Chihuahua is not uncommon. Most breeders
have, at one time or another sold a puppy to an excited new owner and
then received a phone call o few days later with the news that the dog has
a horrible gagging cough. Someone has convinced the new owner that it
is “kennel cough” and they are afraid that the pup is going to die. This
condition is usually temporary and will go away as he becomes
accustomed to his new surroundings. There are other conditions, which
can cause a dog to cough, but these would not necessarily apply to the
new puppy. The “kennel cough: situation is usually caused by at least
some of a group of 13 different viruses, three of which we have available
vaccines. However, those 3 viruses cause 90 % of kennel cough
symptoms. This means, basically, that we can give dogs a measure of
immunity to “kennel cough”, but we can’t totally eradicate it. Stressful
situations or drastic changes in humidity may trigger a coughing response
in Chihuahuas even if they have been vaccinated. The good news is that
this is a “self-limiting” viral situation and will go away with time. It is very
similar to a cold in humans.
A change in diet may cause your dog’s bowel movements to become
loose for a while. A little bit of stress-induced diarrhea is often seen when
a new puppy is transferred to a new environment. Also, if you give the
puppy sugar in his diet to offset hypoglycemia, you will probably see some
loose stool. Again, don’t panic. Give him a little time and it should clear up.
If your dog is a finicky eater, try him on cottage cheese, hard boiled
chicken, steak (cut into tiny pieces), scrambled eggs, or any high protein
source that he will eat (within reason). If you have a deer hunter in the
family, try the puppy on some lean venison. They usually love it and it is
good for them. Things that should never be given to your pup is Whole
Milk (hard on the digestive system), Chocolate (poison to a dogs system),
raw eggs (at lest the white part), or cooked bones (bones will splinter and
damage the digestive tract) of any kind of cooked bones. Some breeders
advocate giving the dog raw bones. However, I don’t recommend it with
small dogs, because there is always the risk of acquiring parasites when a
dog eats the flesh of another animal.
New puppies need a series of vaccinations to build immunity against a
variety of viruses and bacteria. Normally, when a puppy nurses for the first
time, he will receive a measure of immunity from him mother’s first milk.
The amount of immunity he receives can be determined by how much of
this first milk he gets and how much immunity is actually contained in the
milk. If a puppy gets a good dose of immunity from mother, it will stay with
him for several weeks. The accepted “drop off time”, according to vaccine
manufactures representatives that I have visited with, is considered to be
around the ninth week but can vary with the individual dog. Most breeders
have a vaccination schedule that they follow and it can vary from breeder
to breeder but our accepted pattern is to start worming at a few weeks old
and come in with a Neopar Vaccination at 6 weeks of age. We then follow
with Progard 5, combination at 9 weeks, and additional Vaccinations and
wormings should continue to be given regularly (3-4 weeks) until a puppy
is 16 weeks of age. After that, he should get regular booster shots. From
the time your puppy is vaccinated, it takes 3 to 6 days for a vaccination to
be completely absorbed into the system. This is why vaccinations should
not be given closer than one week apart.
Isolation is the best form of protection for a new puppy until it has had
enough vaccinations introduced into its system to begin to build its
immunity. Parvo and other problems can be brought into an environment
on the bottom of shoes or on clothing (airborne virus), by other animals, or
by humans who have been exposed to infected animals. If your puppy is
under 16 weeks, it is a good idea to keep him away from other animals as
much as possible and to have friends wash their hands thoroughly before
they handle your mew addition. Another dog may look normal and be
perfectly healthy itself, but it can be a passive carrier of a virus of bacteria
that your puppy has no immunity to. An ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure when it comes to exposing your puppy to outside dogs.
Watch your puppy carefully the first few days after you bring him home.
You will eventually learn what are normal behavior patterns for him.
Monitor his eating habits, bowel movements, play patterns, and sleep
times. Most puppies have two speeds; full speed ahead and “crash”,
Anytime you see variations in behavior that trouble you, don’t hesitate to
call me. If I cannot give you a satisfactory answer, then call your
Veterinarian. With Chihuahuas, it is better to address a potential problem
before the animal is in serious trouble, than to wait and see if he will get
better without help. These little dogs are pretty fragile until they reach 6
months old.
