Nothing surpasses a clear-eyed, lively, and healthy Chi. One look at a dog like this tells you she\’s well-cared for. In addition to excellent nutrition and proper grooming, treating your Chi with quality veterinarian care throughout her life is possibly the most important component of maintaining a Chihuahua\’s good health and vigour.
Prevention is key.
Young puppies are at the highest risk of dying from a disease, followed by older puppies, seniors, and geriatrics. Dogs of any age who are already weakened because of illness or suffering from an immune system that is not functioning properly (immuno compromised) are plus at an increased risk. Even strong, healthy adults face the possibility of getting extremely ill.
In addition to your Chi\’s age and general health, other factors that affect how at risk your Chihuahua is include the area of the country you live in; the type of housing you own (such as a farm with livestock or a city flat); how much and where you travel with your dog; how often you board your dog; and the number of dogs your Chihuahua comes into contact with on a regular basis.
Many fatal illnesses are geographical in origin. If you travel frequently with your dog, you should investigate what diseases are prevalent in the area to which you are travelling. Protecting your Chihuahua may be as simple as ensuring she only drinks bottled water, or it may necessitate that your Chi obtain a specialised vaccination before to travel.
Of course, you cannot keep your Chihuahua in a protected bubble for her entire life.Even when you take every precaution to keep your Chihuahua from coming into touch with disease, the question is not whether your Chi will be exposed, but when. Simply stated, it is unavoidable. You may, but, provide her with as much protection against infectious diseases, bacterial infections, and parasites as possible with preventative veterinarian treatment.
Keep it moving!
Exercise is one of the most effective strategies to keep your Chi healthy. Tired of the same old stroll around the block and looking for new activities for your Chihuahua? There are numerous activities you can participate in with your Chihuahua, ranging from noncompetitive to performance events.
Agility
Agility is possibly the most popular canine sport in the country, and there\’s a good reason for that: it\’s enjoyable. The goal is to get your dog around a ring full of obstacles, such as a teeter-totter, a tunnel, or an A-frame, with the fewest mistakes and in the shortest period of time. Many people participate in agility training solely since their dogs enjoy it.
Obedience and Its Cousins
If you\’ve registered your Chi in a basic puppy or beginner adult class, you\’ve already started learning obedience! Competitive obedience is a continuation of these foundational classes, with a few new techniques to learn. With obedience, your goal can be to acquire passing scores to earn a title, or it can be to achieve the highest score in the ring that day. You may not be interested in competitions, but if you and your Chi like training, there is no reason you cannot train your dog to the highest levels.Other types of obedience include rally obedience (or Rally-O), in which the ring is marked with markers indicating which skill the handler and dog should perform at that location. Competitors are asked to complete training segments or sections of the more sophisticated skills required for official obedience.Then there are sports that combine obedience and music. Participants in canine freestyle and canine musical freestyle work together to choreograph manoeuvres to music. Canine freestyle is more structured, but canine musical freestyle requires costume and choreography for both.Dog and owner.
Volunteer Opportunities
If sports aren\’t your thing and you have a well-socialized, friendly Chihuahua, you might consider doing therapy work with her. Therapy dogs are no longer limited to social visits in nursing homes. Depending on the need in the community and your interests, you could train to assist in a variety of settings, including school reading programs, rehabilitation centres, assisted living communities, and children\’s hospitals.The Chihuahua\’s size does not limit its participation in a variety of activities. The idea is to select an activity that both you and your Chihuahua will love.
Finding a Veterinarian
If you\’ve previously owned dogs and know and trust your veterinarian, you\’re in luck! If your Chi is your first dog or you\’ve relocated to a new region, you\’ll need to schedule an appointment with a reputable veterinarian as soon as possible. The three variables to examine are the veterinarian\’s qualifications, the location of his clinic, and the sort of facilities and services he provides.
