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.
Question. My male chi is almost 2 years old. Very playful, neut, has had all shots – the last two nights he has been crying in his sleep or yelps if you touch him,,sounds like he really hurts. Yet this morning, he is full of pep, eating fine, peeing and pooping fine,,no limping, no spots anywhere on his body that appear to bother him,,,,he jumps up on me,,cuddles,,seems happy,,but last night was awful,,,is it possible his joints hurt due to weather changes? we’ve had cooler temps and lots of rain,,,,,,,,please advise, thanks, Priscilla
to Carl Jackson and Irene – call your vets or the emergency clinic ASAP.
Carl -dogs whine for many reasons, and if it’s already been more than 2 days she should be seen.
Irene – get your dog spayed. humane societies do it very low cost. any dog having a hard time walking should be seen by a vet. no ifs, ands or buts. she’s crying and not eating – she’s in great pain. any time a dog won’t eat -worry and take to the vet ASAP.
hey my chihuahua is crying like crazy out of no reason, everyone i have asked say its normal because she is in heat, but i don’t know i feel so bad i think her feet cramp making it hard to walk, and she doesn’t want to eat. She just wants o be left alone and in dark places.
MY BABY IS 2 YEARS OLD AND FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS SHE HAS JUST BEEN WHYNNING SHE EATS AND PLAY SHE IS JUST ACTING SOMETIMIE AND WHYINNING. WHAT COULD BE WRONG?
Hi,
I’m sorry to hear about your little one. My 5 year old chi was found by myself about months ago near death. We rushed him to the vets where he was stabilized and transferred to 24 hour care suffering constant seizures. Apparently he had seized all night long before we found him. He had also suffered seizures occasionaly since he was about 6 months old. The vet in the ICU did some blood tests and found that Diggers body is unable to manufacture steroids. He is now on Percorten-V which is a shot once a month. Rme vial costs about $230 but will about 6 or 8 months. The vet has done 2 electrolyte panels on him and he checks out perfectly. We give him the shot to save on vet dollars. He hasn’t had a seizure since. I hope this helps. Let me know.
Sandie
i have an 11-year-old chihuahua. she is a toy, never bred. she’s had seizures all her life and so has been on phenobarbital all her life. one pill in the morning, half at night. she’s also got a heart murmor and is taking half of a pill called enapril mid-day everyday. she’s had two different vets, and our current one has diagnosed her with a liver problem, and she is now taking a pill called xentonil as well. recently, started about a year ago, she is often sick, throwing up spittle, not eating/drinking, laying about all day long. i told my vet, he had us take her in several times for an iv, followed by antibiotic. she was better of course after each time, but this keeps happening and i can’t afford it. i asked if the medication might not be agreeing with her, and he suggested a few drops of pepcid (“not pepto-bismol”). i can’t find liquid pecid here, so he said half of the pill form twice a day would work as well. but she is still constantly sick, about once a week. she won’t eat/drink for at most three days, during which time i do give her a lick of pepto-bismol, and that seems to help eventually. she was sick yesterday morning, i gave her a bit of toast last night & she ate it, which is usually a good sign, but she was still sick this morning. she is excited when people come to the door and when i come home, but that’s about the only interest she shows in anything. when i first got her at 6 months, she was real sick for several weeks. lethargic, like she is now, but without the spittle. her first vet clinic got her well again, but we never really found out what was wrong with her. our current vet doesn’t know what could be wrong with her now either. i just don’t know what to do for her. any suggestions? anyone else’s pup ever experience this?
My 9 month old chihuahua has started crouching down when we take her outside to go to the bathroom, then crawling on her stomach, then she will sit down and not move. This has happened twice. We took her to the Emergency Vet and they couldn’t find anything wrong. She did it again and we took her to her regular vet and he ran tests (checked urine, temperature, did blood work, checked her anal gland) and couldn’t find anything wrong. He gave us a few day of rimadyl to see if there may be pain with a strained muscle. She did fine for a few days and then did it again yesterday. Once this happens she will usually start shaking and then come inside and want to hide under the furniture.
I have a question. My Chi is normally not afraid of noises, but this morning she started yelping and whining when the alarm clock went off and everytime the phone rings. She seems pretty normal about everything else. Any Thoughts?
Oh that is just the cutest video ever! Teaka really loves her lettuce!
