Symptoms and signs of a sick chihuahua often can go unnoticed. Your chihuahua can not explain its symptoms, so it’s your responsibility to keep him or her healthy and to determine whether or not they need veterinary care. Chihuahuas tend to want to hide their illness, so it is up to you to check your chihuahua for abnormalities.
Not knowing if your chihuahua is feeling sick or how to care for your chihuahua when they are sick can be VERY stressful! This article will help you determine if your chihuahua is showing signs and symptoms of being ill and when you need to take them to see a veterinarian.
Be Prepared: Questions Your Veterinarian May Ask
Your veterinarian may ask additional questions to help localize or diagnose the problem. It may help to be prepared to answer some of the following questions:
- How long have you owned your chihuahua?
- Where did you get your chihuahua (adoption center, breeder, previous stray)?
- What other type of pets do you have?
- What is the age of your chihuahua?
- Has your chihuahua experienced any previous illnesses?
- Is your chihuahua currently under treatment for an illness or disease?
- What preventative medications is your chihuahua currently taking?
- Does your chihuahua receive consistent flea treatment?
- Are any other pets ill?
- Has he/she been vaccinated? if so, when? which vaccines?
- Have there been any recent pet acquisitions?
- Have there been any recent activities such as boarding, grooming, trip to the park?
- Is a majority of your chihuahua’s time spent indoors or outdoors?
- Have there been any recent changes in diet or eating habits?
- What brand of food, how much and how frequently does your chihuahua eat?
- What type of table scraps are offered and how frequently?
- What type of treats are offered and how frequently?
- How much water does your chihuahua typically drink per day?
- Have there been any recent changes in water consumption?
- Have you noticed any coughing or sneezing?
- Have you noticed any lumps or bumps on your chihuahua?
- Is your chihuahua urinating normally?
- Is your dog having normal bowel movements?
- When is the last time he/she had a bowel movement?
- Have you noticed any recent weight loss or weight gain?
After answering some general questions, more specific questions need to be answered. A brief cursory exam of your chihuahua at home can help you determine the answers. These questions are also commonly asked when chihuahua owners are seeking help over the phone.
Be prepared to answer the following questions, depending on the problem with your chihuahua:
Regarding the eyes
- Have you noticed an increase or decrease in tear production?
- Do the eyes appear cloudy or red?
- Have you noticed any discharge coming from the eyes?
- Do the eyes appear bloodshot?
- Are the pupils the same size in both eyes?
- Have you noticed your chihuahua rubbing or pawing at the eyes?
- Is your chihuahua squinting?
- Do the eyes appear to be sunken or excessively protruding?
Regarding the ears
- Do you notice any swelling or discharge from the ears?
- Are the ears drooping when they normally stand erect?
- Are the ears red and inflamed?
- Do you notice any odor to the ears?
- Is your chihuahua rubbing or pawing at the ears?
- Have you noticed a lot of head shaking?
- Have you noticed any pain or crying when you rub or scratch your chihuahua’s ears?
Regarding the nose
- Have you noticed any congestion, sneezing or coughing?
- Have you noticed any blood coming from the nose?
- Have you noticed any nasal discharge?
Regarding the mouth
- Have you noticed any swelling of the lips or tongue?
- Have you noticed any bleeding from the mouth?
- What color are the gums – tissue just above the teeth?
Looking inside the mouth
- Are there any foreign objects such as bones or sticks stuck on the roof of the mouth or around the teeth?
- Is your chihuahua able to open and close the mouth normally?
- Is there any pain involved in opening or closing the mouth?
- Have you noticed any excessive drooling or foaming at the mouth?
- Is your chihuahua able swallow food normally?
Regarding the chest
- Is your chihuahua experiencing any difficulty breathing?
- Have you noticed excessive panting?
- Is there any pain when the chest area is petted?
- Have you noticed any recent coughing?
- Is the heartbeat steady and consistent?
- What is the heart rate?
Healthcare Tip: How to check your chihuahua’s heart rate:
Place your hand or your ear on the left side of your chihuahua’s chest, just behind the elbow. You should be able to feel or hear the heartbeat. Count how many beats the heart pumps in one minute.
Regarding the abdomen/stomach area
- Has your chihuahua been having any diarrhea or vomiting?
- Is your chihuahua able to eat and drink normally?
- Does the abdomen/stomach area appear swollen or distended?
- Does your chihuahua appear to be in pain when the stomach area is petted?
- iIs your chihuahua known to chew on non-food items such as clothing, towels, rocks, or other items?
Regarding the urinary and reproductive systems
- Have you noticed any difference in urinating?
- Does your chihuahua seem to strain to urinate or cry in pain?
- Does your chihuahua repeatedly try to urinate with no urine produced?
- Is there any blood in the urine?
- How frequently does your chihuahua urinate?
- Is your female chihuahua spayed?
- Has your female ever had puppies? if so, at what age?
- If your female is not spayed, when was her last heat cycle and was she bred?
- Do you notice any discharge from the vaginal area?
- Is your male chihuahua neutered? if so, at what age?