Qualifications
To practise, a veterinarian must have the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine (D.V.M.) or veterinary medicine doctor (V.M.D.). Most veterinarians will gladly tell you where they earned their degrees and if they have any special interests (such as behaviour) or subspecialties.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons licenses veterinarians who got their veterinary degrees in Ireland or Great Britain. The degree MRCVS stands for \”member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, which indicates that the veterinarian is registered with the RCVS to practise veterinary medicine.
A special interest in a particular component of veterinary medicine differs from a subspeciality. To have a special interest in a certain area of veterinary medicine, the veterinarian attends seminars and training in that area and stays up to date on the most recent information available. A veterinarian with a special speciality can be highly proficient and a valuable asset to his clients and patients who require this additional knowledge.
A veterinarian who has undergone intense, additional postgraduate education in a speciality, passed rigorous examinations, and was Diplomate status is conferred upon those who have been board-certified by an AVMA-recognized veterinary speciality organisation (a board or college). A Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviourists would have D.V.M. following his name, followed by the designation \”Diplomate ACVB\”
Do I need a veterinary specialist?
Only if your regular veterinarian determines that your Chihuahua has a sickness or condition that requires the care of a specialist. For example, a Chi with an eye ulcer may be referred to a D.V.M. who is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
Location, Location, Location.
How close is your veterinarian to your home? For some people, convenience is really important. Who wants to drive forty minutes across town when you can take your Chihuahua to the veterinarian just two miles away? For many others, it is the combination of a great veterinarian and convenience. These people will drive a little further to get the greatest practitioners for their dogs. Others believe that a long travel is pointless if they can provide their dogs with the best veterinarian care possible. It\’s up to you to decide where you fit into this mix.
Facilities and Services
Which type of veterinary practice are you most comfortable with? Do you enjoy a veterinary practice with only one veterinarian? Do you prefer a larger animal hospital with multiple vets on staff? Smaller offices are frequently more constrained in that they do not have their own operating rooms, blood labs, or diagnostic instruments like X-ray or MRI machines.
Animal hospitals have extended their facilities (some even offer boarding kennels); yet, Pet owners enjoy the personalised, one-on-one approach of a single practitioner. Again, this is a personal preference, but one to think about though looking for a veterinarian.
Keep your Chi active by going for walks and providing plenty of toys.
To start your search for a veterinarian who suits your needs, ask your breeder (if he lives nearby), local rescues and shelters, and other Chihuahua owners who have positive experiences with their physicians. You can plus ask the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) for contacts in your region.
When you schedule an appointment with a new veterinarian, don\’t be afraid to ask questions. Perhaps the most important feature of a successful veterinarian is his ability to communicate effectively with his patients. When speaking with your veterinarian, you should get the impression that he not only welcomes but encourages all types of queries, from basic healthcare to more sophisticated concerns like immunisations or the genetic foundation of a certain condition.
The main point is that if you don\’t feel comfortable asking this guy what you consider to be some of the dumbest questions in the space, you will never be able to
Take full advantage of the veterinarian\’s wide knowledge.
The Complete view Alternative.Complete view veterinary medicine, alternative veterinary medicine, and complementary veterinary medicine are all synonymous. Depending on who you ask, it\’s either the sole way to practise medicine, one of several instruments available to veterinarians, or total nonsense that should be avoided at all costs.