I haven’t tried that yet, I’ll pick some up and give it a try because now the tricking her with water and nutrical isn’t working, I had to go back to the watered down puppy milk. This little one is a handful, but she’s worth it. 🙂
She has an appointment for the vet next week for her boosters, besides not liking water, when I got her she had excessive tear staining, seems to have stopped but now I’m trying to get rid of the staining! Going to have them check for any infections to make sure that’s not the problem. Thanks so much for the romaine lettuce idea. Will let you know how it turns out. twitter.com/o0ochillyo0o
I have a very picky eater, she is about 8-9 weeks old now from what the Vet can tell.
This puppy can’t stand water! I have to trick her to drink with a drop of nutrical on her spoon, I was doing it before with watered down puppy milk replacer 2nd stage and she was fine but when I trick her with water she drinks it and shakes her mouth. I’ve tried tap water and bottled and she really doesn’t like it. I’m with her around the clock to make sure she gets fluids one way or another but she has to eventually drink on her own so what can I do? Will she grow out of this? What if she just doesn’t like water at all? Are there any alternatives? I’m stuck on this one, even after researching the topic. Anyone have experience with this?
hi sandi, have you tried giving her a crispy romaine lettuce leaf? teaka is very picky about drinking her water too so to make sure she stays hydrated, we give her the stem part of a nice big crispy and fresh romaine lettuce leaf and she loves it! its refreshing, nourishing and hydrating. you can see her famous chihuahua eats a romaine lettuce video at this link http://www.famouschihuahua.com/chihuahua-videos/feed-your-chihuahua-romaine-lettuce/
Anytime you notice something unusual with your chi, CALL the vet. They will let you know if you need to bring them in or not, and how you can help them. It is very important to find a vet you have a good relationship with. The staff should be caring, courteous and helpful. If you don’t have trust in your vet, shop around, but whatever you do, take care of your babies and have them up-to-date on vaccinations.
Wow…I am in tears now after reading all these comments. I agree with Ginger and Sandi…people need to realize that having a chi (or any kind of animal for that matter) is YOUR responsibility to make sure he or she gets all the proper care in order to live a long happy life! When your chi is not acting “normal” you cannot just “ride it out” and see what happens! If you are here asking for advice or help, you should be heading to your vet, not waiting for a response on a message board!
I know in today’s economy everyone has less money to spend, I know I do, but you know what…I would never just “ride it out” because it may be nothing serious and I did not want to spend the money… my chis are my life, and MY responsibility so I always put my chis first! If that means I skip buying that cute shirt, or another pair of shoes than so be it, I can live without those material items, but my chis cannot live without vet care! For emergencies I actually have a credit card put aside just in case since most 24-hr emergency centers want their money up first. And if I need to go to the normal vet I sat down at talked to them about finances and I have arranged a payment plan for when my chis need more than just a check up. Especially since I have 8 dogs, and soon I will be getting a new itty bitty girl chi (my breeder does not release her chis till they are strong enough, so I will be getting her when she is about 12-15 weeks old, I have a 8month old boy from her who is in perfect health) they have been great on letting me make payments when needed.
Before I even get a new chi, I always include initial vet care fees, and special diets for pups in the original costs for the pup and save that money aside ( and if I cannot do that, I would not be getting a new dog!… it is not fair to the dog if you cannot afford to care for them properly!).
I better stop my rant now, I could go on for a long time. Sorry for the ranting.. it is just I am so passionate about taking care of my dogs, and I hate reading all the stories how someone lost their pup because they did not properly care for them! As I said, my dogs are my life, and they depend on me for a long healthy and happy life!!!
So PLEASE, if your chi is showing any sign that he or she is not feeling well, PLEASE call or take them to the vet ASAP!!! It may be nothing too serious, but then again it may be… it is not worth the chance!!! And if your vet can not diagnose the problem, search out a new vet… and make sure the vet understands how to treat small dogs! Charlotte from lilchichicreations.com
It is sad to read about and even worse when you start thinking about how many of these babies didn’t make it to the vet in time.
