These are a few aliments that are common in the chihuahua breed.

Use these links to jump directly to a specific injury

Patellar Luxation | Collapsing Trachea | Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis
Kennel Cough| Hypoglycemia| Hydrocephalus| Cryptorchid



Patellar Luxation

 Trick knees: Treatment for Luxated Patellas

Chihuahua owners and breeders may be familiar already to the following situation: A Chi puppy is playing in the yard, when all of a sudden he yelps and lifts a leg as if to go pee. The puppy then does not go, but rather hops around still holding up the same leg. A few minutes pass and the puppy starts playing as usual. The situation may happen again and a concerned Chi owner might take the dog to the vet. The vet in turn would compare the two limbs, watch the dog running or walking, and check the range of motion in the affected limb. While examining the leg in motion he might hear a popping sound which would confirm the luxated patella.

What is Patellar Luxation?

Specifically, it is a condition in which the kneecap will pop or slide out of place. It becomes out of place to the inside or the outside of the joint instead of sliding in the natural groove of the femur. With Chihuahuas the kneecap is more likely to be displaced on the inner side of the joint which is known as medial patella luxation, or MPL.

Sometimes it is the result of trauma, but in most cases it is due to genetic predisposition. If this is the case, it often shows up within the first year of a Chihuahuas life. Not only does this condition occur in Chihuahuas, but also in many other toy breeds and smaller sized dogs as well. Why these dogs are prone to patellar luxation is not known.

Treatment for Patellar Luxation

Treatment of Luxated patellas is based on the severity and the specific cause.

Veterinary orthopedists evaluate luxation according to severity. One is least severe which translates into the knee being in the correct position most of the time, but can be pushed out of place. It will then return to the correct position almost immediately. A four means that the knee is always out of place and cannot be pushed back into the correct position manually.

Dogs with level 1 luxations might be treated by restricting exercise, using non-steroid- anti-inflammatory medications, and keeping a close watch on the dog’s condition. In more extreme instances though, surgery may be required to put the kneecap back into place and to correct what made the luxation occur in the first place. There are any number of causes for luxation and the treatment will vary depending on the severity of the problem and the surgeon.
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Collapsing Trachea

 The Collapsing Trachea Condition

Symptoms of collapsing trachea are a persistent cough that sounds like hacking or honking. There may also be some gagging and it might worsen after exercise. Although it can occur in any breed it is most prevalent in Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers, Pomeranians, Poodles, Maltese, and other toy breeds. It can happen to Chihuahuas at any point in their lives, but most often over the age of six. Other symptoms are difficulty breathing and a bluish coloration in the gums. It is sometimes confused with kennel cough, when mucus forms in the windpipe and coughing and retching gets confused with vomiting.

What a Collapsing Trachea Is

The trachea is the windpipe, and runs down the throat into the tops of the lungs. Normally the windpipe is round, but when it is weakened it flattens or collapses restricting the dogs airflow, which can happen at any point along the windpipe. The specific cause of this is unknown, but various factors have been identified, such as smoke, dust, hot and humid weather, eating and drinking, over excitement, and obesity. A possible cause is thought to be abnormal weakness in the cartilage of the trachea. Other congenital defects such as airway disease, traumas and tumors, can cause the trachea to collapse from the outside.

Once the collapse first happens triggering a coughing episode, the cough further irritates the trachea which produces mucus that might further block the windpipe. Early attention from your veterinarian is important to break the cycle and prevent further damage to the airway.
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Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis

HGE--Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis

At first sight, HGE seems to be a horrific site. It is characterized by a sudden onset of bloody vomit and/or diarrhea. The blood that is seen can either be bright red, or fresh, or a dark red, blood that has been digested. It is very important that quick action is taken to ensure a speedy recovery. In small dogs it is essential that the loss of blood is stopped promptly. If this is not treated, shock and death can quickly result.

Once these symptoms are seen, tests must be done to rule out other causes of bloody diarrhea. Some other common causes are:
• Gastrointestinal ulcers
• Colitis
• Parvovirus
• Coronavirus
• Campylobacter sp (bacteria)
• Salmonella sp (bacteria)
• Clostridium sp (bacteria)
• Escherichia coli (bacteria)
• Leptospirosis
• Whipworms
• Hookworms
• Coccidiosis
• Giardiasis
• Warfarin (rat poison) toxicity
• Thromobocytopenia (low platelets)
• Gastrointestinal cancer
• Hypoadrenocorticism

The most pressing issue is to be sure that it is not parvo. This is done by an anal swab, and the results are seen in about 10 minutes.

HGE has a high recovery rate if treated early. The most common method of treatment is withholding food and water for one to three days to stop diarrhea, but an IV must be given during this time. Antibiotics are also recommended with treatment. Kayopectate is also used to control diarrhea.

Since the cause of this is unknown, prevention is almost impossible. It has been shown, however that once a dog has had this disease, they are at a higher risk to develop it again, and it is most common in toy breeds between the of ages 2 and 4.
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Kennel Cough

Kennel cough is common in all breeds of dogs, especially when the dog is in an envrioment where many other dogs are present. This is especially true of boarding facilities, Pet Shops, obedience schools, grooming parlors and sometimes even the waiting room at the vets office. Kennel cough has an incubation period of 2-14 days after exposure to the bacteria.