We know that the latter opinion is incorrect—at least for the better-researched and tested techniques that fit under the category of complete view medicine. For example, the AVMA has said that acupuncture and chiropractic have therapeutic properties and can be beneficial to veterinarians in their offices. Other practices, such as homoeopathy (the practice of giving very dilute quantities of substances that cause the same symptoms as those the patient is having to purge the system), flower essences (using extremely pure dilute essences of various flowers to treat emotions), and nutraceuticals (the use of certain nutrients in pure or concentrated forms to treat disease), show great clinical promise, but they lack the double-blind trials and substantial research that Western medicine
Conventional veterinary medicine employs medicines in its treatment program only once they have been demonstrated to be effective in double-blind investigations, or research in which a studygroup is divided between those given a placebo and those given the medication under investigation. Most complete view nutraceuticals, herbs, and other substances have not undergone rigorous trials; yet, many of them have demonstrated outstanding therapeutic benefits in individual patients.Complete view versus Conventional Medicine
The approach to healing the animal distinguishes complete view veterinary medicine from conventional veterinary medicine. Conventional veterinary medicine, which is taught in veterinary colleges across the country, is based on treating disease by analysing a dog\’s symptoms and using diagnostic tools such as blood, urine, and faecal tests, X-ray, MRI, and CT scans to pinpoint the cause of the symptoms.Complete view veterinary medicine treats the entire animal—physical and emotional—rather than treating a dog based just on its symptoms.Complete view veterinarians are educated at traditional veterinary universities and hold DVMs or VMDs. Following veterinary school, these veterinarians conduct research and education on one or more complete view or alternative therapies, such as herbal therapy, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, or chiropractic. In some circumstances, organisations certify proficiency in specific modalities through continuing education courses, seminars, research studies, experience, and formal training. Most modalities, but, do not require certification, and the pet owner must rely on the veterinarian\’s enthusiasm, expertise, and competence when treating his dog.
How can I locate a complete view veterinarian in my area?
The American Complete view Veterinary Medical Association\’s (AHVMA) website, www.AHVMA.org, features an excellent search engine.
Talk to a Vet.Complete view treatments are known for taking longer to take effect though causing less negative side effects than traditional drugs. If you are interested in this kinder approach to veterinary medicine, speak with the vets on your list and find out how they feel about complete view medicine.
Many conventional veterinarians incorporate one or two modalities into their practices or often refer their patients to complete view specialists for specific needs.
Other vets provide services that are wholly complete view or that incorporate current diagnostic techniques.
Vaccinations
The space of immunisations is always evolving. For years, puppies were given a course of combination vaccinations starting at four to six weeks and continued every two to four weeks until they reached sixteen to twenty weeks of age. Boosters were advised every year for the remainder of the dog\’s life.
Booster shots
The annual boosters were required since the immunisations had only been tested for duration of protection for a year. In other words, a dog may still have 100 percent protection from a deadly virus twenty-four or even thirty-six months after receiving the booster.But, since testing for a dog\’s immunity had only been completed for twelve months, the vaccinations could not be approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for longer periods of time.Veterinarians were confronted with a predicament. Vaccination regimens were emerging from veterinary colleges, supporting a three-year routine (with boosters every three years), but since there were no duration-of-immunity testing for this time period (save for the rabies vaccination), veterinarians faced a liability concern. If they suggested that vaccinations after the initial puppy series be given every three years, the veterinarian might face a costly lawsuit if a dog became ill with a disease.
Some veterinarians offered to test their clients\’ dogs\’ blood to determine their immunisation levels; but, this test was more expensive than the vaccines themselves, so few dog owners took them up on the offer.Regarding immunisations, a dog\’s size does not matter.
Whether your Chi puppy weighs twenty-four ounces or thirty pounds, she will receive the same immunisation dose. The rationale for this is that the injection contains the smallest amount of vaccination required to trigger a dog\’s immune system to produce antibodies, and this is consistent regardless of size.
As of April 2005, veterinarians can administer a combined canine vaccine for distemper, adenovirus, and parvovirus with a three-year duration of immunity approved by the USDA. With this vaccination, the puppy immunisation schedule is plus changed: the puppy will now receive only two injections—one at eight or nine weeks and the second at twelve weeks.
Adverse vaccination reactions are prevalent in Chihuahuas. An unfavourable reaction usually occurs within 24 hours of injection. These can range from heat and inflammation at the injection site to full anaphylactic shock or becoming unwell from the disease against which the vaccination is intended to provide protection. Consult your veterinarian to make of course you understand what to look for, and don\’t forget a bad reaction is an emergency!Main Vaccines
Vaccinations are classified as main vaccines—or those deemed absolutely necessary for the protection of your Chi\’s health—and non-main vaccinations, which are recommended only if the risk of becoming ill from a disease outweighs the risk of having an adverse reaction to the vaccine.The AVMA recommends the following main vaccinations: canine distemper, canine parvovirus, and adenovirus-hepatitis (typically packaged as a combination vaccine in one injection), along with rabies vaccination.
