And I know none you care about that; you just want to talk about dogs and dog stuff. YEAH, DOG STUFF!!!! Let's pick up where I left off on the subject of Chihuahuas. We covered my opinions on show standards and shady breeding practices and I touched on some of the health problems associated with the latter. I'd like to expand on that today.
Purebred dogs can and do suffer from a number of specific ailments and disorders, the Chihuahua is no exception. Since I'm most well-versed in what has become my breed of choice by default ( previously, I owned a Great Pyrenees, about which I could speak at length but aside from him and Lucy, all the other dogs have been of mixed heritage), I'll keep this post about health concerns pertaining only to Chis. Most of them are problems you can find in any number of breeds but there are a few unique concerns when you are the owner of a toy dog.
Starting from the top of the beast, Chihuahuas are one of the small breeds that often has an 'open' molera, or fontanel. For those of you familiar with human babies, you'll know that the fontanel is the 'soft spot' on a newborn's skull where the bone remains un-fuzed to allow the head to better maneuver through the birth canal. Normally, with dogs or humans if there is a fontanel, it will close on its own during the early stages of development. However, many Chis maintain a small opening for their entire life. Some will have multiple tiny openings and then some will just have one big spot. Lucy has one right at the top of her skull that is smaller than my pinkie nail. It doesn't cause her any difficulties. I try not to let things impale her directly through it though.
If the fontanel DOESN'T close all the way or stay tiny and UN-problematic like Lucy's, it can be one of the contributing factors to Chihuahua issue deux- Hydrocephalus. This is a condition that means "water on the brain". The ventricles within the brain fill with too much fluid that the body is unable to regulate as normal, resulting in increased pressure on the brain itself, causing damage/restricting further development (in the case of puppies). Its a condition dogs are born with or can develop due to serious skull trauma or medical issues such as tumors and Chihuahuas are particularly susceptible. Typically fatal, and in severe enough cases totally debilitating before the end, Hydrocephalus manifests in several common symptoms:
- Unusually large head
- Patchy skull, not solid bone (large or multiple moleras)
- Lethargic
- Not growing at normal rate
- East-West Eyes (eyeballs looking outwards, opposite of cross-eyed)
- Seizures
- Difficulty walking, running, learning
Ugh. That was gruesome to imagine.
Sticking with the head region, you may have noticed Chihuahuas can have somewhat 'buggy' eyeballs. While many think this adds to their 'ugly/cute' charm, it can also provide another hazard into their tiny, tiny worlds. Eyes that excessively protrude can be easily injured during play or rough behavior. In some truly unfortunate cases of bad breeding, eyes can be so bulgy that the lids have difficulty closing all the way and the dog develops a chronic dry-eye condition, requiring moistening drops daily. Indeed, the super over-sized eyes of some breeds like Pugs can actually 'pop out' of the socket if jarred enough. Which is.......gross. Less gruesome that Hydrocephalus, but still......yeah. If your dog is one of the examples of ' is that a frog or a puppy', please make sure you take precautions to protect them. Normally, I'm the last person in the world to suggest dressing your dog, but in this case, I think having a pair of Doggles around would be handy! At the very least, eye problems are not usually as big an issue as some of the other common Chi stuff, just one of those 'file away for later reference' pieces of info.
Cruising past the eyeball ski slopes, we land on the mouth! I've mentioned dental concerns pertaining to Chihuahuas before but for the sake of posterity, let's revisit! On a Chihuahua, everything is tiny except the ego and the mouth is no exception. Wee little jawbones often don't have enough space to house a normal number of canine teeth and many Chis suffer from overcrowding, missing or malformed chompers. Lucy has all three options because she's an overachiever!
When the teeth are all crammed together like sardines, it becomes incredibly easy for food to get stuck in between them and lead to excess tartar/plaque buildup. It seems like I have to clean Lucy's teeth five times more often than any of the other dogs, matter of fact. So, with the excess gunk growing at an alarming rate, you get accelerated tooth decay! Which is why so many very small dogs have stink-mouths of death! Regular brushing and professional cleanings do help, but, as in the case of my little snowflake, they can't prevent what the genetics say. She now only has a couple of incisors left ( and the remainders are loosening as we speak) and I'm pretty sure she was just born without several teeth between her canines and molars, but she can still eat hard foods for now so....meh. I'd like to say 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure' but in the case of poor dental structure, there's only so much you can do before breeding will out. A much less minor concern would be the retention of puppy teeth aka, your dog's mouth looks like that of a Great White Shark. But this is a temporary concern vs life-long dental care; fortunately, they can be easily removed by your vet. A lot of owners just opt to have the service performed while the pup is unconscious during their neutering.
