What Is Hard Pad & How Can I Protect My Chihuahua From Getting It?

Hard pad is the forerunner of meningitis, fits, etc., and eventually the pads of the Chihuahua become hard. It is from this that the disease got its name. The symptoms of hard pad are similar to those met with in distemper - dullness, hot nose, rising temperature, and shivering. It is essential to call your vet in the early stages or paralysis may occur.

Nowadays you should have your Chihuahua puppy vaccinated when it is nine weeks old. It is at this age that the immunity to disease the puppy got from its mother at birth is lost. No puppy should
be taken into public places, towns, or parks without being vaccinated first. Booster doses at intervals during the dog’s life should always be carried out.

People must not imagine that because their Chihuahua is vaccinated, it cannot get hard pad. It can, although if it does catch it, the attack will be much milder and more easily cured than if it were not inoculated. It is well worth the cost. There is nothing so heartbreaking as to have reared a puppy and then to lose it with hard pad. It is a killer disease and needs expert advice and nursing.

What Is Happening When Your Chihuahua’s Eye Starts Turning Blue?

Regardless of the breed or the color of their coats, most Chihuahuas are born with dark-colored eyes. Sometimes, however, the eyes begin to change, taking on a distinctly bluish hue. A shift toward blue is rare in young pets but often occurs as dogs get older. The eyes are very efficient at creating new cells, but they aren’t so good at getting rid of old ones. As the old cells build up in the lens, the lens becomes quite dense. This condition, called nuclear sclerosis, has little effect on vision, but it does cause the pupils to become slightly blue.

Another condition that may change the color of the eye - and which can have a serious effect on vision, sometimes causing blindness - is cataracts. Caused by a hardening of the lens, cataracts may result in blue, bluish white, gray, or even cloudy eyes. Pets with diabetes are particularly prone to cataracts, although they are common in healthy older pets as well.

A condition called glaucoma, which increases pressure within the eyeball, can also cause the eyes to turn blue. Glaucoma is often painful and can damage your dog’s vision if it is not treated quickly. One clue to look for is a layer of blue across the surface of the eye that obscures the pupil underneath.

The color of your Chihuahua’s eyes is also influenced by the amount of tears they produce. It is common for the eyes to become somewhat drier with the passing years. Declining tear production may cause the eyes to reflect light differently, resulting in a bluish color in the cornea (the surface of the eye). If one eye has turned slightly blue, and your dog is also squinting or has bloodshot eyes, there is a good chance that he has a scratch on the cornea.

Eye problems can be difficult to diagnose on your own, and you don’t want to take chances with your dog’s sight. So it is important to see your vet if there is suddenly a sign of blue. Most of the time, however, there won’t be anything to worry about. Even if there is a problem, dogs don’t depend on vision to the same extent that people do because they compensate with their other senses. Pets with dimming or even lost vision do remarkably well.

Pets with failing vision may get disoriented, however. That is why vets recommend trying to keep their surroundings as constant as you possibly can by not moving the furniture too often, for example, and being sure to pick things up off the floor before they stumble into them. It is especially important to keep objects off the stairs, which could cause your pet to take a hard fall. The eyes are surprisingly hardy, and corneal scratches will usually heal nicely on their own, says. But scratches can make the eye sore and sensitive to light, so you may want to pick up a sun-blocking visor at the pet supply store.

When visiting the vet, it probably won’t take her more than a few minutes to figure out what is making your pet’s eyes blue. Eye exams can be somewhat uncomfortable, however, so she may put in anesthetic drops to keep your pet more comfortable. She may also use drops that stain the surface of the eye, which will show if a scratch is present. If your pet does have a corneal scratch, your vet may use antibiotic drops to prevent infection.

What Is Better To Feed A Chihuahua Puppy With, Bread Or Dog Biscuits?

There really is no such a word as “best” in connection with the feeding of a Chihuahua puppy. There are excellent puppy meals and biscuits on which the puppy will thrive just as well as on bread. On the other hand, wholemeal bread takes a lot to beat it in its natural form.

White bread must never be fed to puppies as it is made from aged flour and is said to cause hysteria in Chihuahuas. Stale bread is better than new bread, and oven-toasted bread is best of all. The bread can be fed with a little butter on it or soaked in milk or gravy. It is bread or biscuits that give bulk to the puppy’s meals, and it should be part of every puppy’s diet.

Remember, if you feed a puppy biscuits or puppy meal, they must be soaked in boiling water first. Never give meal dry; it will swell inside the puppy’s tummy and distend it, and may make the puppy ill. Four slices of brown bread is most adequate for the evening meal of most medium-sized dogs. One thinnish slice is enough for a small Chihuahua.

What If There Is An Emergency With Your Chihuahua & You Are Not There To Help?

If someone besides you had to provide care for your Chihuahua if an emergency occurred that kept you from doing so, would he or she be able to? Would the person know what, when, and how much your dog eats? Would the person know how often to walk your dog? Would the temporary caregiver know if your dog has any health problems or even who the dog’s veterinarian is?

One of the ways you can help a relative, friend, or neighbor give your dog temporary care when you can’t is to make a doggie folder that tracks your Chihuahua’s history. The folder should contain descriptions of your dog, up-to-date health information, personality data, and any other useful information that will ensure that he continues to get proper care if you are incapacitated. A folder is also useful to take along if you and your dog are traveling and must obtain emergency veterinary care on the trip.