Non-Main Vaccines
Non-main vaccinations are those that are optional for a puppy or dog, depending on the dog\’s risk of contracting a disease. Non-main vaccinations include those for bordatella, canine adenovirus-2 (CAV-2), and parainfluenza (the three most common causes of respiratory illness, popularly known as askennel cough), giardia, Lyme disease, and measles.
Coronavirus, which was previously a main vaccine, is no longer considered a lethal threat to puppies. According to research, the virus is self-limiting and does not cause severe sickness.So, the chance of experiencing an adverse reaction to the vaccine considerably outweighs the danger of contracting the disease itself.
Kennel Cough.
Kennel cough vaccinations are advised for pups and dogs who come into regular contact with a large number of other dogs. If you intend to show your Chihuahua or compete in performance events, your veterinarian will most likely recommend vaccinations for these three diseases.Plus, if you intend to travel without your Chihuahua, she must be current on her bordatella vaccine to be accepted into any boarding kennel.
Giardia
Giardia is plus known as Beaver Fever.Except if your Chi is often exposed to water sources that may have this protozoan, your veterinarian is unlikely to offer this vaccine. Dogs become infected when they drink from streams, brooks, puddles or other natural water sources containing giardia in cyst form. Infected animals, most commonly beavers, deposit the cysts in water.
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is primarily a worry for dog owners whose canines hunt, work, or play in tick-infested areas known to harbour Lyme disease.But, the sickness is not limited to these locations; pet owners exercising their dogs in suburban neighbourhoods have been afflicted by ticks that carry the disease. Most likely, giving your Chihuahua a daily once-over after walks to check for ticks and/or applying a tick repellent to your Chi will give adequate protection for your dog with fewer side effects than the Lyme disease vaccine itself.
Measles
And then there is measles. Surprisingly, the human measles virus shares antigens with the canine distemper virus. In regions where caninedistemper is actually prevalent, your veterinarian may recommend vaccination your Chi with the measles vaccine (in addition to the caninedistemper vaccine) to provide some crossprotection.
External Parasites.
Fleas and ticks are the most prevalent parasites that infect Chihuahuas. Both are nasty, bloodsucking, disease-carrying insects. Ticks carry a variety of diseases, including ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Fleas can cause painful skin irritations and serious allergic responses in certain pets. Fleas can plus transmit tapeworm larvae to dogs if consumed. And of course, your Chi is swift enough to catch a flea or two.
Does my Chi have fleas?
Fleas are difficult to spot. A simple technique to test for fleas is to set your Chi on a damp piece of tissue paper and thoroughly comb through its coat with a flea comb. If your Chi has fleas, you may notice microscopic brownish black granules (flea dirt) that leave a rust-coloured ring on the paper.
Remove Ticks
If you notice a tick on your Chihuahua, remove it with tweezers. You may even wear gloves to avoid the spread of any dangerous bloodborne diseases to yourself. Grab the tick with tweezers, taking care not to pierce it, and pull straight out without twisting. Save the tick in a bottle filled with rubbing alcohol (which kills ticks) in case your veterinarian has to test or identify the insect. Clean the bite area with soap and water, followed by rubbing alcohol.
Eradicating fleas
If your Chi exhibits evidence of one flea, he most likely has a whole host of them residing in his coat, his bed, your carpets, your bed, and your furniture.
Basically somewhere he\’s gone in the last month. Not only should you treat your Chihuahua for fleas with a medicated shampoo, dip or powder, but you should plus hoover your floors thoroughly every day for a month to catch all stages of the flea (from eggs to new hatchlings). Wash all bedding in the hottest water possible, hoover your mattresses and repeat this cycle every week for at least four weeks.
Prevention
Of course, the simplest method to keep your Chihuahua healthy and your home clean is to keep fleas and ticks out. Currently, there are various products on the market that are suited for Chihuahuas. Products containing fipronil, a neurotoxin unique to invertebrates (such as fleas and ticks), kill fleas within a few hours of contact and ticks within 48 hours. Fipronil is administered to the dog\’s skin, usually between the shoulder blades, and distributes throughout the body utilising the natural oils found in a dog\’s skin.
