Archive for the ‘Ask Lucy’ Category

I exercise and eat right daily.

Do you wonder how much you should feed your little Chihuahua? If he/she is overweight, then you should be very concerned. Overweight dogs do not live as long as normal weight dogs. They need lots of exercise and the right kind of quality food.

The folks at TrainPetDog.com have developed a unique calorie calculator for dogs. Give it a try. (Caution, you will be given the opportunity to buy a Canine Cuisine ebook. If you do, I get a little commission.)

Waiting for my surgical tape to fall off.

This is not an easy thing to do. Trust me, I know. It’s very painful if you pull the tape off. Yikes! Since I just had knee surgery a week and a half ago, I consider myself a survivor and an expert.

According to WikiAnswers: “The easiest way is to soak the tape in water to release the adhesive in the tape. This may not work because the dog may not like to be in water. It is the best way that will not hurt the dog.”

I agree it may not work. Standing in a pool of water is not my idea of fun. I’d much rather lay in my bed under three blankies.

I’ll go with my vet’s idea. Leave it alone and it will come off eventually (even he didn’t want to pull my tape off).

Gradually my tape is peeling off. I help a little by licking at it. Once it’s gone I will feel like a new Chihuahua girl. I deserve a treat.

Anticipating my medicine.

This actually applies to all dogs but since I am a Chihuahua I tend to be self-centered. Medicine is not tasty. Therefore, trying to give your Chi a pill is going to be a problem, unless, of course, your Chihuahua (or dog) loves pills.

So the trick is to hide the pill in something your pet loves. Here are some great ideas I recommend.

1. Peanut Butter (just enough to disguise the pill, not half a jar)
2. A piece of meat (chicken or turkey). Make sure the pill doesn’t fall out.
3. Cheese. Not too much, just enough to hide the pill so it isn’t visible. If it’s too big your dog may decide to chew the cheese and potentially spit out the pill.
4. Mashed potatoes (or a bit of unmashed potato). Make sure it’s cooked.
5. Canned dog food. If your dog is picky this might not work.

Liquid medicine is also a challenge. I absolutely hate having a dropper full of yucky medicine forced into my mouth. So I bite. Daddy tried gloves. I fought back. Two daddies tried holding me and opening my mouth at the same time. I won.

Then came a brilliant idea. Hide the liquid medicine in ice cream. Just a bit of lactose free vanilla. I loved this. Now I look forward to my medicine every day. Ice cream is probably not the best choice for your dog, but it works great. You might want to consider vanilla yogurt or natural apple sauce.

So don’t get stressed over giving your Chi medication. Make it a game of hide and go treat.

Everyone knows dogs have emotions. An interesting article from Purina tells all about it. I bet you can tell when your little Chihuahua is happy, upset, sad, angry, hungry and has to go potty.

But do we worry? We would if we knew what that meant. The thing is that that people who care for us sometimes worry and we are very intuitive little creatures so we pick up on that emotion. For instance, I can tell that my daddy is upset about something. It’s the way he looks at me and the tone of some of the things he says.

I know that I am having surgery in a few days. I know this because I’ve heard my daddies discuss it. What I don’t know is what a surgery is. I also don’t know what a Tuesday is or what a few days from now is.

I just know that my daddies are not too happy when they discuss this topic so therefore I sense that something is going to happen that is not too fun. It has something to do with a knee, a cap, a hernia and a baby tooth. I’m not sure what these things are but I bet I am better off not knowing.

When this stuff happens I’ll let you know all about it.

According to an article from DogAge.com you should keep your dog far, far away from any food that is “sugar-free”. Most likely that “human-grade” treat contains Xylitol, a sugar-free sweetener.

You can find this very bad substance in some candies, gum, and even soft-drinks. I doubt many people give their dogs gum or diet soda but if you leave it around they might decide to try it. We dogs are curious beings.

I’m not always picky about what I put in my mouth. I may have swallowed a thing or two I’ve found in the street. Don’t judge me.

Anyway, Xylitol can cause low blood sugar, seizures and impair muscle coordination. If your dog does eat something with Xylitol please see a vet as soon as possible. Just saying.

