6 Tips to Help Extend the Life Span of Your Chihuahua
1. Vaccinations
A Chihuahua can be
immunized against diseases
that are fatal to this breed. Never believe that a dog that is kept inside the majority of the time does not need inoculations; it only takes a moment of sniffing infected urine or a brief period of contact with an infected dog for disease to spread.
Puppy vaccinations should include those for adenovirus cough and hepatitis, distemper, parainfluenza, parvovirus, and rabies. Optional vaccines include those for leptospirosis, coronavirus and Lyme disease. In regard to leptospirosis, this is only recommended for dogs that have a high chance of exposure because this breed tends to not react well to this particular vaccine. The veterinarian will speak to you to decide if there is enough wildlife near your home to warrant having this vaccination.
Many adult Chihuahuas will need booster shots; but, this does not necessarily need to be done each year since antibodies can last several years. You may wish to speak to the veterinarian about conducting routine titer tests. This is a method of measuring antibodies for certain diseases via a blood sample. If there are enough antibodies, your Chihuahua will not need a booster shot. If antibody levels are low, a booster will be recommended.
2. Safety First
Since trauma is the 2nd leading cause of death for this breed (16.8 %), a Chihuahua's life span can be drastically increased if safety precautions are put into place and followed by everyone in the household. Here are some tips for keeping your Chihuahua safe:
1. Keep your Chihuahua on leash
at all times when outside of the house.
2. Use a harness, not a collar, which will allow you better control and in case of emergencies, will allow you to quickly reel your Chihuahua to you without harming the neck. This also helps prevent collapsed trachea. A recommended harness is the
Puppia Harness Soft B Harness Vest.
3. When exiting the house with your Chihuahua, scan the area first.
Look for stray dogs or wild animals. At night, put on an outside light, bring a flashlight, and stand close to your dog.
4. When outside with your Chihuahua, remain aware of your surroundings.
Large stray dogs have been known to jump fences as high as six feet and wildlife can encroach into private yards. Aggressive dogs can be encountered just about anywhere, including your normal walking route and the dog park.
If it is typical for large dogs to roam in your neighborhood, consider carrying a whistle, an air horn like the
Safety Sport Dog Horn, or another type of deterrent. 5. Have a rule in place for the door. In the blink of an eye, a dog can dart outside when someone opens a door. It can help to have household members to knock before coming in so that someone can keep hold of the Chihuahua.
6. Teach your Chihuahua all basic commands. In the case of a dog running off, a firm and loud 'Sit!' or 'Come!' may stop them in their tracks. Shouting out a command to stop a dog from crossing the street may very well prevent that dog from being hit by a car.
7. No matter your Chi's age, proof the house.
Though known as 'puppy proofing' it's important to do this even for adults. A dog may mouth a non-toy object even with no past history of doing this, simply for the reason of being curious. Routinely go over the floors of your home and any accessible areas to remove small items. This includes coins, pens and caps, jewelry, bottle caps, paper clips, batteries, and any other objects small enough for your Chi to bite on or swallow.
House plants should not be within reach, nor should electrical cords. If you cannot keep cords out of the way, consider using a product like PetCords Cord Protector
to prevent your dog from being able to chew it. 8. All household members should be aware of this breed's status as an 'under-the-foot' dog, meaning that he can easily be stepped on or tripped over. Always look before turning corners and switch on lights at night if your Chihuahua has free-reign in the house.
9. Follow proper handing techniques.
N
ever hold your Chihuahua if you will be balancing other things in your arms. This breed is a pro at wiggling out of his human's grasp. Children should be taught proper methods of picking up the dog and youngsters should be only allowed to carry a Chihuahua if they can handle this important task. If you find that you hold your Chihuahua a lot while busy with other things, consider using a carrier method like the Bro'Bear i'Pet Hands-Free Carry Sling
.