After 6 months or so, The Chihuahua is a very hardy little dog. They
require very little grooming and live a long time. Feed the best food
available and your dogs immune system will be sturdy well into old age.
Chihuahuas don’t eat much so you will not go broke feeding them. You
will probably save money because good food nutrition now will prevent
system breakdown (and Vet bills) later on in life. He is what you feed
him…so to speak.
We feed and recommend ROYAL CANIN.
We free feed all of our Chihuahua’s, and the food is always fed dry, even
to small puppies. We provide fresh water at all times as well. This
schedule works well for our puppies, because even the finicky picky
eaters, have time to eat.
No dog-related article would be complete without mentioning fleas. By all
means, fight the flea and keep them off your dogs. Puppies can literally
become anemic if they are being eaten alive by fleas. Fleas carry
tapeworm larvae, and dogs get tapeworms by ingesting a flea.
Tapeworms deprive a puppy of nutrition that lead to… You guessed it,
hypoglycemia.
I am in a flea free area, and am blessed with not having a problem with
fleas. Your new puppy does not have fleas, but I am aware, that
especially in warmer climates, and dog parks etc, fleas are a very real
problem. Please consult your vet about flea and heart worm prevention,
and stay away from supermarket products. By all means, never ever
submerse your puppy in a flea and tick dip.
A little bit of information and some common sense can keep a Chihuahua
with its owner for years to come. Take some time to study Chihuahuas
and dogs in general. Consult your breeder (the good ones don’t mind) or
your Veterinarian as needed.
Good luck with your new little buddy and best wishes.
Melanie Raiter
Preferred Companions Pets
www.pcpugs.com
PH 218-556-2514
In some respects, bringing your new Chihuahua puppy home is like
bringing home a tiny newborn human baby. There are various things to
watch for and some do’s and don’ts that are helpful.
Most important, Chihuahua’s, like many other toy breeds, may be
susceptible to a form of Low blood Sugar called hypoglycemia. If you
experience this with your puppy it is a Emergency. A little bit of sugar in
the form of Honey, Karo syrup, pancake syrup. . I recommend a
Teaspoon of syrup, directly into the mouth of the puppy, if they are
exhibiting signs of hypoglycemia. Nutri-Cal vitamin paste, Nutri-stat
vitamin paste, given to your puppy may prevent the symptoms and
possibly save it’s life. Listed below is a brief explanation of hypoglycemia
Small dogs, especially Chihuahua’s, have a very small fat reserve around
the liver. When they get stressed for some reason (like going to a new
home), or if they play too hard (using lots of energy), or miss a meal, the
fat reserve is used up and the body will begin to draw upon the blood
sugar for energy. If this condition is left unchecked, the dog will grow
progressively weaker until it Falls into a Coma and Eventually Dies.
The good news is that this condition is easily Prevented and the puppies
that do experience hypoglycemia will usually out grow it by 16 to 20 weeks
of age. Your goal, as a new owner, should be to keep the puppy’s stress
level as low as possible during the critical period.
Often the most dangerous period is between 6 and 10 weeks of age.
During that time frame, the puppy is weaning away from the dam, wormed,
vaccinated, bathed, toenails are trimmed, and sometimes he is sold into a
new environment. Also, the immunity that a puppy gets from the mother’s
first milk will drop off somewhere around the 9th week (or sooner) and that
will increase his vulnerability to virus and bacteria. All together, these
factors, contribute to a very stressful time for the little dog. Some puppies
breeze right through it and others have problems.
If we sell someone a puppy, we always tell him or her to call us at anytime
day or night if they see something in their dog that they are not sure is
right or feel like the pup is having a tough time with. If is 3 am and the
puppy is having some problem, we want you to contact us so we can help.
We do not recommend that anyone buy a dog from a breeder who doesn’t
have a similar attitude. Your breeder should be your mentor and a
shoulder to lean on for as long as you need the assistance. We breeders
are responsible for the creation of these little creatures and we owe it to
them to make sure that we are there for them as well as the buyer.
