My Dogs Got a Thanksgiving Suprize

Oh, Thanksgiving and what a wonderful holiday it was. We had turkey, dressing, ham and all the trimmings and it was a jolly feast. My chis were going about their merry way up until the day before Thanksgiving. I am sure they were asking themselves who were all these people coming in and out, but they weren't expecting to see another dog coming into our house. My middle daughter and her family came, but they brought their yorkie as well. At first, they were all about sniffing and discovering each other, but after a little while, my chis were not happy. Prissy growled, Shorty played keep away and Abbey would not let their yorkie too close to the others. Chihuahuas are wonderful dogs, however, they do not like other breeds too much, although there are exceptions to this rule. They seem to like their own breed.

Chihuahuas and sickness

All is pretty quiet in our household since Shorty had his seizure, however, Shorty has been limping a big and not wanting to use his left foot. I don't know if he got it caught up in a blanket or rug or what happened, but I will be taking him to the vet if he doesn't start feeling better pretty quick. He is eating alright and still seems to be doing his normal routine. What can we do as petowners to be sure that our pets are happy? One thing that I have learned with chihuahuas is that if they are eating, that's a great sign, especially since they can be such picky eaters. If you notice your chi acting a little different, be sure and call a vet to check that out.....never know what's going on.

Chihuahuas and seizures

I have had my chihuahuas for only 2 and 3 years and up until now, have had no problems what-so-ever, but tonight, I had something very scary happen to me. My son had called me to get some keys out of his room for his friend who was coming over to pick up the car, and when my dogs heard a knock at the door, they did their very normal thing of barking. Shorty was barking fiercely and I quickly closed the door after they left and suddenly, I noticed him underneath my kitchen table barely able to walk. He was having a seizure. Oh my goodness, I had never had this happen before and since my hubby was working, my daughter and I was left to deal with this. We really didn't know what to do. We picked him up immediately first of all, and then, along with talking to him and stroking his head, I thought that maybe giving him something to eat would perk him up. In a hurry, I remembered that I had some boiled chicken that he always loved to get, so I grabbed a small piece of that and he ate it. After a few minutes of total uncertainy, he seemed to come around. I put him down and he was like normal. This was a horrible experience for me, so i wanted to write about it, just in case you have something like this happen to your chi. I looked around on the internet about chis and seizures and it seems that it is something that many can experience, and it also seems that people have given them karo syrup or honey on their gums to help get them to come around. Others have taken them to the vet and gotten medications for it. Unknown to me, I just gave him a little bit of food and I knew that if he was going to be alright, he would eat it. He did so I am now relieved. Have any of you experienced seizures with your chihuahua?

Rabies Shots and Chihuahuas

Chihuahuas seem to come in different sizes these days. Many people love the tiny tiny ones but that's not always the best. If they are too small, they can have many health problems. A chihuahua has to be big enough to at least see so you don't step on them, at least in my opinion. However, I do have 2 chihuahuas who are fairly small in size, perhaps you would call them petite. They have good sized bodies but their little legs and feet are small. If you have chihuahuas, of course, you must take them to have their yearly rabies shots. I think that my vet has chosen to shorten the dose a little because they are so small. Chihuahuas can also have reactions to rabies shots, such as the case with one of mine, who swelled up so large, face and all, that it was scarey to say the least. In this case, we took him back to the vet immediately and found out that from now on, before he gets his yearly rabies shot, we have to give him a tiny amount of children's liquid benedryl. Please don't go and give this to your chis without checking with your vet first. You have to know how much to give them and your vet is the one who can let you know how much.

Do You Have What It Takes To Be a Chihuahua Owner?

The chihuahua breed is such a special type of dog. Not just anyone can own one. I have found that many people like to get such a small dog for their children, which doesn't always work out well because chi's seem to prefer adults over children. They like the lifestyle of being a lapdog. Here are a few things that it takes to be a chihuahua owner.

1. love ---- This is number one here because a chihuahua really wants to be loved on. They enjoy having love from "their" person.
2. attention --- Oh boy do they love to have the attention! Chihauhuas normally expect to get most of the attention around the house and when they don't, they do things to get that attention. Chihuahuas demand quite a bit of attention. They love to play.
   
3. time ---- This breed of dog really likes the companionship of their people. They love being on your lap, or perhaps right beside you wherever you sit. My dogs never give me the opportunity to sit on my favorite chair alone. My dog doesn't even like me being on my computer alone....she thinks she deserves to be on my lap looking on at all times.
4. caring --- Chihuahuas need a caring owner, one who cares enough to be sure to look after their health issues, taking them to the vet when needed, keeping up on their shots, picking out the right kinds of foods for them (as they are very fussy eaters at times)
5. understanding --- chis need someone who is going to understand that they do not really reach their grown adult life until they reach 2 years of age, and that means more time willing to take the time to train. Chis can be very stubborn and have a tendency to do things their own way and this is sometimes a bit hard. They need an owner who is understanding that they are a unique breed in their own right and wants to please their person but it may take longer than other breeds due to their stubborness. I think that patience is the key here as well. My chis love to bark, and that is not always easy to tame. But no matter what, I still love them just the same.
   

Cleanliness

Keeping your chihuahua clean is so important.....now, I don't mean to bathe him/her every week but perhaps every other week. You will need to bathe with a very mild shampoo. If there are fleas, what works for me is bathing them in the blue dawn liquid dish soap, rinse extremely well and most fleas drop dead right away. Not only do chihuahuas need to be well groomed, but their bedding needs to be kept clean as well as their kennels and blankets, especially in the case of fleas. Washing out their food and water bowls are important too, but make sure to rinse well, because chis can turn their noses up to strange smells. My Prissy dog gets mad every week when I take her blanket out of her kennel to wash and once it's clean, she wants to take control of it. What a silly dog I have. Chi's sure do have alot of personality, that's for sure.