We stress that this is the only way - they must not be turned
loose or dumped at a poind etc. We make an open offer to baby-sit your adopted
dog if you go on holiday or have to spend time in a hospital etc.
Some of these little dogs have been greatly traumatised by
their experiences and mostly we can only guess at some of the horrors they
have experienced. There is only one way to treat them - with lots of love!
BATHING
These little dogs do not require bathing very often. Too many baths and
their coats tend to become very dry and lose most of its luster and shine.
A good brush daily will ensure dead hair and any flaky skin etc is removed
without harm to the dog or it's coat, and will help with the growth of
new hair.
Some people believe that the short coat Chihuahua does not require the
same amount of grooming as those with a long coat. I believe this to be
incorrect. I have found that the smooth coats still shed dead hair etc.
and this needs to be brushed out to keep the coat nice and shiny and prevent
skin itchiness.
A good lukewarm bath with a doggy shampoo is always required if the dog
is extremely dirty, smelly, and riddled with fleas. We see quite a number
in this state when first rescued.
CLEANING EYE AREA
Some Chihuahua's eyes water exceedingly and leave a dark stain around
the eye area. I have often heard "My little Chi cries a lot".
Our Vet advises that they are not actually "crying". Mostly
it is caused by minute particles of dirt or dust from the floor getting
into their eyes and causing them to tear. A soft cloth dipped in lukewarm
water and a soft and gentle wash around the eye area of the stain, done
on a regular basis will soon remove the darkened patches. For such a tiny
dog they have rather large eyes, and being so close to the ground, it
is easy to get bits of dust in their eyes.
CHOKING
A fairly common trait in the Chihuahua breed is a sort of choking coughing
which quite often happens when there is great excitement, or rapid exercise.
For the novice it can be quite frightening. The dog stands there and appears
to be unable to get his breath as he gasps and chokes. A gentle massage
along the throat from chin downwards will normally relax the dog enough
for this to clear. It is caused by the soft palate falling over the airways.
If your dog coughs while they are resting or without a reason, check with
your vet.
DISINTEGRATING JAW STRUCTURE
This was a doggy problem that I had never heard of, that is,
until six years ago when we picked up this little starving dog whom we later named “Elvis”.
He was starving as he had been wandering on the streets and could not find food to eat,
and because he had no lower jaw (hence so bottom teeth) he could not eat any of the food
that was available on the streets. Refer to Elvis story in success stories on the web page.
With hand feeding and vitamin supplements, Elvis gained weight and some joy in living.
He was placed with a loving family who gave him his last months of happiness and love.
October 2004.
Now we are actually seeing this phenomenon occur in front of our eyes.
PEACHES is a tiny little Chihuahua showing a fragile bone structure.
Peaches was about ten years of age when she was rescued from under a house and
bought in to Chihuahua Rescue. She was pregnant and was allowed to have the
puppy before speying.
Checking up on her history this poor little dog had been having litter after litter every season
without respite for her entire ten years of life, so it had not been easy for her.
Ten years is too old for most people to adopt a little dog, even though some of them live for
many more years. Peaches is one of them. She has been with us now for four years,
so she would be about 14 years old.
A few months ago she was licking her lips and mouth a lot,
which indicated to us that she had tooth ache or hurting teeth.
Her teeth angled outward toward the front of her mouth, instead up upwards.
Our Vet told me that she was losing the bone structure of her bottom jaw,
and so there was nothing to hold the teeth upright, and that they were annoying her.
Hence we had all the bottom teeth that were affected, removed.
During this short time we have watched the bone structure disappear.
Her tongue hangs out and the bottom jaw and tongue hang down.
Amazingly, she is able to eat soft foods, as Elvis did) by “scooping” the food onto her tongue.
This disintegration of the jaw bone structure is caused by the teeth falling out,
or being removed, and thus no longer allowing the massage and exercise of chewing,
which keeps the teeth and jawbone strong. As the jawbone shrinks,
it becomes absorbed into the tissue around the bottom jaw.
It would seem that not all Chihuahua’s are affected in this way,
but from our observation it would appear to be those who have had a pretty hard life;
are of the very tiny size and have the very fine bone structure.
CHERRY EYE
This problem is not necessarily a Chihuahua only complaint,
it is more common to the “big eyes” breeds of dogs.
Sophies Story
Sophie was found roaming the streets of the western suburbs of Melbourne with
extremely protruding “Cherries” in the corners of both eyes.
Our Vet explained that the cherry eye is actually a prolapsed tear gland
and does not cause any pain.
There are two options for correction of this complaint.
He explained that we could have the gland stitched into the eye socket while
she was under anesthetic to be speyed, or she could have a plastic surgery
operation where a new “pocket” is formed and the “cherries” stitched into it.
The first option was reasonably priced whereas the second option was very expensive.
We opted for the first choice, even though our Vet explained that the operation is
not necessarily always permanent..
Joyce and Russ met Sophie and fell in love with her.
We explained to them the cherry eye syndrome had been stitched back under her eyelid,
but had come back already (two weeks or thereabouts after the operation).
They decided to adopt her anyway.
Joyce took this photo to show the cherry eyes.
Joyce and Russ had to decide if they thought it was worth while to have the plastic
surgery operation, or leave the eyes as they were.decided to have the plastic surgery
operation done a few months after adopting her,
as the eye had developed an ulcer under the eyelid.
What is Cherry Eye?
With a normal dogs eye, the tear gland attaches to the surface under the eyeball.
It is attached by a ligament which holds the tear gland in place, and out of sight.
When the “cherry” is like Sophie’s was, it means the ligament is either very weak and
cannot hold the gland in place, or is non existent. The tear gland then pops out and
so looks like a cherry in the corner of the eye.
There are two stages of cherry eye. The first is mostly cosmetic and not causing any
pain or irritation to the eye. However, this can deteriorate into the second stage
where the swollen gland can actually rub against the cornea of the eye which causes irritation,
and in severe cases it causes ulceration, and therefore pain and irritation for the dog.
Sometimes excessive tears are formed and dribble down the dogs face.
After Sohpie’s operation she became a gorgeous little dog,
and the pride and joy to Joyce and Russ.
Look at those gorgeous EYES!
If you a adopt a rescued Chihuahua, we give you written instructions on how
to care for your new family member. We explain to you what we have been
able to learn about the little dog and how best to handle his or her particular
problems if any. If an adopting family change their minds for some reason,
the dogs are always able to be returned to us. 