Body-wise, your dog is actually built ok, even if it is a tiny caricature of a former wolf. Chihuahuas can and do have a risk of back problems and although one normally associates hip displasia with large/heavy breeds, toy dogs can suffer too. But it *is* thankfully less common. The major structural flaw of the Chihuahua's body is almost always 'patella luxation' also known as Lookit' Dem Craaazzzyyy Swinging Kneecaps!!!!!
Resulting from a birth defect, extended trauma or serious injury, patella luxation is the medical term for a 'trick' knee. The patella (commonly referred to as the knee-cap) in normal cases, sits between two grooves in the femur bone of a dog's hind leg and moves up and down as the leg does. However, in cases of luxation, the patella will actually move to the side. This can be mild enough to just cause a weird gait or severe enough to actually showing immediate lameness for a dog. In the case of a dog being born with this, sometime the grooves of the femur are too shallow and allow more range of motion in the knee than they should. Other times, as a result of too much high impact jumping during the formative stages of puppy growth or jumping on/off of tall surfaces even as an adult, luxation is caused by loosening of the actual patellar ligament due to the strain of leaping around.
Examples:
This particular condition is totally a case by case basis. Some dogs, like Lucy, have such a mild form of it that their legs only really look a little weak or odd and every now again the knee will bow a little. For other dogs, surgery might be necessary the very first time it happens. It can be expensive but is usually a one time deal. Ways to avoid developing or aggravating patella luxation are mainly limiting jumping and in some cases, using stairs for your small dogs. Lift them on to beds or sofas whenever possible. Keeping your dog in good physical condition and at a healthy weight is also key.
As an aside, the OFA ( orthopedic registry for dogs ) lists Chihuahuas as only having a 10% occurrence of PL. This is generally regarded as a seriously underestimated number and largely attributed to the high amount of Chis being bred without having their knees checked at all. And those pet dogs who have been diagnosed are not being registered with OFA because they aren't breeding prospects so why bother, right?
That pretty well sums up the 'outside' concerns for a Chihuahua. All of the conditions above can be found in many if not most other toy breeds and the eye/dental problems are often even more severe in flat-faced pooches such as Pugs and Shih Tzus.
So let's move on to the inside of this peculiar little vehicle!!!!
I like to think that very small toy breeds are akin to hummingbirds- they need a steady source of nutrition, particularly as babies, in order to thrive. Chihuahuas have an incredibly high metabolism and a very small stomach. Indeed, if Lucy is ever starting to look chubbier than I'd like, a day or two of more restricted kibble amount will trim her right down. The negative side of this of course is that whenever she gets ill or has a flare up of her bowel illness, she goes from ' healthy and fit' to ' skeletal and disturbing to look at' in less than a week. So it can be a balancing act to keep your Chihuahua appropriately slender. And the biggest pitfall in managing nutrition is the risk of hypoglycemia.
And that's a fancy word for low blood sugar! Honestly, I have no idea how people deal with this in adult dogs as my experience is totally limited to dealing with toy breed puppies. I would assume it comprises of scheduled meal times and periodic monitoring throughout the day. I know that that woman who owns the almost upsetting-looking 'worlds smallest dog' has to feed her from a spoon like every 2 hours or something absurd like that. "Teacup" dogs rabble rabble hurf! Anyhow. Manifesting in lethargy, disoriented behavior and loss of balance/coordination, if ignored, hypoglycemia can lead to coma and death. When Lucy was a bebbeh, and in the case of other pups I've dealt with for family members, usually you'll get the onset of hypoglycemia when your delicate flower first comes home and decides food is no fun so it sulks instead of eats. Or, if food is waaayyyy too boring now that it has this cool new place to investigate. When you bring a new dog home, really, no matter what the age, it isn't unexpected for them to miss their first meal or two. And normally, no big deal, they won't starve themselves to death on purpose. But with a toy breed, this can obviously lead to ALL SYSTEMS DOWN in a shockingly short amount of time. My home remedy to combat crashing rat dogs? Syringe some corn syrup right down their gullet. It's absorbed quickly and perks them back up right away. With Lucy, I did that once by itself the first night and then mixed a little bit in with her puppy food for the next day or so. After that, she ate fine.