Signs of hypoglycemia vary; usually the dog will get a sad, forlorn look on
its face, then it will become inactive, eventually staggering, falling down or
just laying down, followed by what looks like sleep. This sleep like
condition will turn into a form of tooth-clenching seizures and spasms,
followed by a comatose condition, and eventually death. Not all the
symptoms will be seen at any one time, so watch for any, Lethargic
behavior or lack of coordination. If your puppy seems too sleepy, wake
him up, stand him up and make sure he can stand and can walk normally.
If he lies back down, falls or staggers, then get some sugar into him. If you
are unsure of how to proceed then call your Breeder and/or you
Veterinarian. My number is 218-556-2514. Call me anytime day or night...
Hypoglycemia is usually seen in the smaller specimens of the Chihuahua
puppy, but we caution all owners to watch your puppy carefully until he is
at least 20 weeks of age. We sell our puppies when we believe they are
weaned, and emotionally stable enough to move to a new home, and a
new life. It comes down to is a judgment call by the breeder as to when
the puppy is strong enough to leave. Once the call is made, the new
owner has to take over and become the puppy’s guardian. It is hard to
hold the breeder responsible for hypoglycemia when they are not there.
Sugar in the drinking water, pancake syrup, Karo Syrup, Nutri-Cal vitamin
paste, Nutri-Stat vitamin paste (same as Nutri-Cal, but less expensive),
honey all help to restore lost blood sugar. In severe cases, a Veterinarian
may have to inject a glucose solution into the dogs bloodstream. This
occurs in cases where the dog is unconscious and unable to swallow. The
injection is usually made into a major blood vein such as in the jugular
vein in the throat. One good idea is to make sure your dog eats just prior
to his being out of your sight for any extended period of time. You can also
boost him with some Nutri-Cal before you leave him. I recommend a
ribbon size piece, similar to what you would put on your tooth brush. You
must make sure to leave some food available so that the dog can eat
while you are away. Some Chihuahua’s are nibblers who eat slowly and
some are down right finicky, so take that into account and leave him with
nutrition that is tempting enough he will want to eat while you are away.
Stress can be a real problem for some Chihuahua Puppies. Common
sources for high stress are, being sold into a new home, or taken to a new
environment, a temporarily depressed immune system caused by a
vaccinations, a radical and sudden change of diet, being terribly
frightened of something. Some things that we humans consider of little
consequence, such as nail trimming or giving him a bath, can be terrifying
to your little dog. Like people, some dogs will handle stress better than
others. The point being made is that you should minimize stress in your
puppy’s life whenever possible and keep him eating to offset any possible
bouts of stress-induced hypoglycemia.
Stress-induced cough in a Chihuahua is not uncommon. Most breeders
have, at one time or another sold a puppy to an excited new owner and
then received a phone call o few days later with the news that the dog has
a horrible gagging cough. Someone has convinced the new owner that it
is “kennel cough” and they are afraid that the pup is going to die. This
condition is usually temporary and will go away as he becomes
accustomed to his new surroundings. There are other conditions, which
can cause a dog to cough, but these would not necessarily apply to the
new puppy. The “kennel cough: situation is usually caused by at least
some of a group of 13 different viruses, three of which we have available
vaccines. However, those 3 viruses cause 90 % of kennel cough
symptoms. This means, basically, that we can give dogs a measure of
immunity to “kennel cough”, but we can’t totally eradicate it. Stressful
situations or drastic changes in humidity may trigger a coughing response
in Chihuahuas even if they have been vaccinated. The good news is that
this is a “self-limiting” viral situation and will go away with time. It is very
similar to a cold in humans.
A change in diet may cause your dog’s bowel movements to become
loose for a while. A little bit of stress-induced diarrhea is often seen when
a new puppy is transferred to a new environment. Also, if you give the
puppy sugar in his diet to offset hypoglycemia, you will probably see some
loose stool. Again, don’t panic. Give him a little time and it should clear up.
If your dog is a finicky eater, try him on cottage cheese, hard boiled
chicken, steak (cut into tiny pieces), scrambled eggs, or any high protein
source that he will eat (within reason). If you have a deer hunter in the
family, try the puppy on some lean venison. They usually love it and it is
good for them. Things that should never be given to your pup is Whole
Milk (hard on the digestive system), Chocolate (poison to a dogs system),
raw eggs (at lest the white part), or cooked bones (bones will splinter and
damage the digestive tract) of any kind of cooked bones. Some breeders
advocate giving the dog raw bones. However, I don’t recommend it with
small dogs, because there is always the risk of acquiring parasites when a
dog eats the flesh of another animal.