- Do you notice any discharge from the penis?
- If your chihuahua is not neutered, do you notice any swelling of the testicles?
- Have you noticed your chihuahua excessively licking or grooming the genital area?
Regarding the musculoskeletal system – bones and joints
- Have you noticed any limping?
- Are any legs or joints swollen?
- Has your chihuahua been excessively licking at one area of his/her legs?
- Does your chihuahua show signs of pain when walking?
- Is your chihuahua able to walk normally?
- Does your chihuahua walk on his/her knuckles?
- Does your chihuahua drag any legs when walking?
- Does your chihuahua seem to be in pain when petting him or her?
By supplying the answers these questions, your veterinarian will be in a much better position to help your chihuahua. Additional tests may be necessary to find out what the problem is, but the answers to the above questions can greatly narrow the area of concern.
Please note: famous chihuahua is providing this information to chihuahua owners as a guide so you know when to take your chihuahua to see your veterinarian. If at any time your chihuahua is showing signs or symptoms of illness and discomfort, don’t wait! Just go the vet!
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550 Comments.
My chi has a dark crust around her vagina. She doesn’t let me help her to clean it. Not sure. What’s going on. Her behavior has not changed. She urinates as normal and poops normally. Please advise.
Please take her to the vet to have her examined, thank you.
My chihuahua Pico is 16 years old. He is having a really hard time breathing and wont eat, very lethargic. How far should I go to try to save him? My three kids are going to be devasted, but I have to do what is best for Pico right now and not the kids.
My chihuahua gets dark circles under eyes when he is going to have a seizure. When this happens he can’t stand or walk, sometime he drools but most of the time he doesn’t. It seems to happen after he runs a lot or gets excited. I’ll pick him up and in about 5 min’s he’ll be ok. Sometimes he’ll have another one about 20 min’s after the first one. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
have you seen this article on tracheal collapse in chihuahua puppies and dogs and this article on wheezing and seizure episodes in chihuahuas is also helpful.
My year old chi, marley seems fine and she plays with our pet cat ralph, but i just noticed a small tony red bump on her arm, about the size of a pimple and its red in color is that normal? please help.
how can you tell if your dog got fever
I just adopted a year old chi from the shelter, he is the sweetest boy ever! He was neutered a day before we picked him up, and besides an incredible amount of peeing ,he seemed fine. Now i notice he had head bobs and loses control of his back legs for 20-30 seconds, he also seems unsteady on his feet. I thought he was having a seizure so i tried to look at his face while this happens, but he is not foaming at the mouth and his limbs do not seem rigid. It’s almost a galloping crazy run, then his back legs fall out from under him and he rolls around for a bit, then seems fine. I am very concerned! Any one have any ideas?
Hi Cathy, you can find answers from other chihuahua owners to your problem at the famous chihuahua facebook fan page
I have a 2yr old male chihuahua. He was taken to see the vet last week because he was limping. At times he will seem fine, run around even try to jump. But then he will hold up his rear left leg, and begin to limp again. He just finished his meds yesturday (DERMAXX 25mg). But he is still limping, what could be causing this? And should I take him back to the vet?I
Hi Jolle, you can find answers and comments to your question at the famous chihuahua facebook fan page where chihuahua owners form all over the world are offering you advise.
My sister chihuahua had 6 puppies and 3 died at birth. I would call this the runt. He is breathing heavy and isn’t eating. I tryed to get him to feed off mommy but she is taking it. I tryed the bottle but isnt taking that either, he looks pretty weak and I am scared to go to bed. if there is anything you can tell me about this would help also a reminder the two other ones are as big if not bigger then my hand, the runt is smalled then my hand. not sure what is going on with her,,
My chihuahua is over 13 years old. And right now he is shaking, so I tried to get him to eat. Is it because he’s old or sick or what? Should we take him to the vet? If I could get some advice that would be great. Thanks, J
Has she thrown up? How is her poop? She might have a stomach virus or she might have ingested something. A vet visit is in order! I hope she is ok!
My 7 year old chihuahua is sick. I know she is sick because she has her tail down, ears back, and shivers. This usually means a stomach ache. I have been watching her closely and she seemed better this morning (it just started yesterday). But now she is back to looking sickly. She won’t eat, not even her favorite treats so I am not pushing that. I did give her some water using a medicine dropper but she just isn’t interested. She usually jumps back after 24 hours when she gets these stomach aches but not this time. It is the weekend and she doesn’t seem to be in any immediate danger but I will be taking her to her Vet in the morning no matter what. I just hate to see her suffer and not know what to do to help or what it is that really hurts.
Hello! We posted your comment at the famous chihuahua facebook fan page where you can now see all the comments from other chihuahua owners offering you advice.
I wanted to find out if you would happen to know what is wrong with this puppy.. she is 3-4 weeks old, still eats from momma, but her head seems to be to heavy for her body. When she tries to stand up her head wont let her.. she goes in circles and falls over. She is not able to stand, sit or walk. She does not seem like she is in pain but i am concerned there may be more wrong with her then we know. I have never seen this in a puppy before.
we recommend that you call your vet and let them know what is happening. better yet, take your chihuahua in for a check up to confirm if this growth spurt is normal or not. you must get the advice of a professional.