That, of course, is more of a preventative action. If your dog or puppy is past the point of ' hasn't eaten yet/turns away from food and seems a little off ' then you need to call a VET. RIGHT. AWAY. I wasn't kidding when I said your Chihuahua could very very VERY easily die from this if you ignore it. And always consult a vet before making any decisions about home-treating your dogs. I know about the corn syrup thing from vets and other Chihuahua people and from years of helping raise unwanted litters of various species, but I am in no means a medical expert and have never hesitated to take one of my pets in for treatment or diagnostics. So. Yeah. Veterinarians are here for a reason- if you're ever unsure, call them.
And of course on the flip side of regular nutrition, is the buzz word for all of pet-healthdom: OBESITY.
I have zero doubt in my mind that, given the opportunity, Lucy would weigh 400 lbs. She (like a hummingbird) is ALWAYS snuffling around for food. I have watched the dog crawl under an end display in a pet supply store, looking for dropped treat scraps or delectable dust bunnies. If we have guests for dinner, she parks right under them in case they decide to ignore my 'don't feed the dogs' rule. Frequently, when faced with her odd little quivering visage, they will develop temporary amnesia on the subject. Perhaps there is something innately charming about a dog that blinks one eye at a time that I've managed to miss in the last 6 years and change. Regardless, Chihuahuas are one of those breeds that is easily and willingly subject to gluttony.
The curse of being so small and attentive and cuddly as toy breeds is that people tend to cross the lines of good sense and view their pets as perpetual babies. In some ways, they are. They require a little more care and attention than a hardy mid sized mutt, they often get cold easily and need to be bundled up, they want to be held/carried and cossetted and often, they demand the bulk of their owners devotion during the day. And there are real worries like the aforementioned hypoglycemia associated with not feeding your Chihuahua enough. Plus....a lot of people these days seem to equate "loving" their dogs (and children but that is not my arena in which to battle) with FEEDING their dogs.
It's so easy to give in to those big dewy eyes, that head cocked inquisitively to the side at the sound of a wrapper opening or the prancing in circles on hind feet (just like a people!) at the word "treat". But you must, simply must resist for you are doing your dog a disservice by spoiling it so! Everyone in the free world knows the health risks associated with obesity in humans. Newsflash: All of those scary words like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, arthritis and crippling immobility can strike your fatty fat fat dog too!!!!
My general opinion on obesity (being fat myself, due to an ACTUAL medical condition that I have been fighting against for 7 years now) is that if an adult person chooses to make unwise food choices and not exercise etc, then that is their prerogative and more power to them. However, nothing makes me angrier than seeing a seriously overweight child or dog. Because, though I hesitate to make the dogs=babies! comparison, like human children your dog should have no control over what it eats.They are dependent creatures who count on us to make the right choices for their health and well-being in every aspect. Killing with kindness is an epidemic in dog-owning households nowadays. It is up to the parent/owner to make the appropriate nutritional choices for their child/pet and make sure that physical activity is part of daily life. I always tell people, don't give a damn how I look as long as the dog is healthy. I will not be a part of that stereotype.
There is literally no benefit whatsoever for your dog to be overweight. Fat dogs are depressed, restricted and often smell gross. The only positive thing associated with it is the owner genuinely enjoying indulging their dog's ever whim. And frankly, that's indicative of a deeper problem that this blogger does not possess the necessary medical degrees to address.
Dogs, even Chihuahuas, want to be able to run and play and enjoy their lives. They want to explore and go on walks daily. Yes, they may SEEM hungry ALL the time, but that's an evolutionary trait designed to keep them from dying in the forest. Food is available? EAT TIL YOU BARF AND THEN EAT THAT TOO BC FOOD IS NEVER COMING BACK! Its just instinct, not an actual physical need to be eating all day long. My dogs routinely try to convince my husband when he gets home from work that they have not eaten in well over 90 years despite having had dinner less than two hours before. He doesn't fall for it and neither should you.
To review, This:
And, THIS:
Aside from the face, THIS is what a Chihuahua's body should look like, weight wise.
And there you have it! A whole lotta words about the various gross or heartbreaking problems you can experience when owning a Chihuahua. Just think, this is a comparatively short list so far as purebreds go. Whenever I look at Lucy and get sad over the things that are wrong with her, I remember to stop and thank my lucky stars that she's not an English Bulldog. Indeed, all of you stop and be thankful that your dog is not an English Bulldog. And if it is....well.......enjoy your vet bills!
http://www.greatdogsite.com/admin/uploaded_files/1191000013english_bulldog.jpg
ReplyDeleteShit son I think Lucy is a vast improvement on THAT.
Never knew about the 'open' fontanel thing. Dogs (especially chihuahuas) are damn weird. Damn weird.