If your Chihuahua develops an adverse response to Fipronil, contact your veterinarian right away. Shampoos with benzoyl peroxide may be beneficial in eliminating this topical pesticide; nevertheless, consult your veterinarian for the most up-to-date information before use. If your Chi becomes lethargic or irritable though wearing a tick collar (with Amitraz), remove the collar right away and contact your veterinarian for assistance.
Some tick collars contain Amitraz, which targets ticks (not fleas) and works by paralysing the tick\’s mouthparts, preventing the tick from sticking to the dog. Amitraz plus kills ticks that have already adhered, but this medicine may take 24 to 48 hours to take effect.
If you have multiple dogs, be advised that Amitraz is exceedingly poisonous.Since this product is used on tick collars, it is conceivable that Chihuahua may decide to chew on another Chi\’s collar—or rip a collar off during play. If this occurs, contact your veterinarian immediately. She will have an antidote for Amitraz ingestion, but bring the collar with you to check that this product contains this specific chemical.
Chis enjoy running and playing, especially with their owners! This is a terrific way to exercise your Chi though still spending time together.
Worming about.
Puppies and dogs can become afflicted with a variety of worms, the most dangerous of which is heartworm. Heartworm is well called since adult-sized worms live and reproduce in the dog\’s heart and lungs. Other worms, such as roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and whipworms, inhabit and cause havoc in the dog\’s digestive system.
HeartwormThough heartworm treatments are often effective, they do pose health hazards to dogs. Even with therapy, a dog infected with heartworms may die. There is no need for this to occur. Effective, safe preventive drugs are available and affordably priced, ensuring that every Chihuahua can be safeguarded.In chilly, northern states, heartworm preventives may not be required during the winter. Year-round protection is advised in more temperate climes or areas where there may be a few fluke warm days in the winter. Heartworm is more prevalent in areas 150 miles inward from either coast or in the Mississippi Valley, which is the main of mosquito country.
Chi owners should be aware that dogs who receive heartworm treatments on a sporadic basis (four months, one month, three months, late five weeks, and so on) appear to be at a higher risk of becoming infected during their unprotected months.So, exercise caution when administering your Chi\’s suggested dose. Your veterinarian will request a yearly blood test to make of course that your Chihuahua is heartworm-free before renewing her prophylactic prescription.
Heartworm preventives are available in pill and chewable tablet forms that can be used daily or monthly, along with topical solutions that are applied monthly. Some preventives not only protect against heartworm but plus against various intestinal worms, fleas, ticks, and mites. Many of these products are gentle enough for young puppies and can be used as early as three months old.
Intestinal Worms
This group contains roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and whipworms. All can swiftly deplete your Chihuahua\’s health, with certain infestations being more serious than others. Your veterinarian will request that you supply an annual faecal sample to test for the presence of worms. If you have a Chihuahua puppy, your veterinarian will likely require one or more wormings to rid her of roundworms, a parasite that is typically carried from mother to puppy.
Roundworms can give a puppy a potbellied appearance and, if severe, clog the dog\’s intestinal tract, resulting in death.
Hookworms, tapeworms, and whipworms are less likely to produce a serious infestation in a healthy adult dog.But, since these worms can be transmitted to humans, it is critical that you monitor your dog\’s health for any abnormalities (such as vomiting, lethargy, and anaemia) and bowel motions (particularly diarrhoea) that may suggest a worm infestation.
Preventive measures are must-have for keeping your dog healthy, and there is no exception regarding worms. Clean up your dog\’s faeces though walking her, and keep her from sniffing or eating other dogs\’ faeces or dead creatures that may be parasite-infested.Plus, discuss with your veterinarian your options for several different heartworm treatments that plus protect dogs from several forms of intestinalworms. These meds are effective, and since you\’ll already be administering your Chi heartworm preventive, you may provide them at no extra cost.