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Chihuahua Question and Answer Archive, Page 2


Chihuahua Heat Cycle


Q: When do female Chihuahuas start the menstrual cycle (heat)? Owner Candais, Chihuahua  Queenie.

A:  Hi Candais, this is a good question because the heat cycle (akin to the human menstrual cycle) affects female dogs in many ways.  A Chihuahua, being such a small dog, will be affected in some ways, more than larger breeds. At what age does a Chihuahua begin heat?  This varies from dog to dog, however as a general guideline it will begin early.  When the dog is approximately 6 months old.  Please keep in mind that 6 months old is the average age.  A Chihuahua may begin heat as young as 3 months and as old as 14 months.  If your dog has not shown signs of entering heat by the age of 15 months, this is a reason to set up a visit with the veterinarian.

A female dog in heat and the issue of spaying go hand-in-hand.  Why?  Because having your Chihuahua spayed decreases her odds of getting ovarian and mammary cancer by a vast degree.  Currently, veterinarians and animal right groups recommend having a female dog spayed even before the first heat cycle.  This again, drastically cuts down on the chances of developing cancer and can literally save your dog's life. You may be wondering how to know your Chihuahua is in heat.  With little dogs, the signs are not as obvious as with larger dog breeds.

You may not even notice a discharge of blood.  With a Chihuahua, the most noticeable sign is actually the behavior of males dogs.   Any male dog that is not neutered will do all he can to get to your little Queenie.  This can be very dangerous to a tiny Chihuahua.  It is always recommended to scan the area for stray male dogs before going for a walk or to keep your Chihuahua indoors during heat.  A male will smell her from 3-4 miles away and will run at her fast if given the opportunity.

When your dog is in heat, her vulva will usually swell.  Her behavior may change as well, such as wanting to rest, acting tired, being a bit nippy, etc.   Your Chihuahua's heat cycles will come about 2 times per year and they will last from 2 to 4 weeks. When will your Chihuahua stop being in heat?  The answer brings us back to spaying.  A dog may enter in and out of heat for her entire life.  Many dogs do not have an end to this phase.  As your Chihuahua becomes older, you will not want an elderly dog to have to endure the strain of being in heat and this is another reason to have her spayed.

Scared of Dogs and Eating Fur!

Q: My Chihuahua is scared of toys and dogs when I let him out or when he's around me.  He will snap at the dog when they come too close and he eats or chews off the fur on his comb. Owner: Kim, Chihuahua Taco

A:  Hi Kim.  Well, it sounds as if your little Chihuahua is having some anxiety problems.  This can be caused by many things...a previous owner who did not treat the dog well,  Taco may have never been socialized in a slow and controlled way or his behavior that points to nervousness by be genetic. Let's take each problem 1 at a time.  First, his fear of toys.  There must be something about his toys that are causing him to be scared.  Perhaps he is afraid of toys that make a loud "squeak" noise when he bites down or perhaps the toy is larger than him and resembles something that intimidates your dog.  At any rate, forcing a dog to be exposed to something that triggers fear will not help the dog.  It must be done in a very slow and organized way.  Therefore, we recommended that you get rid of all toys that scare your Chihuahua.  Begin fresh with some toys made especially for small toy breeds. The toys should not be "noise makers" and not be intimidating. Chewing on toys is very important for your dog; since your Chihuahua is already very nervous he will need some smaller, non-threatening toys that he can chew on when he is nervous (or he may begin chewing on your furniture!).  Try something simple yet engaging such as the . Dog toys such as this will satisfy his chewing needs, but should not scare him as it does not resemble an animal or make noises.

Next, you will want to help your Chihuahua not be afraid of dogs.  Your Chihuahua will need a slow but steady socialization with other dogs in order to understand that they do not pose a threat. Of course, you should not allow your Chihuahua to be  with a much larger dog unless you are 100% sure that the other dog is very well behaved and socialized to play with much smaller breeds.  We have an article that talks about this, here.

Third, most likely your Chihuahua chews on loose fur because again, of he is very nervous.  When an owner has a nervous dog, it is important to provide a very calm household.  Stay aware of how noisy the house may be.  Are stereos played loud?  Is the TV blasting?  Is there yelling in the home?   Also, you Chihuahua needs to have an area that is all his own, a place that he can retreat to when feeling overwhelmed.  Place a doggie bed in a quiet corner of a quiet room. Make this area all his own, where he knows he can be alone and rest when needed.  Place a small baby blanket on the dog bed and a few of his new favorite toys.

When you see your Chihuahua eating or chewing on his own fur, gently take the fur away from him and say "No".  "No" is one of the most important command words. This command must be followed by an action that shows the dog what is expected. "No' does not need to be yelled.  Once saying this command word, give your dog one of his toys and encourage him to chew on it.  You may also wish to lead your dog to his "safe zone" where he can chew away!

Did My Chihuahua Have a Seizure?

Q: My Chihuahua last night just randomly became frozen and could not move.  I was scared because when she started to move all she would do is get near me non-stop. She would look down then look up to see if there was anything. I read that Chihuahuas can have seizures or epilepsy. So I'm unsure what’s happening. I think this situation happened once before.  Owner: Toby, Chihuahua: Mitsy

A:  Hi Toby, we are happy that you wrote to us.  Yes, you are correct that a Chihuahua can have a seizure.  It sounds like your Chihuahua had a Tonic-clonic seizure. This is the most common with dogs.  Know that a dog can have 1 or more seizures and then never have one again.  However, some dogs will suffer from this for their life time.  Sometimes a cause is found and sometimes it is not.  Some possible reasons for a dog having seizures is a brain injury (common in Chihuahua because of the soft spot on their head which does not always close), heart worms or genetics. It is very important to have your Chihuahua checked out by your dog’s veterinarian.  If a cause is found and the seizures happen a lot, your dog’s vet can give you medicine to give to your Chihuahua. 

From what you have described, this may be the Tonic-clonic type.  What usually happens is that it comes in 2 parts. The first part can be mild or it can be severe.  It sounds as if your Chihuahua had a mild “Tonic” part.  A dog will freeze (often they fall to the ground and freeze) but this can happen when standing also.  One reason why it is important to have the vet check this out, is that if this happens again, there is a chance that your Chihuahua will stop breathing during this 1st part.  If so, you would need to know how to perform canine CPR until help arrived or you arrived at the animal hospital.   So far, what has happened to your Chihuahua is a mild form and the dog will continue to breath.

The 2nd part is when the dog will show very unusual and odd behavior as you describe in your question.  It can include running in place, drooling, unresponsiveness and odd movements.  Your description of how your Chihuahua behaved sounds like it fits the “odd movements”.  If this happens again before you can get to the vet for a complete checkup for your Chihuahua, it is important to stay calm.  While your dog is suffering the seizure, do not try to hold her tongue (as you may have heard this from human seizures).  Move away any objects that your dog may bump into.  If she falls to the floor, put a thin pillow or blanket under her head.  Shut off any loud noises like the TV, stereo or other.  Shut off any bright lights in the room.  Speak to your Chihuahua in a comforting voice.  Write down what your dog was doing right before it happened and how long it lasted. The vet will want to know this.  When your Chi has snapped out of this, take her right away to the animal hospital and please do be sure to get that appointment with the veterinarian.

While it is scary when a dog has a seizure, please know that it is rarely life-threatening and if medication can be given, your dog can live a happy and active life.

Note: Don't allow yourself to be "one of those owners" who has a Chihuahua, but really does not understand what is needed for the emotional & physical health of the Chi ! Click here to learn more.


                                          

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