I had my first experience with a Hypoglycemic pup recently. I was extremely brokenhearted when I lost my oldest Chihuahua that I wanted another little girl to help with the mending process. I went through an add in my local newspaper and got my Stella, who was supposedly 8 weeks of age, and weened onto wet foods. Come to find out she was barely 6 wks and pulled from her mother just so they could make a sale! I should have strictly went through a breeder but I’m convinced if I didn’t get my Stella and someone else did, she would have died. This pup needed 24/7 around the clock care. From force feeding to force feeding water! She is still very picky about food and will not eat dry food, even soaked in water, milk or broth. She was Hypoglycemic and very tiny, 12 oz when I got her. I have done everything I could to nurse this little one to be the strong little girl she is today. I went with Nutrical because many breeders recommend it and my long time Vet didn’t think she needed anything else unless she refused food altogether. Each pup is different though and only a good Vet can examine them and make the judgement. When I go to the Vet I have everything documented that they may need to know along with a fecal sample in case it’s needed for any kind of tests. I know Vet bills can be overwhelming but if you take on the resposibility of owning an animal, especially tiny breeds, you need to take into consideration there may be bills. Even if you have a picky eater like mine…You have to buy every kind of food until you find what they like. That can be costly as well. Animals really are like children and children cost money. You never can tell with them, Chihuahua’s can be fine one minute then sick the next. I’ve seen the same thing happen to people breeding dogs for money & selling them. People think easy money but don’t take into consideration if the dog will need a C section or just professional help in delivery. Its a shame, that’s why I think its great people are getting together here to help each other and hopefully getting some good advise as well. Still in any case, if your having problems with your pup, see a Vet please. Has everyone read the article above that started this topic? Honestly that’s really all you need. Its very important to your dogs life. twitter.com/o0ochillyo0o
Reading over this blog. It is so sad all these sick babies. Especially the puppies which can go hypoglycemic so quickly. What disturbs me is some people bought 6 week old Chihuahua puppies. That is simply too young. Some of my smaller ones I will not let go until they are 12 weeks old if necessary. Please before you buy a puppy or bring home an adult dog. Make sure where you are getting the new pet is a place you will feel comfortable asking questions. Also have a veterinarian picked out before you bring home a puppy or adult Chihuahua. Be sure the Veterinarian has experience with such small dogs. Some vets have no idea how to take blood or give IV’s to such small animals A holistic vet in NY has the best products for small breeds such as the nutra drops which are better then nutracal. They promote appetite. They also have a great food for smaller breed puppies. animalwellness.net/index.html
Puppies with URI or commonly called kennel cough can have prolonged disease as long as 3 to 4 months if the veterinarian gave the wrong antibiotic or if you do not complete the treatment causing an antibiotic resistant strain. Diarrhea and lack of appetite are all emergency cases for tiny Chihuahuas. Not a week away, but an emergency ASAP to your local veterinarian is required. If a puppy or adult dog crashes ( has a hypoglycemic fit) Even if you do bring the baby back with sugar, and the baby looks normal. A vet visit is still needed. Because being that their body went through such a stressful situation the gut can easily become over run by bad bacteria causing additional problems. Excessive drinking is a sign of a sour tummy which is an emergency for a Chihuahua. Again please do not purchase a puppy or a dog from someone you can not contact if there is a problem. It is simply not fair to yourself or the puppy.
superstarpuppies.com
Kelly,
I agree get him to the Vet ASAP just to be on the safe side. I lost my 10 year old baby girl who was also on heart meds and other meds for her heart murmur. My girl had a cough, usually when she swallowed and sometimes simply because there was fluid in her lungs. The trachea had pressure on it due to the enlarged heart. The meds never seemed to be a problem but meds work differently in every dog, it could be that simple but if he is unresponsive this is not a good sign. The breathing should have been regulated since she began taking the meds, this concerns me. Did they do a blood test to test the other organs to make sure they were all functioning? This is one of the first things my Vet suggested so they knew what they were up against in ways of treatment. Please get him in as soon as possible and keep us updated. I’m not trying to scare you but when it comes to your babies heart, it doesn’t need anymore stress on it right now, so if it is a reaction to meds the vet needs to find an alternative. twitter.com/o0ochillyo0o
Wendy-
Something similar happened to our chi mix, and we couldn’t figure it out. Turns out our vet found/figured out that she either pulled or strained her lower back muscle. She was in pain walking, wagging her tail, and going to the bathroom. She gave us anti-inflammatories and pain meds to give her for 10 days, and we had to carry her everywhere (she was very tender and would whine, even turn around a try to bite out of the pain). After about 5-6 days, she felt tons better, and was back to normal within 2 weeks. Its hard to tell with soft tissue injuries, since xrays can’t see them. If your vet is stumped and your dog is still in discomfort, perhaps your clinic can recommend an orthopaedic vet.
Hi, My Chi has a heart condition, he is 8 years old, he is on heart med’s and fluid tablets twice daily. I had him at the vet yesterday as he had developed a cough, the vet said it was an irritation in the trachea. He gave me antibiotics and antinflamitorys. Today I have noticed my dog has barely moved off the couch, his breathing is rapid and shallow and he is mostly unresponive, Ive had to force him to drink water as he hasnt been able and normally on the fluid tabs he drinks very regularly. I had to carry him to the loo as he had not got the energy to walk out himself. Are these effects of all the medication or Should I bring him back to the vet?? I have an emergancy num for him as it is a bank holiday here in ireland.