Designate a specific individual as your dog’s emergency caregiver. Keep the person’s name and phone number in your wallet to be notified if something happens to you.

Place a photo of your Chihuahua inside the folder. Be sure the photo is current.

List important information such as the dog’s date of birth, breed, sex, color, and markings.

List your veterinarian’s name, address, and phone number.

Summarize important medical information and keep it current. If you like, place your veterinarian receipts in the folder.

List the dates of annual checkups and vaccinations.

List the dates of spay/neuter or other surgery.

Indicate any medications your Chihuahua is taking and how often.

If your dog is battling a long-term illness, track his symptoms and keep the list in the folder.

Make a list of important feeding information that includes number and times of daily feedings; types, brands, and quantities of food; any food allergies or problems, such as certain types or brands causing diarrhea; and the location in your house where the food is kept.

Make a list of any noteworthy behavioral information, such as the dog not liking men or women or children. Describe any problems with other animals or species. List whether your dog has any idiosyncratic bathroom habits, such as not using the bathroom when on a leash.

Make certain your Chihuahua’s backup caregiver knows where the folder is kept in the event of an emergency.

What Happens When A Chihuahua Eats Chocolate?

What happens if your Chihuahua consumed a extremely large amount of chocolate. Could this hurt her? If so, what should or could be done when this happens?

Chocolate can be very dangerous to dogs. It can also be harmless. It’s unpredictable. Here is how it works: Chocolate contains a chemical called methylxanthine that is eliminated by the dog’s liver. Some can handle it; others can’t. If your Chihuahua’s liver is not built for chocolate, she can have convulsions and die due to severe liver damage. A dog suspected of having eaten chocolate should have vomiting induced. This is best followed by rinsing of the stomach by a veterinarian.

What if your dog has had chocolate in small amounts from time to time without a problem? Can you assume that she’ll always do fine with it? Again, we can’t predict, but we can say that if your Chihuahua has a known liver problem, you are taking a major risk by letting her have chocolate.

Remember that most (if not all) dogs are chow hounds. They are eating machines. No matter how well trained, they are not to be trusted with food. Protect their health by providing only excellent dog food in measured meals. If goodies like chocolate may be accessible, remember Murphy’s law: Any chocolate that can go wrong, will.

What Causes A Chihuahua Puppy To Have Behavior Fits?

There are many different causes of fits in Chihuahua puppies. The usual ones are irritation of the gums due to teething, and irritation of the intestines by worms. Both of these conditions are not serious and can be cured. The more serious cause of fits is distemper, when an encephalitis or chorea ensues. Only expert veterinary advice can help you in this case.

Some puppies have hysteria, which produces fits, but the cause of this is unknown. A Chihuahua puppy that has constant fits is not a good proposition, and your vet may suggest that you have it put to sleep. Vitamin B complex in large doses is always worth trying, as experiments on rats lacking in this vitamin have proved that they have fits. But as all puppies should have vitamins given to them from the moment they come to your home, fits from this cause should not occur.

Worm the puppy three times from birth to six months old, and thereafter if any signs of parasites are seen in the stool. If fits continue, it may be worth having a laboratory examination of his stool to determine whether a tapeworm is present.

What Causes A Chihuahua To Go Bald?

Hair loss, when it is not caused by a parasitic condition, trauma or infection, may result from one of several metabolic disorders. Cushing’s syndrome and hypothyroidism are two of the most common.

In Cushing’s syndrome, the adrenal glands secrete an excessive amount of cortisol, a hormone. These Chihuahuas begin to lose hair on the flank and neck, and may eventually lose hair on the back and sides of the body as well. The skin itself may become thin, scaly and dry, and may darken in places. Other signs include enlargement of the belly. Typical dogs with Cushing’s syndrome will want to drink, eat and urinate more frequently than normal. A complex disorder, this syndrome is usually treatable.

Hypothyroidism occurs when an inadequate amount of thyroid hormone is released to the body. Chihuahuas with this disease seem to gain weight easily, appear sluggish, and seek out warm spots even during the summer months. Hair changes are most noticeable, and include loss of hair from the flanks and back, increased pigmentation of the skin, scaling and seborrhea. Because the ears are also commonly affected, you’ll often see and smell a thick, greasy, yellowish material inside the canals. Hypothyroidism/ once confirmed through a simple blood test, is easily controlled with thyroid hormone supplementation.

Is The Pet-Food Preservative Ethoxy Dangerous?

Ethoxy is an additive called ethoxyquin and is added to almost all pet foods, and some human food, that helps prevent the oxidation of fats. This gives the food a longer shelf life, prevents the formation of dangerous toxins in foods and makes the food taste better. There is even some evidence that the chemical has some anticancer properties.

Ethoxyquin has been tested and retested and has been found to be safe time and time again. It has been successfully used in pet food for over thirty years. Even the “all natural,” “no preservatives added” foods have it, in which cases it has been added to the basic ingredients before the manufacturer formulates the food.

It is used at a level of .001 ounce per average daily ration. It prevents the use of other preservatives such as BHA and BHT, which would have to be used in substantially higher amounts, which would, of course, add to the cost of pet food. The most researched and highly formulated premium brands of pet food contain this compound because of its many benefits.

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