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.
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.
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Lucy in a pensive mood.
PetSnap is a neat little app for the iPhone. What it does is allow you to choose from a variety of sounds to get your pet’s attention before you snap the picture. There are all kinds of animal sounds, from cats in various states (angry, hungry, annoying, spoiled), dogs, birds, zoo animals, miscellaneous sounds like a door bell, knocking, paper tearing, crumbling paper or plastic bottle, squeeze toy or even a Space Lama (really?).
You can also choose from several frames to enhance your photo. They’re okay but not great. Hopefully there will be a better variety with the next update.
So if you want to get your Chi’s attention (or any pet, though I’m not sure it would work with a turtle) without having to take a picture of the back of their head, this is an easy way to go.
It costs only $1.99. I get no commission for this one. Pity.
Leave a commentHave 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 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.
4 CommentsI certainly hope not, seeing as how I just ate one yesterday. My daddy was quite upset, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
A quick search online shows no definite answers. Some say it’s bad. Some say not so much. Some say the flower is okay but not the plant. To be safe, keep your dog away from the hibiscus plant. Of course I find the flower quite tasty.
To keep your dog away from these delicious plants, try adding a few drops of peppermint oil, not extract, to a spray bottle and spray around and on the plant. It doesn’t hurt the plant, but dogs seem to hate it. It keeps ants away too.
10 CommentsNot likely. I have one left and it’s a sharp fang right in front. And it’s right next to my adult “fang”. My vet says it probably won’t fall out. My daddy tried giving me rawhide to chew on. Tastes good but no luck getting rid of the tooth.
So it looks like surgery is the only answer to getting rid of that tooth. I say forget about it. But that’s just my non-medical opinion. The vet says the tooth is not crowding my mouth so we can let it be. Another vet says if I ever need surgery or have to get my teeth cleaned it should be pulled out then. It could have been pulled when I was spayed but no body thought about it then.
Don’t forget to brush your Chi’s teeth regularly. This prevents plaque and other gruesome diseases. I personally chew on my toothbrush while my daddy moves it about. My daddy uses the Petrodex Dental Care Kit. I love the flavor of the toothpaste. I also enjoy chewing the toothbrush. That’s my personal recommendation. Just saying.
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Lucy’s daddies unveiled.
It’s not easy setting up a website when you’re a one year old Chihuahua. Without thumbs updating posts and pages is a bit tedious.
But I finally added a little copy on my daddies with a photo. Just click on the menu at the top. The photo was taken before I was born, which is probably why I am not in it. When I find one of the three of us I will add it.
Also noticed I tweaked the design of my site a bit. It’s a bit cleaner and more polished. This will be an ongoing process.
As always, if you have any comments or questions feel free to ask. If I don’t know the answer I’m sure one of my daddies will. If you want to see something added to my website, please let me know.
Thanks, Lucy.