I’m resting in my blankie on my daddy’s lap but boy do I have a few questions for him.
Lucy: Hey, daddy. Why didn’t I get my usual breakfast this morning? I know I’m a bit picky when you feed me, but I’m hungry.
Daddy: I can tell. You didn’t eat much for dinner last night. I tried to warn you but you didn’t care. I added a few treats, some of Ellen’s Halo Chicken seasoning and even a few carrot slivers. But you did not want much.
Lucy: I wasn’t in the mood. I’m a little Chihuahua girl and I am prone to moodiness. Then you taunted me with that bowl of Chocolate Cheerios this morning, which you know I can’t eat anyway. Who ever heard of Chocolate Cheerios?
Daddy: It’s new. But I can’t feed you anything this morning because you’re going for surgery today. In fact, we have to leave in about 20 minutes. I’m nervous but I don’t want you to be. It’s supposed to be relatively quick.
Lucy: What’s surgery and why do I need it? I’ve been a good little girl, mostly.
Daddy: It’s because you have a few issues that need to be taken care of. You’ve been holding on to that one canine baby tooth. It’s right in front, next to your adult canine tooth. It’s curved and very sharp and needs to be pulled so that your teeth are not too crowded.
Lucy: Sounds gross. And painful. I choose to keep the tooth.
Daddy: Sorry. No can do. You also have a hernia in your tummy where part of your intestine is escaping. That has to be closed up. It’s also supposed to be simple and quick.
Lucy: Yikes. Who did that to me?
Daddy: It could have been your biological mother. Or else you inherited it. And speaking of inherited, you have kneecap problems in both back legs. One is always popping out and needs to be fixed. The other leg can wait for a while.
Lucy: So I’m having a three part surgery? I’d rather not. I want breakfast and a nap instead, thank you.
Daddy: Unfortunately I can’t let you do that. This pains me more than it will you. Plus you need your vaccinations and your nails cut. Think of it as a spa vacation.
Lucy: I’m so going to make you pay for this when I get home tonight. Don’t count on sleeping much.
Daddy: I don’t. Now take a 15 minute nap before we have to leave.
And so I take a nap under my blankie, not really understanding the adventure that lies ahead.
P.S.
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Leave a commentEveryone 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.
Leave a commentAccording 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.
Leave a commentIt 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.
1 CommentSad but true. Even Chihuahuas. And I am unfortunately a living example. It turns out what seemed to be a lump on my belly is instead an “Umbilical Hernia”. There is an opening where my belly button would be if I had one, and through that opening has passed either part of my intestine or fat. Ugh. Can you imagine?
A hernia is “an abnormal opening in a muscle through which other tissues of the body pass.” These openings, or hernias, are under the skin so you don’t actually see them. There are two primary kinds of hernias in dogs. One is in the groin area and another in the “belly button” area.
I blame my mother. According to my vet, it may be hereditary or my mommy dearest may have bitten off my umbilical cord too close and left a little hole. Then I grew up and that hole did too. Because it’s under the skin you can’t see it. Except now there’s an unsightly bulge in my belly. No bikinis for me right now.
So if you notice a lump on your Chi, take them to the vet and have it examined because there can be complications with blood supply and such and can be fatal. Yikes! Having part of your intestine ooze out of your stomach is yucky. Surgery is needed to close the hole after placing back the stuff that escaped.
For more information read Inguinal, Umbilical and Diaphragmatic Hernias in Dogs from Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc., Race Foster, DVM or do a search online. Or visit your friendly vet.
4 CommentsHave you decorated your home for the holidays? Have you considered how fascinated your little Chihuahua is with all things chewable? Imagine their reaction to trees, lights, ornaments, tinsel, pine needles, gifts, flocking and more.
This is my second Xmas. I don’t remember the first one as I was only a few months old. But this year Papa Lee went all out. I love that fake white flocked old tree. Lots and lots of white stuff falling all over the floor. Daddy Charlie rushed out with the vacuum but I was clever and quicker. I managed to grab a mouthful of white fluffies to play with under the safety of the coffee table.