Please help Im very worried if anything were to happen to him it would be like losing a limb.
hi, please call the emergency number asap to let them know of your chihuahua’s situation and make sure you tell them the medications he is on. then get your chihuahua into their emergency care right away.
I’m just a fellow Chi owner, the Editor might have better advise but in the meantime…How old is the Chihuahua? I just went through this with my new baby. Not eating causing them to become Hypoglycemic. If you’re dealing with a baby you need to feed him/her something even if its Gerber baby meat sticks and get Nutrical. The best way to tell if this is the problem is get some sort of sugar into the dog. A drop of pancake syrup, or corn syrup in its mouth. I did this with mine to determine if that was the problem and within 10 minutes my baby was better. 2 days without food isn’t good. You could give this a try until you can get the pup into the vet. If your dealing with an older pup, could be something different. Either way call your vet but getting food into your pup and (Nutrical doesn’t hurt either) is the first step. You can find me on twitter at twitter.com/o0ochillyo0o
my chihuahua hasn’t eaten for two days she will only drink water and sleeps. she can only walk a few steps
Here’s some good advise for fellow Chi lovers & responsible Chi parents.
If it’s enough to worry you to the point where you feel the need to reach out to others then it’s probably a good idea to call your Vet! Just like with children, better to be safe than sorry. I believe Baby Chi’s are even more delicate than human babies. As responsible “parents” it’s best to over-react than to not act at all. twitter.com/o0ochillyo0o
I’m surprised at the number of people here who need to be told to take their chi to a vet! Chi’s are such small and vulnerable dogs that to ‘wait and see’ is never a good idea. As for ones that don’t get walks outside – I’m speachless. I use a wheelchair yet still take my chi for a walk every day, even though I can’t go far. He loves to smell all the smells outside. First sign of illness/unusual behavior take your dog to the vet, please.
thanks for this comment suze, famous chihuahua feels obligated to the chihuahuas of these people because we fear that if we don’t tell them to take their chihuahuas to the vet, they might not. never question taking your chihuahua to the vet if they show any sign of illness, just go!
Hello, I just got two chihuahua last week and they are six weeks old. Wen i got them they were very active and playful, but for two days now my male chihuahua just lays around, don’t want to walk or move. He just sleep all day longg. He don’t eat like he use to. They have an appointment next week for their physical and I’m wondering should i take him before then? I am very nervous and scared.
call your vet and tell them what is going on. they will let you know if you should bring him in earlier for an examination. don’t panic and don’t be scared. if there is an emergency number they provide for after hours, call that number.
Hello. My Chihuahua is not wanting to get up and do anything since last night. He is normally up and about running around. I noticed between his penis and rectum he is swollen and red quite a bit. Perhaps he was bitten by something? He was doing much better during the day today but this evening just wants to lay down and not get up. Any thoughts???
your chihuahua can’t tell you that he is not feeling well, so make his health a priority and make sure he sees a vet asap.
he’s actually never been in a harness. He was handled and held alot this weekend (However, he was never dropped or mishandled). He really never leaves the house -he’s puddle pad trained.
Tonight he appears to be worse. We just tried to pick him up and he went balistic (crying and yelping really loud and fighting to get away )and then cowered away from us (which is highly unusual bc he spends so much time in our laps). Have you ever heard of this type of thing? He’s on anti-inflammatory meds and has been thoroughly xrayed….
it could be any number of things, but he sounds like he is experiencing tenderness throughout his body. keep a close eye on him and if it seems like he needs emergency care, do not hesitate to take him to an emergency animal hospital in your area. you can find one by doing a google search for emergency animal hospitals in your area. you can also call them in advance to let them know what your chihuahua is experiencing.
We have a 11 month old chihuahua and he has been exhibiting the following symptoms: when you pick him up at times he ‘flips out’- crys and tries to jump out of your arms (at times, when you pick him up he is fine though); he is shaking a lot more than normal and acts as if he is scared of us; eating and drinking some but not as much as normal. We took him to the vet today and they couldn’t find anything wrong- gave him antiflammatory, and did xrays and blood tests (xrays were fine, blood test results tomorrow). During exam he was fine during some of it and other times it was if you were torturing him. He cries really loud and tries to jump out of your arms. We have a great vet and even he is stumped. Have you ever heard of this? Pls help!
hi wendy,
what do you use to take your chihuahua for a walk? he could be experiencing pain or tenderness from where his or her harness goes around his body. the tugging, etc could be affecting him.