If it sounds like your dog has a bone cought in his throat and has a dry hack it is probably Kennel Cough(See audio example below). It is like a doggy cold and will usually pass on its own with 1-3 weeks. It is highly contagious, but usually not serious. If he starts hacking up a yellowish plehm(this is usually the sign of a secondary infection setting in) you will need to take him to the vet for a set of anti-biotics such as azithromycin, Clavamox, Doxycycline or Baytril, which I have seen to be the most common treatment, however, you do not want to give anti-biotics unless it is absoutly necessary, as dogs can build up a tolerance to them, and that can make treating more serious illness' more complicated.

You can also use Robitussin DM to control the coughing. You can give him 1/2 to 1 mg per pound of body weight every 12 hours if you have the Maxium Stregth Adult Robitussin. If you use the Childrens, you give 1 to 2 mg per pound of body weight. I have found that it is easier to use the Adult Strength, as it is less you have to give. You can usually buy the droppers measured in mg at the feedstores, petstores or vets if you do not already have one.

There is an vaccination for Kennel Cough, but the immunity is only good for 6-12 months so you need to vaccinate twice a year if this is becoming a problem. However, there are over 20 strains that can cause the symptoms and they are constantly evolving, so the vaccine isn't always 100% effective. There is both an injectable and intranasal vaccine. The intranasal is a better choice, however, as it acts at the point where the bacteria would being trying to take hold and provides a faster protection. This still needs to be given at least 4 days prior to the situtation where Kennel cough could be cought.

Here is a list of things that can make your dog more supceptable to Kennel Cough:
• shipping stress
• crowding stress
• heavy dust exposure
• cigarette smoke exposure
• infectious agents (viruses such as reovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, and even the distemper virus can be initiating infections)
• Cold temperature
• Poor ventilation

Getting rest and keeping the dog hydrated is the two biggest steps that can be taken while the dog has kennel cough.

<bgsound src="sounds/kennelcough.mp3">
Hershey with Kennel Cough
Click the play button to hear
what kennel cough sounds like in
a chihuahua. There are 6 seperate
coughs here, the two last being the worst.


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Hypoglycemia

or Low Blood Sugar
Becuase chihuahuas are so small they are susceptible to a condition known as hypoglycemia. This results when the blood sugar level drops to an extremely low level, this is also known as sugar shock. When it occurs the brain is deprived of energy and therefore does not work properly. The effects of this can be weakness, sleepiness, lack of co-ordination, seizures, coma, unconsciousness and even death.

This can be triggered by many factors including stress, illness or most commonly, lack of eating. It is very important that very young and very small chihuahuas eat several small meals thoughout the day, rather than one or two large meals. A puppy under 7 months should not go more than 4 hours without eating. Since you don't want to get up in the middle of the night to feed, the pup should be confined to a warm crate so they do not use a lot of energy through the night.

You can also supply your puppy with a daily supplement of Nutrical or Nutristat. These are high calorie supplements.Do not add Karo or Honey to the drinking water on a daily basis, as this can actully make them more prone to this condition. As a general rule, do not feed simple sugars to a chi unless you need a quick supply of energy for an exercise session.

If your chihuahua does go into sugar shock, offer a small amount of Nutracal or a very small amount of Karo(just a little on the tip of your finger) and try to get them to eat it on their own. If they will not eat on their own, rub a little of it on the gums and roof of the mouth. Once they are stronger, offer a high protien meal at once. Beef or Chicken baby food is ideal, but be sure that it DOES NOT contain onion powder. DO NOT EVER try to get an animal having a seizure to eat. Take your dog to the vet immediately. In these small dogs it can quickly become fatal.

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Hydrocephalus

Many people believe that the presence of a molera is a condition known as hydrocephalus, or hydro for short. This is NOT TRUE. Many chihuahuas have moleras, and many years ago, if a chihuahua did not have a molera they were not considered a purebred.

Hydro occurs when there is an excess of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. This is not normal for any breed of dog, and sadly, it is incurable. It is also known as water on the brain. The presence of hydro causes pressure to build up under the skull and compresses the brain. The causes of this can be congential, infection or head trauma. Chihuahua puppies that are born with hydro usually have a very short life span, usually not lasting over a few months and they stay very tiny.

Signs are east-west eyes, or eyes that sit on the sides of the head and do not look forward, protruding eyes often with a lot of white showing in the corners, blindness, mentally and physically slow, slow growth, lack of coordination, walking in circles and seizures.

If you have concerns about your chihuahua, call around and find a vet that is experienced with chihuahuas in your area. Dr Wes located in Dunbar, WV has 3 of her own chis. Many vets not familiar with the breed have told owners that their baby was sick or hydrocephalic because of the presence of a molera. If you vet is not familiar with chis, this can run into expensive tests. This condition must be diagnosed by imaging the brain, most commonly by ultrasound.

Mild causes of hydro can be treated with prescriptions such as steroids and diuretics, or a shunt can be surgically inserted to divert the fluid to the abdomen.

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Cryptorchid

This is a condition in which one or both of the testicles do not drop into the scrotum. If one teste desends, it is known as unilater cryptorchidism, and the dog could still have offspring, but the cryptochidism would be passed on. If both fail to desend, it is known as bilateral cryptochudusm and the male is sterile. This condition is hereditary and if either is the case with a male dog, he should be neutered and for no reason whatsoever should he be used in a breeding program. This is a very common problem in heavily "line bred"(inbred) chihuahuas.

Treatment is neutering of the dog.		 Chihuahua with cryptorchidism
This is a pic of Tinker who was bought for our breeding program, but since he is cryptorchid, he will only be a pet.
Descended Testicles Descended Testicles These are two photos of three week old pups that already have thier testicles desended. It is very easy to see in the first one, as he is a larger male, the second is a little harder to see as he is very tiny, but they have dropped.
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