Posts Tagged ‘Chihuahuas’
Why Remove the Pin in your Chihuahua’s Kneecap?
Recovering from my knee "procedure".
Mostly because it has come out of place. I’ve recently recovered from my knee surgery to fix my Luxating Patella. This is a common problem for little dogs like myself, where your kneecap pops out and makes walking difficult. So I had the surgery and everything was fine. It had something to do with fixing the groove so the kneecap stays in place.
Except after a while the pin that was used in surgery to help keep the kneecap in place came loose. My vet assured me this was not a problem.
Then I started limping and hip hopping so it became a bit of a problem. The answer was to remove the pin. It was no longer needed and served its purpose. Lucky for me this was a simple outpatient procedure that just required a local anesthetic. In less than 10 minutes the pin was out. I didn’t even require stitches.
Daddy was told not to let me lick the area where the pin was removed. So of course the first thing I did when I got home was to lick that area. What? It required my attention. I had to clean it and help it to heal. Don’t even think of putting that ugly cone around my neck.
Check out Complications from Luxating Patella Surgery from eHow for more technical information on this issue.
Does Your Chihuahua Get Stressed?
Checking out hydrants relieves my stress.
Lots of things can stress your Chihuahua.
We take our cue from our human companions as well as the environment. We Chihuahuas are very intuitive and we know when something is up with our parents. Also stressful situations like thunderstorms, fireworks, sirens, strangers at the door, strange company, noisy children, people putting their hands in front of our faces, being left alone, arguing parents. Ay, the list goes on.
Because Chihuahuas tend to be nervous types, a little bit of stress can cause unwanted behavior. Don’t ask.
There’s a great article called “Our Stress, Depression, Joy…Can Dogs Tell” by Dr. Nicholas Dodman. Dogs really know when something is wrong and whether they should hide or attack. I have lots of hiding places and know just where to go where I can’t be caught.
Depending on our personality, we can either act out in an aggressive or annoying way or just take to our beds and nap. Nice soothing classical music helps us relax. Just make sure it’s not the 1812 Overture.
[Advertising Alert!]
Music My Pet is one of several CDs made especially to help your dog relax. It makes a perfect gift for that hyper dog, and their human caretakers.
Why Does My Chihuahua Hiccup?
Sleeping on the job.
Because we can. Just like humans, dogs can get the hiccups. Mostly this happens with puppies if they eat or drink too fast. They usually outgrow this.
Sometimes I still get the hiccups just because. Mostly hiccups are harmless, but if you notice other symptoms such as vomiting, see your dreaded vet.
Do Dogs Worry?
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.
Do Chihuahuas and Cats Get Along?
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.
Are vegetables good for your Chihuahua?
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
Do Chihuahuas like the rain?
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.
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Chihuahuas love gifts and so do those who take care of them. Click below, buy something, then I get a little commission for my "piggy" bank to help pay for my vet bills.
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