I have 2 chihuahuas, both around 2.5 years old. One is hyper and active, the other is sweet and docile, and I love them both dearly. Tonight, my sweet, usually quiet dog started crying and whining when my brother and I went to bed. She’s never done this before. It lasted about an hour. We were with her all day, she ate, played, used the bathroom, and everything seems normal with her. Any ideas why she kept crying?
Hello Erika,
So sorry to hear about your baby. That must be horrible to watch her go through. I just checked my records and both of my Chi’s have always gotten both shots at the same time. I have never had a problem. So maybe it is something else? I’m sure you thought of this but…Different food? shampoo? are you using different products? My chi got sick once because I was using a spray product on the floor that she was allergic to.
Also have you ever gotten shots before? or is it that you just waited a long time to get them?
Hope she’s feeling better, poor thing
Adi
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I have 2 chihuahuas, one is a female 5 yrs old and 3.3 lbs, I other is a male 6 yrs old and 5 lbs. I took them to their usual vet after receiving numerous over-due vaccine warnings. After taking them to the vet my smaller chi became swollen, red, and itchy. I took her to the closest 24 hr vet and they informed me she had a bad reaction to the shots bc the dr gave her a combo shot, bordetella, and rabies all at the same time. They gave her an injection of benadryl and steroid and sent me home, with directions to give benadryl ever 12 hours. As soon as the 12 hours is up I notice my little girl getting red and irritated. How long is she going to be like this? And i can’t wait to seriously report this vet and make a big deal. There’s no reason my poor little girl should have to go threw this!
For the love of GOD!
If your dog is looking different than usual take him to the vet. When you get a living animal its your responsibility to take care of every need. Mentally and physically.
Its NOT normal that they are vomiting (except when they eat grass) or have diarrhea. They are so small and there body system can get dry very fast and get SHOCK that will lead to death.
Good luck and call your vets!
my puppy is about to be 2 months old on Wednesday, he isn’t looking so good, he’s been throwing up, won’t eat or drink water, he just lays there..and when you pick up his body it’s just droopy, what could be wrong with him?
I have a 5 year old chihuahua that hasn’t pooped for 2 days. I’m worried because he normally poops 2 to 3 times a day, whats wrong with him? Would rubbing his anus help stimulate him to go?
Please help!
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Hello!
I have a 2 year old Male Chihuahua and I left him over the weekend at my Mother In Law’s house while I was on Vacation. When I returned he seemed a little down and everytime someone comes in the room he usually barks but this time when he would try to bark he would screach like if he was in pain. It happend a couple other times that night and I am a little concerned. I dont know if maybe his throat hurts or his stomatch. I’m not sure what to do? Should I take him to the vet? Please helpp 🙁
Thanks!
hi i have a5 month old chihuahua cross with a westie for a couple of hours he has been retching and he has had a white foamy stuff come from his mouth he his sleeping a lot it is now 9am and he dont get up that early so i cant tell how ill he his any way
I just rescued a 2.5 yr old chi mix. I have a few questions: he smells bad. usually when he gets up from sleeping or sitting… its really his underside (belly area) thats the problem. I bought doggie wipes and wipe him every other day or so, but it isn’t helping, a few minutes later he smells again. Last time he had a bath, his “clean” smell did not last for more than a day.
what should I do, he sits on my lap a lot and we like when he curls up into a little ball on our bed.
the second problem is that he was dehydrated with diarrhea last week, he got fluids (subcut.) and I gave him (from the vet) a clay based medicine to help with cramping , etc… about 4 days later he started vomiting a little yellow liquid (frothy when it comes out), he has done it almost every day and its usually in the morning. I have been in the process of changing his food, ( from science diet to taste of the wild) so this may just be because of that, but I don’t want to be one of those paranoid dog owners who rushes to the vet every second. AND I have yet to find a vet that I like where I live in west hollywood. thanks!
People, please make sure your chihuahuas get professional vet care when you suspect there is a problem. Do not try to fix the problem with home remedies. Do not allow your small dog to die a horrible death because you where not responsible enough to give them the vet care they need. If you cannot take care of them financially, give them up to someone who can. Also, please spay/neuter your dogs. Don’t allow continued multiplication of animals for self profit. There are too many abandoned pets out there that need a good home. BE RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS!
My sister has a 2 year old Female Chihuahua, spayed and up to date on all vaccinations. She has in the last year had an autoimmune disorder that was treated with Steroids. Yesterday after eating blueberries the dog developed bad diarrhea and stomach cramps. This morning the stools were a little more solid, then turned back to diarrhea. My sister has also noticed blood leaking from the dogs rectum. She can’t get it into the vet yet for 4 more hours and is a worried mom. Not to mention my sister is pregnant, and is due anytime, and really shouldn’t be cleaning up feces in case its infected. She has also noted an issue with a stray defecating in their yard and gardens. Could the dog have picked something up from the cat?