Chihuahua obesity is a very common problem amongst the chihuahua dog breed. Chihuahuas are the smallest breed of dogs that exist; therefore they need the smallest amount of food of any other dog breed. Most owners find their tiny little Chihuahuas so irresistible that they tend to squeeze in one too many treats for their little pal. Although your dog will enjoy all the treats he or she can get and will continue to beg for more with that cute little face, it is important that you put a limit to treats and feeding.  Maintaining a healthy weight is essential when providing good care for  chihuahuas.

Risks Associated with Chihuahua Obesity

Chihuahua obesity is a very dangerous health problem and guarantees a much shorter and unhealthy life. Some pet owners even find for a chubby dog to be cute, but it is far from cute when you consider all of the health risks your dog will become much more susceptible to when he or she is overweight.

Chihuahua obesity puts chihuahua lives at risk by an increased chance of developing diabetes, heart disease or respiratory problems. Chihuahua obesity also tends to cause problems with the joints of their little legs which are only meant to typically carry 4-8 pounds of body weight.

An obese Chihuahua has a much lesser quality of life. While most healthy Chihuahuas want to run and play, an overweight Chihuahua will find it difficult to walk short distances, experience shortness of breath and even be lazier then the average healthy Chihuahua simply because it has no energy.

Chihuahua Obesity Prevention

There are a few ways to prevent your Chihuahua from becoming obese or to bring your obese Chihuahua down to a healthier weight. You can start by taking your Chihuahua on a 10-30 minute walk each day. Not only is a walk good for your dog, it is also good for you. The next thing you can do is to not over feed your Chihuahua. Your Chihuahua only needs about 1/2 cup of dry dog food each day. You can feed ¼ cup in the morning and another ¼ cup in the evening. Only leave out the food for 15-20 minutes during each feeding and do not feed again until the next feeding time. Also, keep treats to a minimum. If you are using treats to train your Chihuahua, cut the treats in half or in quarters so that one treat will seem like much more.  Chihuahua obesity will never be a problem if you can follow these simple tips. 

Hydrocephalus is a disease that can affect Chihuahua puppies. It is a brain condition (usually present at birth) in which the skull of the small dog has several openings, otherwise known as ventricles which are normally filled with spinal fluid. What happens in a case of Hydrocephalus in Chihuahuas is that the production of spinal fluid is too rapid and causes too much pressure on the brain. This leads to brain damage and can lead to physical and mental handicaps for your Chihuahua, or worse: death.

Hydrocephalus in Chihuahuas: What To Do If Your Chihuahua Has It?

Typically, if your dog has this disease, it has had it all it’s life. Typically this condition is untreatable and most veterinarians will recommend putting your dog to sleep to prevent prolonged suffering. However, is some cases a dog can live a normal life with this condition. The only problem is they may have a poor capability for learning.  Seek advice from a good veterinarian to find out what options your chihuahua has.

Chihuahua’s have one of the highest incidences of hydrocephalus in dog breeds. It will lead to a dome shaped head and may cause the eyes to point more outward than typical. Some symptoms that may but not necessarily mean your Chihuahua has hydrocephalus include the following:

• seizures
• slowed learning
• poor coordination
• vision problems

If you suspect that your chihuahua puppy may have this disease, contact your veterinarian immediately. Your Chihuahua’s health may depend on it.

If you notice that your Chihuahua has a Molera, do not be alarmed. It’s very normal for their breed. In fact sometimes they fuse together as the dog ages. After about three years if it hasn’t fused together, it probably won’t. This isn’t a problem though. It merely means that you need to be careful that your cute little dog doesn’t take too many blows to the head!

As long as you are careful to prevent things from falling on your Chihuahua, she should be fine. The Chihuahua Molera has about a 50% chance of closing fully at some point in the dog’s life. If it makes you feel better, a Chihuahua Molera is typically a good way to determine how pure bred your Chihuahua is since it is a condition only seen in Chihuahuas. In fact it used to be a way of determining such in shows.

A chihuahua home health checkup is never a substitute for having a personal vet for your Chihuahua but it is a good supplement. By performing a quick 5 to 10 minute checkup on your Chihuahua weekly, you’ll be able to see problems before they get out of hand so you can tell the vet the next time you have a visit.

How to do a Chihuahua Home Health Checkup

So what are we talking about? Basically a mini physical! You’re just going to check obvious signs of health concerns so you fix them before it’s too late.

• Lets start with the eyes. Ensure they haven’t changed color recently or shown evidence of a discharge or cloudiness. Verify the whites are a normal white color and not discolored.
• Next, we’ll move on to the ears. Check for discharge or redness. This will identify possible infection. Also check for any odors that are abnormal and if there is crust developing on the tips.
• The nose should be slightly moist and cool. Check that it isn’t swollen and that there is no abnormal discharge.
• How about the skin? Ensure there is nothing abnormal in this area such as scabs, red spots, bumps, lumps, evidence of parasites (burrows and such), and hair loss.
• Now, let’s get a look at those cute little paws! Are there any cuts or split nails? How about scrapes? Are the toes all aligned straight? If so, this area is fine as well.
• How can we forget the mouth? Check inside and make sure you don’t see any bleeding or swollen gums. Touch the teeth carefully and make sure they aren’t loose (Carefully!). Are there any lesions on the tongue? Ensure the breath isn’t abnormally strong. I’m not saying sniff really deep. Just make sure it’s like it always is.
• Now the tough one. Look at the anal region and make sure there is no swelling or redness and that there are no signs of strange discharge as well.

Now for the part that your Chihuahua will enjoy (as long as he’s healthy…)! The rub down! Start by rubbing along the sides of your dog and feeling the muscles and bones. Just make sure they are all symmetrical from one side to the next and that there are no abnormal misalignment that can show signs of a sprain or worse. Next check for lumps (or tumors if you will).

Check your dog’s weight if he’s looking heavier or thinner than usual and make sure your dog hasn’t had a drastic weight change.

Look at the waste. Is the urine the same color as usual or has it developed a foul odor of some kind? Lastly, check the…er…poop. Make sure it isn’t black (signifying blood in the stool).

If you do all of the above checks once a week, you should have no surprises when you have your vet visit. In fact by doing these checks, you’ll help the doctor better understand all of the symptoms or any ailment that comes up through your at home observations. Believe me, if you’re able to stop a problem before it really affects your little k-9, you’ll definitely feel much better knowing that a chihuahua home health checkup was the reason.