• Taking your new puppy home

When you take your new puppy home please bare in mind your new puppy will need time to adjust and settle in to their new home. 

Your puppy should be placed in a small area or playpen etc. He will not be able to find his food and water if he goes out exploring a big 

room or house. Please remember these are very small puppies and even a small room to us is a huge place for them. Make sure your 

puppy is comfortable and feels safe.

 

• Diet and feeding

If you were caring for a human baby you would be feeding it every few hours and constantly changing its nappy and keeping the environment clean. Use the same idea for your new Chihuahua puppy. You should keep the puppy on the same food that was provided

for you so that you don't stress the puppy any more than necessary. A sample of the puppies food is sent with the puppy if a change of

the puppies food is unavoidable please use the sample of food to mix with the new food and gradually wean the puppy onto the new food so as to minimise the chance of stomach upset. Don't ever change the puppy's diet or eating routine too abruptly. The smaller a 

puppy the more times a day it has to be fed. It is best to leave dry food out for tiny puppies at all times (until they can go several hours 

without eating). You have to remember that because of their small stomachs they have to eat more often to sustain themselves. Never 

confine the puppy for any length of time with no food or water. This means during the night also. Small puppies have to eat and drink 

during the night time hours just to sustain themselves. Make sure to confine them in an area that has enough room for a bed, food, 

water and a puppy training pad or some paper down so they can relieve themselves. Until they are older they will not be able to go very 

long without eating, drinking and going to the toilet. They are babies.

 

• Hypoglycemia 

This is the scientific name for a condition where the sugar level suddenly drops. The first signs of this problem is usually staggering and 

falling over as if they are drunk. Or they can be observed lying on their side paddling with their front feet as though they are swimming. 

If these symptoms are observed you must act very quickly in order to save your puppy's life. You have to get the sugar level up to bring 

the puppy out of this situation. And it must be done quickly. I suggest you buy a tub/jar of honey to have on hand. If your puppy does 

show any signs of low blood sugar or if it is not eating, give it some honey. If the puppy's is not willing to lick the honey you can put someon your finger and rub it on the puppy's gums. Sometimes when they get like this their mouth will clinch shut and you will have to pry it 

open.This should help get the puppy's blood sugar back to a more normal level. Once the puppy is responsive you must get it to eat. If 

the puppy does not respond to the honey you must get it to a vet as a matter of urgency. If your puppy has an episode like this it is not 

eating enough food. Make sure you offer the puppy the honey several times a day, even if it is acting fine until 16 weeks of age.

 

• House training

 

A young puppy cannot be expected to "hold it" until it is taken outside. You should have a wee pad on the floor close to where your puppy is at all times. If it is introduced to the option of not having a wee pad it will forget about it and just go when needed. Make sure the area you keep the puppy when you are not with it has a bed,food, water and a place to eliminate away from the bed, food and water. They do not like to eliminate where they eat, drink and sleep. Once your new puppy is familiar with its new surroundings and getting use to its new routine you can start introducing eliminating itself outside. Chihuahuas and some puppies are really smart and catch on pretty fast as to what you expect of them..

 

• Hair loss

In Chihuahuas when they are netween 8 and 12 weeks of age you may notice a sudden thinning splotchy pattern in its coat. This is often misdiagnosed by vets and they suggest skin scrapings to determine if mites are present. It is a normal condition and should only last a couple of weeks. You should only be alarmed if it is accompanied by a rash. That could be a sign of demodetic mange mites or some sort of allergy. So try and wait it out and everything is normally fine.

 

• Teething

Chihuahuas and most puppies usually have their full set of puppy teeth by six weeks of age. But some of them lack jaw muscles strong 

enough to crush dry kibble. When puppies are about 13 weeks old they start to cut their permanent teeth. This process can go on for 3 

to 6 months. It can affect puppies differently. Sometimes their ears will droop or they will have one ear up and one down. This can 

change from day to day. At this age they will want to chew on everything so make sure to provide a lot of puppy safe chew toys. This

will discourage them from chewing on your good shoes or nice leather couch.

 

• Reverse Sneezing

Occasional bouts of sneezing, snorting , honking and wheezing are not unusual in Chihuahuas. This is sometimes called a reverse sneeze. This is usually caused by an elongated soft palate that is thought to become temporarily misaligned. It is a common trait in toy breeds. Pulling hard on a leash, drinking too fast or getting overly excited can lead to an episode or reverse sneezing. Reverse sneezing should not be confused with a different condition callsed a collapsed trachea. Although reverse sneezing may be scary it only lasts a short time and can be ended by massaging the dog's neck and throat and encouraging the dog to swallow or lick. Anothrer way to slow the reverse sneezing is to clap your hands to distract the dog, or pinch closed the dog's nostrils with your fingers forcing it to breath through its mouth and to swallow.

 

• Shivering

This is a trait of the Chihuahuas. It is usually a communication of sort. They may be scared or unsure of something or someone. Or they may just be cold. Young dogs often shiver after they have been fed. Shivering is gererally caused by the fact that the Chihuahua is so small that its body temperature changed very quickly. Sivering is a way for their body to compensate for this difference. Please make sure your small puppy is nice and warm during the winter months. It doesn't take much for these little guys to catch a chill. You will notice that Chihuahuas love to bury themselves under blankets or when its warm they love to bask in the sun. Jumpers or coats are ideal for these small puppies/dogs

 

If you have any questions or concerns that are not answered in this care sheet we offer a lifetime of support, you can contact us on any time.