Caring For Chihuahuas
So you've got your very own Chihuahua!! Now you have to take care of it. Raising and enjoying a Chihuahua isn't exactly rocket science, but at the same time it's not like caring for a plant either. Chihuahuas are a wonderful breed and with a little know how you and your Chihuahua can enjoy a long and fun filled life together. Let DexDog.com get you started with a few pointers on the basics.
Feeding Your Chihuahua
The first and most important thing to know about feeding your Chihuahua is that YOU MUST BE IN CONTROL. Like any dog, a Chihuahua needs to have a healthy relationship with its food and eating habits. It is your responsibility as a Dog Owner to create and maintain your dog’s healthy eating habits. The first thing you need to do is to create an eating schedule. For a healthy Chihuahua, of normal weight, it is recommended you feed them twice a day, once in the morning and once around dinner time, and generally try to make their meals about 8-10 hours apart.
What about dog Treats?
We recommend treating your Chihuahua no more than two to three times a day; this is for a number of reasons. Chihuahuas have a habit of falling in love with treats and if treatedto often it is not uncommon for them to hold out for treats by refusing to eat anything else, even their normal dog food. This can be a big problem! If you find yourself in this situation the best thing to do is cut off the treats completely for a month, or until your Chihuahua finishes both meals everyday for a week straight. If you're Chihuahua refuses food for more than a day or two try mixing a treat into it's food, if this doesn't work it may be time to try a new type of dog food.
* If your Chihuahua won't eat anything for more than a couple days, consult a Veterinarian.
What kind of dog food is best? Dry or Canned?
When it comes down to the nutritional differences between dry and canned food, simply stated there aren't any. In general Brand X dry and Brand X canned foods are nutritionally identical. The biggest difference between the two is the affect they have on your dog’s teeth. The biggest pro of dry food is that it is better for your dogs teeth and promotes healthy teeth by limiting tartar and plaque build up, the only major con is that some dogs simply don't like it that much. The biggest pro of canned food is that dogs love it! I have yet to meet a Chihuahua who doesn't love canned food. Unfortunately it is one of the leading causes of tartar and plaque build up (read more on Your Chihuahuas Teeth below). Another small pro of canned food is that it can be used to conceal pills, handy for those times when your dog needs medication. In general if you have to choose between the two we would recommend going with dry food, but if your Chihuahua can handle it try giving him both. That's right both, Dexter and Duke eat dry food in the morning and canned in the evening, this way he gets the cleaning benefits of dry food and gets to enjoy dinner time!
Expensive or designer dog foods?
The claims a dog food makes generally have little to do with how healthy it is. Although price can be an indicator of quality it shouldn't be used as a hard fast rule, when selecting a dog food it's all about the ingredients. In general dog foods consist of three main components: "meat", "filler", and preservatives, and there are several kinds of each. To do the topic justice we refer you to these two well researched and unbiased MUST READS found on the Animal Protection Institute website. Inside these articles you'll find a breakdown of pet food ingredients and how to choose the right food for your pet.
Your Chihuahuas Food
*At DexDog.com we urge you to choose your Chihuahuas food wisely, it can make a serious difference! Like humans, dogs are what they eat; a poor diet can lead to numerous health problems and affect your Chihuahuas over all happiness. It is your responsibility as a responsible owner to make sure your dog has a healthy diet. If you think your Chihuahua has a weight problem consult your Veterinarian.
Your Chihuahua’s Teeth
Chihuahuas and other Toy breeds often have issues with their teeth. While there are many different schools of thought, the one that seems to be most widely believed is that Chihuahuas mouths don’t generate a lot of saliva, which leads to plaque and tartar build up, bad breathe, and infections. While some people believe in using a toothbrush to clean their dogs teeth we have found that the most effective and comfortable method for your Chihuahua is to use a gauze pad wrapped around your pointer finger to gently clean the teeth as if you were brushing them and lightly massage the gums in the same manor. We came to use this method at the direction of our Vet after Duke had to have several teeth pulled and years of continuous bad breathe. We began asking around, and some Vets mentioned tooth brushes as another good idea, there are several good dental care products to choose from. Click here to learn How to Brush Your Dogs Teeth. Whether you choose to use a tooth brush or gauze most Vets recommend cleaning your Chihuahua’s teeth at least twice a week, more frequently if you feed them canned food. On top of brushing it is a good idea to occasionally give your Chihuahua special treats meant to help fight plaque andtartar build up. We don't recommend rawhide as a means of dental care; we have heard too many horror stories about choking with certain types and have even stopped giving Dexter the "safe" rawhide because it caused him to have some oral bleeding. For more info on the importance of you Chihuahuas dental health read, Pet Dental Care Is Important.
Dental Care links
Grooming Your Chihuahua
As a Chihuahua owner consider yourself lucky, Chihuahuas unlike some larger dogs are generally very clean and don't require an excessive amount of grooming.
Bathing?
Duke and Dexter get baths on average about a month. In general Chihuahuas can go longer than that betweens baths as they are meticulous about cleaning themselves and rarely smell "doggish" (If your chihuahua smells it could have something to do with its food, another reason to choose wisely). You should be careful not to bath your Chihuahua too often, as it can lead to dry skin and excessive itching. Also to avoid dry skin use a mild shampoo with a moisturizer.Following a bath be sure to thoroughly dry your dog, in most cases a wet Chihuahua is a cold Chihuahua. NOTE - Young puppies should not be bathed until after they have received all of their vaccinations, consult your Veterinarian about when you can start bathing your puppy.
Brushing?
We rarely brush Dexter and Duke as they are smooth coats that don't shed excessively. Duke gets brushed more often because he tends to shed more, which is a good indication your dog needs to be brushed. For long haired Chihuahuas you may have to brush them more often, this according to friends as we have never owned a long coat.For more info on brushing read the Community Animal Welfare Society's Dog Grooming Tips.
Nail Clipping?
This part of dog grooming tends to be nerve racking for new owners. For this reason we like to leave it to the experts. Even the best online guide on how to clip your dog’s nails can't begin to replace the hands on experience of having your Vet or groomer teach you. The next time you take your dog for a check up or grooming have them teach you, and make a point to do it yourself under their supervision that first time. Don't get into the habit of waiting for check-ups to have your dogs nails clipped, you can do it yourself!! All you need are some dog nail clippers. If your Chihuahua is like Dexter and has black nails make sure you get help before attempting to clip their nails. NOTE - in RARE occasions, some dogs simply will not tolerate the clipping process, if this is the case seek the help of your Vet, they may have to sedate your pet for clipping. Clipping is important, if left unattended your dog’s nails can break leading to heavy bleeding and pain, or in rare cases the nail can grow back into the foot.
Just remember grooming your pet is a bonding experience, do your best to keep it fun!! For a more indepth look at dog care and dog grooming check out the links below.