Just so you know, though, here are some things the ASPCA wants you to keep in mind for your pet’s safety.
- No holiday sweets, especially chocolate. Unsweetened baking chocolate is particularly toxic to your dog. It wouldn’t take much for a little Chihuahua to have tummy issues or worse.
- Hard to believe, but dogs are better off keeping to their normal, everyday diet, assuming that consists of high quality dog food and not table scraps.
- Never give your dog poultry bones or greasy, spicy and fatty foods. The results could be very, very bad.
- Alcohol is a definite no no. There’s nothing worse than a drunk Chi and it could prove fatal.
- We do love those fancy cellophane wrappers as well as aluminum foil. But keep them away from us.
- Holiday flowers and plants could be poisonous. Lilies can cause kidney failure, mistletoe and holly berries can be toxic. Poinsettias can cause vomiting or nausea. Oh my.
- Xmas tree water can look enticing to a little Chi. But the bacteria and fertilizers can prove to cause unpleasant stomach upsets.
- Ornaments and other decorations look like toys. We want them. Don’t give them to us. Avoid decorating those low hanging branches. Or else use doggie treats. (That’s my idea. Yum.)
Also check out these DogAge Holiday Tips.
Leave a commentI absolutely hate having my toenails cut. It seems like a silly thing to do. And potentially painful, too.
Being a Chihuahua, you would think it would be easy to cut my nails and it would be, too, if I allowed it. But alas, I won’t. I put up with teeth brushing and harness wearing. I allow myself to be bathed on occasion. But I draw the line at cutting my nails. Most of them are self-filed anyway when I take my two mile daily walk. Partly because I tend to pull rather than walk like a proper lady. What can I say, my daddy apparently didn’t train me well enough… yet.
For those dogs that do enjoy getting a home manicure, there are two methods. Some people use nail clippers made for dogs. Others use some sort of grinding instrument. I dislike the nail clippers. I haven’t seen the grinder. I doubt I would like that either. For those humans who want to trim their Chi’s nails, try doing it after a bath when the nails are softer. Avoid the quick to prevent bleeding. Wrapping your Chi in a towel might help cut down on the wiggling stuff. Wrapping your hands in a towel might prevent your Chi from biting you.
For now, the answer is that my daddy is going to cop out and have the vet trim my nails when I go in for my vaccines and check up in January. We’ll see how that goes.
If you’re in the market for a nail grinder, check out these few from Amazon. I haven’t used them as yet, but they did get good reviews. And if you buy one I get a little cash back for my college fund.
Leave a commentThat 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
Leave a commentI love to chew. After all, I’m only one year old and there’s so much fun stuff out there to chew on. Unfortunately my daddies frown on me chewing things they consider theirs. As if.
Anyway, I’ve been given giant rawhide bones, nylabones and RedBarn Naturals, among other things. While I do enjoy my rawhide and nylabone, I prefer the RedBarn Naturals. In particular, I like the “Small Bully Ring” but there are many varieties.
According to the RedBarn people, these treats boast the following:
- Dogs love the taste of these 100% natural dried muscles
- They become chewy when wet
- Nutritious beef chews are completely digestible
Leave a commentWhenever I drink water, it seems I sort of choke. It upsets my daddy a bit, but he’s used to a Chihuahua making that scary choking noise. He last little Chi girl had a similar affliction. It doesn’t ever last long, thought. Gently rubbing my throat seems to help it go away.
So I spent a little time tapping away on my computer keyboard and discovered that this occasional honking-like noise is not unusual for Chihuahuas. An “elongated soft palate” is thought to become “temporarily misaligned”. Sometimes referred to as “reverse sneezing”, this event can be caused by your Chi getting too excited, pulling hard on a leash (it’s always best to use a comfy harness) or drinking too fast. “Reverse sneezing” should not be confused with a condition called “collapsed trachea“.
It’s always best to consult your friendly neighborhood vet if your Chi has choking issues. Better safe than choking.
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