It could mean a lot of things. A Chihuahua’s legs are tiny and delicate as well as cute. So never ignore a limping Chi and take your beloved companion to the dreaded vet as soon as possible.

One possibility is a common hereditary problem in small dogs. It’s called “Luxation of the Patella” and means the dislocation of the kneecap. When the attached ligaments of your dog’s leg get stretched over time the patella can easily pop in and out of place. This has happened to me. If I bend my back leg a certain way or my daddy picks me up and holds me, my kneecap sometimes pops out of it’s proper place.

Stretching my leg carefully and massaging it puts my little kneecap back in place. Unfortunately this can’t go on indefinitely since it could worsen over time and cause other leg problems as I get older. So surgery is required. And can you believe both back legs have this issue?! Talk about bad genes. I blame my biological parents.

In general it’s also best to keep your Chihuahua lean and healthy by feeding a good balanced diet and not overfeeding. It’s never good for tiny legs to hold up lots of fat. And now I am about to go on my daily two mile hike with daddy.

First of all, don’t panic. Chances are it’s a lipoma. Lipoma is a benign fatty tumor. Most likely this lump is not serious and can be removed if it gets too big or if your dog needs to be put out for teeth cleaning or some such thing.

It is best to see your vet to get it checked out. Then you will know for sure and can rest easy.

Unfortunately I’m headed to the vet tomorrow morning because my daddy found a lump where I was spayed. It developed gradually over the past month or so and is about an inch in diameter. I’m not too worried because I’m only 15 months old and in good health. I’ll let you all know how my ordeal at the vet works out. (I do hate going there).

For more information on Lipoma check out Veterinary Q & A: Lipomas (Fatty Tumors) or see what DogChannel.com has this to say about Lipoma in a young dog.

I'm playing hard to get.

Chihuahuas and cats may get along. I for one find them interesting. I’m not sure I would ever want to live with one, though. We both like to groom ourselves, lie in laps to sleep, sun ourselves and get attention.

Chihuahuas are often smaller than most cats. That could prove dangerous if the cat decides to pounce on the Chi from above. And they have claws that scratch. I have personally found that cats like to swipe at little dogs. Luckily I was out of reach.

I often encounter several cats on my daily walks. They come up to me and stare. I stare back. This could be a sign that I’m ready to attack. Probably not a good idea for me to do. I’d probably lose.

I was visiting some relatives recently and they have a cat. This is not the first cat I have been with in an enclosed space. Luckily nothing happened. I growled a bit and he tried to eat my food. But all in all we got along fine. Don’t I look relaxed in the photo? We do not play together, yet, but maybe in the future. As long as I’m in a good mood.

It’s best not to leave your cat and/or Chi alone together until you are absolutely sure they are okay with each other. Try not to stare at them or show anxiety because that might rub off on your Chi. Be calm and maybe all will go splendidly.

For more information check out this article from PetChiDog.

That depends on who you ask. I personally enjoy eating vegetables. I even like lettuce. In fact, I pretty much like anything that falls to the floor, including scraps of paper and stuff in the street.

Be that as it may, according Kristie Leong MD in an article in therealowner.com, the following vegetables are good for dogs: “…green beans, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, squash, and most other green, leafy vegetables. Not only do these vegetables add healthy antioxidants to your dog’s diet, they also are a significant source of soluble fiber and roughage which can promote intestinal health in your dog.”

As in everything you feed your dogs, don’t overdo it. It’s always best to feed a quality dog food. And of course lots of treats, in my opinion.

Here’s a list of food harmful to dogs, from peteducation.com

From my personal experience I’d have to say NO. Chihuahuas and other small dogs with short hair especially, do not like rain, cold, snow, cold, wind and cold. We love to be warm so if you must walk your Chi in inclement weather buy them a warm sweater or coat. We may balk at first, but it’s best to be warm than cold. I have a cute little pink parka that is fastened with velcro. It’s easy on and easy off. (No Affiliation.)

For all your pet shopping needs why not try PetSmart. It’s where I first went when I was adopted by my daddies. It’s also where I went to school and graduated with honors.

Here I am on graduation day at PetSmart.