Chihuahuas are sometimes picky eaters, and care must be taken to provide them with adequate nutrition. At the same time, care must be exercised not to overfeed this tiny breed. Overweight Chihuahuas are more prone to joint injuries, tracheal collapse, chronic bronchitis, and shortened life span.

Start your Chihuahua out on a good quality kibble food for small or toy breeds. If your dog is under a year old, use the puppy formula for toy dogs as it will have a higher proportion of fats and carbohydrates than the adult food and that will aid in the puppy's development. Once your puppy is a year old, use the adult version of the food. Check the label and see if the food contains glucosamine because you will want to add a glucosamine supplement if it does not.

Make sure the kibbles are small so that your dog can easily bite and chew them. Dry food is preferred to canned food as the chewing of the kibbles helps to keep the Chihuahua’s gums healthier, jaws stronger, and teeth cleaner. If, however, you have an elderly Chi, most of these manufacturers also make a canned food which you can give in small portions.

Dental care is extremely important for Chi's. Their teeth must be cleaned at least twice a week. Daily is ideal as they are so prone to gum and tooth diseases. The new dental vaccine is a good idea for your Chihuahua.

If your dog is digging at his bottom or scooting, he may need a trip to the vet to get his anal sac emptied.

Genetic Problems

A common habit some Chihuahuas is snorting when they are overexcited or alarmed. Many chis quiver or tremble when keen, alert or anxious. Quivering can also signify the chi is cold or frightened.

His prominent eyes are susceptible to corneal dryness and secondary glaucoma. Chihuahuas are also prone to eye infections due to their large, round, protruding eyes and their relatively low ground clearance.

Chihuahuas are also prone to some genetic anomalies, often neurological ones, such as epilepsy and seizure disorders.

Chihuahuas have moleras, or a soft spot in their skulls, and they are the only breed of dog to be born with an incomplete skull. The molera does fill in with age, but great care needs to be taken during the first six months until the skull is fully formed. Many veterinarians are not familiar with Chihuahuas as a breed, and mistakenly confuse a molera with hydrocephalus (because Chis are prone to that). The Chihuahua Club of America has issued a statement regarding this often deadly misdiagnosis. Chihuahua puppies exhibiting hydrocephalus usually have patchy skull platelets rather than a solid bone, and typically are lethargic and do not grow at the same pace as their siblings.

Chihuahuas are prone to several forms of heart disease, so if your Chihuahua coughs—coughing is one sign of heart disease—visit your veterinarian. One of the common Chihuahua cardiac problems is an inherited heart disease called PDA (patent ductus arteriosus). The gums of dogs with PDA can be bluish rather than pink because blood doesn't follow the normal route through heart and lungs, thus the blood contains more carbon dioxide than normal. Chihuahuas can also have heart valve disease (endocardiosis). Valve disease is made worse if your pet has dental disease because bacteria in the mouth circulate through the blood and grow on the heart valves. It's important to brush your Chihuahua's teeth and provide good oral care.

Tracheal collapse is common in Chihuahuas because the cartilage rings that hold open the airway are fragile. To protect your pet's throat and keep pressure off the airway, use a harness rather than a collar. If your pet develops a collapsing trachea, it may develop a cough. Give your dog a daily supplement with glucosamine to help keep the lining of the airway in a healthy, moist state—just as these supplements help keep the inside of joints healthy, moist , and smooth.

Bone and joint diseases such as arthritis are common even though the Chihuahua is very tiny. Chihuahuas can have bone disease in the hip if the circulation is poor (Legg-Perthes disease).

Chihuahuas, especially males, have a genetic predisposition to developing cystine bladder stones. Visit the veterinarian if your Chihuahua is having difficulty urinating. If cystine stones develop, which is more likely in acidic urine, pets are put on medications, such as potassium citrate, that raise the urinary pH (alkalinize).

Chihuahuas can also be at risk for hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. This is especially dangerous for puppies. Left unattended, hypoglycemia can lead to coma. Your vet will help you learn how to manage this situation. You may need to give insulin shots or feed your dog a special diet or to feed your dog more often, but only your vet can tell you what will work for your dog.

Cautions about Breeding the Dog

Each Chihuahua is different as they all have a different set of temperament and can develop severe behavioral problems if it has not met its right match. Most of the Chihuahuas have severe complications while whelping and they often have puppies by caesarian section, which are often abandoned after childbirth. Those dogs below 4 pounds of weight should never be bred.

Litter Size: Average: 2

Life Span: 15 years