Posts Tagged ‘Chihuahua’
Spring Plants Can Be Toxic To Your Dog
Doing my part to keep the streets clean.
Spring is officially here. Can you believe it?! I’ve never seen snow but I have felt cold and wind and rain, even in Southern California. I still sleep under three blankies next to a floor heater. I like to be cozy.
But I digress. The subject is toxic plants. You should avoid eating them. I know I am guilty of eating lots of things I shouldn’t. I drive my daddy crazy as I constantly pick up things on my walks. Sometimes I just like to carry a leaf or a stick. But sometimes I smell a flower or catch a piece of a plant that’s blowing in the wind. Often I let go when daddy tries to retrieve my catch. But sometimes I don’t want to and choose to eat it instead.
So far I guess I’m lucky since I have not eating anything bad for me. Occasionally I do cough a bit, but that’s part of the experience of eating on the road.
Unfortunately some plants are toxic to dogs and for Chihuahuas a little bit of toxicity can go a long way to causing harm.
PetPlace.com has an interesting article called “Outdoor Spring Plants – Are They Toxic?“. You should check it out and be informed.
Here’s a list from the article of plants to avoid:
The springtime plants that can result in gastrointestinal upset in dogs and cats include:
Amaryllis
Ferns
Caladium
Calla lily
Hyacinth
Iris
Tulip
Plants that are considered very toxic and can result in severe illness or even death include:
Crocus
Azalea
Rhododendron
Tiger Lily
Easter Lily
Bittersweet
Clematis
Daffodil
Day lily
Foxglove
Lily of the Valley
Narcissus
Morning Glory
Death Camas
Make sure your daddy or mommy carries a plant identification book when you take a walk, so that when you absolutely have to eat a plant, you’ll know if you have to visit the emergency room.
Or else learn the commands “leave it” and “drop it”. I’m still working on that. So far, I’m winning.
Why does my Chihuahua chew everything?
Lucy and her toy.
Chihuahuas, like most dogs, love to chew. It’s what we live for. Because we don’t have thumbs, it’s hard for us to use our “hands” to do things with, such as typing this blog, knitting or playing video games.
So most things are done using our mouths. As puppies it is the way we explore the world. We see, we grab, we taste and we chew. It is best to give your Chihuahua an appropriate toy or chewy substance. This helps relieve boredom and it’s fun.
But if you don’t give us a “dog-friendly” bone or stuffed squeaky toy, we will take what we can get. This includes every piece of paper, material, rug, wall, sock, shoe and most things non-editable.
Please make sure if you must leave your dog home alone that there is nothing he/she can get a hold of that may cause damage to their insides. I’m lucky. My daddy works from home and is almost always around. This makes it difficult to get away with things.
Here’s an excerpt from an article called Why Good Dogs Eat Bad Things… Should You Worry? by Dr. Jon at PetPlace.com:
Chewing on things is a normal part of “puppyhood”, and many times the things our dogs eat are not dangerous. Still, you can expect to see some vomiting and maybe even a little diarrhea when your dog eats something that is not “food”.
So, before you rush your pooch to the vet, check out this list of non-toxic items that dogs often eat.
If your dog eats any of the items on this list, you do NOT have to worry unless the object becomes lodged in the stomach or intestines, causing an obstruction.
Acrylic paint
Ballpoint pens
Bath oil
Bubble bath soaps
Candles
Chalk
Citronella candles
Cosmetics
Crayons
Deodorants
Elmer’s glue
Fabric softeners
Glow jewelry
Hair conditioner
Hand lotion
Incense
Indelible markers
Ink
Lipstick
Magic markers
Mineral oil
Modeling clay
Newspaper – (non-colored/black ink only)
Pencils (nontoxic since they are no longer made of lead)
Petroleum jelly
Play-Doh
Putty
Rubber cement
Shampoo
Shaving cream
Silica gel packets
Soap
Spackle
Suntan lotion
Superglue
Teething rings
Thermometers
Toothpaste
Water colors
If you have any doubt, always call your vet or local emergency clinic.
Should you Prepare your Chihuahua’s meals from Scratch?
Where is my dinner?!
Chihuahuas love to eat human food. It’s so much more desirable than dog food. But if you really want to cook your own dog food you must find a nutritionally sound recipe.
Don’t make the mistake my daddy did with his previous Chihuahua. He let her decide what to eat and she ended up eating nothing but VitaSnax and whatever meat daddy had for dinner. She got quite a variety but not the right nutrition. The result was the inability to digest protein leading to a protein deficiency as well as Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It wasn’t pretty.
Search online and you will find plenty of ways to prepare a proper meal for your dog (from wikiHow.com).
For another option to cook your own pet food check out balanceit.com. It’s run by a board certified veterinary nutritionist and was recommended by Dr. Michele Hoag DVM, Plaza Del Amo Animal Hospital, as seen in The Daily Breeze.
Just make sure you have the right amount of meats, grains, vegetables and healthy supplements.
But if all this is too much, you can always play it safe with a good, high quality, human grade dog food. I eat Merrick Turducken. It’s tasty and good for me. Plus daddy usually adds a few extra ingredients for flavor and variety, such as other dog food, treats, rice, vegetables and such.
Count Calories for your Chihuahua
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.)
How do I remove surgical tape from my dog’s skin?
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.
5 Easy Ways to Give your Chihuahua Medication
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.
- Peanut Butter (just enough to disguise the pill, not half a jar)
- A piece of meat (chicken or turkey). Make sure the pill doesn’t fall out.
- 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.
- Mashed potatoes (or a bit of unmashed potato). Make sure it’s cooked.
- 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.
Caring For Your Chihuahua After Surgery.
Going through surgery is tough. I should know. And boy was I cranky. Still am.
First I was left alone with people I didn’t know. They put me in a cage like a common dog. Then they carried me to another room, put me on a metal table and stuck a needle in me. Can you blame me for trying to bite these people?!
When I woke up I was a bit groggy and sore and had a huge yellow bandage on my back leg. Plus a weird plastic cone around my neck. Daddy finally picked me up and had them remove the cone. Thank goodness for that. It was embarrasing and uncomfortable.
I ate a little and slept in my own comfy bed. I don’t feel much like doing anything today but sleep and nap. And maybe eat a little food and drink a little water. Going to the bathroom is a major effort since it’s not easy for me to get up and walk. Luckily my bathroom is located in the house on clean, white pads. I think I’ll take a nap now.
eHow has an informative article on how to care for you dog after surgery.
vetinfo4dogs.com also has a fine article on Caring for Your Dog After Surgery: A Checklist.
A note from daddy Charlie:
Lucy is resting comfortably in her bed and has come through her surgery fine. She ate a little bit of her dog food last night and this morning and got up twice to use her piddle pads. She took her medicines but was quite grumpy about the liquid one that had to be squirted in her mouth. It took both her daddies to get this one done.
I’m still in recovery. Now I get to worry about why she’s not getting up from her bed and if that’s okay. I guess having a hernia repaired, a tooth pulled and a knee repaired takes a lot out of a little girl. Not to forget the vaccinations, nail trim, anal squeeze and overall stress from being left alone with strangers.
Lucy the Chi interviews her daddy on the day of her surgery.
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.
Don’t forget to vote for my blog if you haven’t done so already. Just visit TrainPetDog.com and cast your vote for AllMyChihuahuas. My unique Voting code is: WvG6E
Thanks.
What Does it Mean when my Chihuahua limps?
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