New puppies need a series of vaccinations to build immunity against a
variety of viruses and bacteria. Normally, when a puppy nurses for the first
time, he will receive a measure of immunity from him mother’s first milk.
The amount of immunity he receives can be determined by how much of
this first milk he gets and how much immunity is actually contained in the
milk. If a puppy gets a good dose of immunity from mother, it will stay with
him for several weeks. The accepted “drop off time”, according to vaccine
manufactures representatives that I have visited with, is considered to be
around the ninth week but can vary with the individual dog. Most breeders
have a vaccination schedule that they follow and it can vary from breeder
to breeder but our accepted pattern is to start worming at a few weeks old
and come in with a Neopar Vaccination at 6 weeks of age. We then follow
with Progard 5, combination at 9 weeks, and additional Vaccinations and
wormings should continue to be given regularly (3-4 weeks) until a puppy
is 16 weeks of age. After that, he should get regular booster shots. From
the time your puppy is vaccinated, it takes 3 to 6 days for a vaccination to
be completely absorbed into the system. This is why vaccinations should
not be given closer than one week apart.
Isolation is the best form of protection for a new puppy until it has had
enough vaccinations introduced into its system to begin to build its
immunity. Parvo and other problems can be brought into an environment
on the bottom of shoes or on clothing (airborne virus), by other animals, or
by humans who have been exposed to infected animals. If your puppy is
under 16 weeks, it is a good idea to keep him away from other animals as
much as possible and to have friends wash their hands thoroughly before
they handle your mew addition. Another dog may look normal and be
perfectly healthy itself, but it can be a passive carrier of a virus of bacteria
that your puppy has no immunity to. An ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure when it comes to exposing your puppy to outside dogs.
Watch your puppy carefully the first few days after you bring him home.
You will eventually learn what are normal behavior patterns for him.
Monitor his eating habits, bowel movements, play patterns, and sleep
times. Most puppies have two speeds; full speed ahead and “crash”,
Anytime you see variations in behavior that trouble you, don’t hesitate to
call me. If I cannot give you a satisfactory answer, then call your
Veterinarian. With Chihuahuas, it is better to address a potential problem
before the animal is in serious trouble, than to wait and see if he will get
better without help. These little dogs are pretty fragile until they reach 6
months old.
After 6 months or so, The Chihuahua is a very hardy little dog. They
require very little grooming and live a long time. Feed the best food
available and your dogs immune system will be sturdy well into old age.
Chihuahuas don’t eat much so you will not go broke feeding them. You
will probably save money because good food nutrition now will prevent
system breakdown (and Vet bills) later on in life. He is what you feed
him…so to speak.
We feed and recommend ROYAL CANIN.
We free feed all of our Chihuahua’s, and the food is always fed dry, even
to small puppies. We provide fresh water at all times as well. This
schedule works well for our puppies, because even the finicky picky
eaters, have time to eat.
No dog-related article would be complete without mentioning fleas. By all
means, fight the flea and keep them off your dogs. Puppies can literally
become anemic if they are being eaten alive by fleas. Fleas carry
tapeworm larvae, and dogs get tapeworms by ingesting a flea.
Tapeworms deprive a puppy of nutrition that lead to… You guessed it,
hypoglycemia.
I am in a flea free area, and am blessed with not having a problem with
fleas. Your new puppy does not have fleas, but I am aware, that
especially in warmer climates, and dog parks etc, fleas are a very real
problem. Please consult your vet about flea and heart worm prevention,
and stay away from supermarket products. By all means, never ever
submerse your puppy in a flea and tick dip.
A little bit of information and some common sense can keep a Chihuahua
with its owner for years to come. Take some time to study Chihuahuas
and dogs in general. Consult your breeder (the good ones don’t mind) or
your Veterinarian as needed.
Good luck with your new little buddy and best wishes.
Melanie Raiter
Preferred Companions Pets
www.pcpugs.com
PH 218-556-2514
