Teacup Chihuahua health problems

Teacup chihuahuas can live a very long time if properly cared for from birth. Obviously, getting a good, health tea cup chihuahua (or any animal in general!) depends on finding a good breeder that cares for their animals. Having purchased a tea cup chihuahua it's important to find a good vet, so that most of these problems can be avoided.

That said, there are a number of health problems that teacup chihuahuas can be prone to. These can include

(i) Luxation of the Patella - The patella is the kneecap and a tendon normally attaches muscles to the bones. The tendon is a tight band of tissue, rather like elastic, that keeps the bones and muscles in place. Should the tendon be damaged or be worn with age, the patella can slip out of it's place resulting in "luxation of the patella", a condition that will require a visit to your vet and maybe surgery to correct the problem. The scale of damage is scored on a scale of one to four, one being the least disabling, four the most disabling.

(ii) Progressive Retinal Atrophy - This term is used to describe a range of retinal lesions having a hereditary cause. Both eyes are affected and symptoms include night blindness. This condition is often called Generalised Retinal Apathy and results in blindness. Another type of atrophy is central PRA or RPE Dystrophy. This condition is caused by layers of pigment in the lining of the retina. This again, unfortunately results in blindness.

(iii) Hypoglycemia - This is a common problem in teacup chihuahuas. If your tea cup chihuahua is fed little and often there is less of a chance of this happening. The symptoms of the condition are drowsiness, shaking and a general change in your dog's personality. Your tea cup chihuahua needs extra carbohydrate quickly as he may become comatose if left alone. Sugar in water or Mountain Dew will correct the situation if your tea cup chihuahua is able to drink, but if not, you will need the help of your vet. Basically, your teacup chihuahuas has used more energy than she has glycogen stored in her liver and she needs this to convert to energy to live. Please make sure that when she has been out playing or walking, she has access to food.

(iv) Heart Problems - Teacup chihuahuas can sometimes have heart problems and these tend to involve ventricular flow and faulty heart valves. These problems can be tested for and a reliable breeder will often have parent dogs tested for congenital abnormalities.

(v) Cystinuria - Crystals can sometimes form in your tea cup chihuahua's kidneys. In chihuahuas and breeds like dalmations, these are usually cystine. Your pup may have problems if enough of these crystals form a stone and block the urethra. Your vet will probably manage your tea cup chihuahua long term and one of the first problems to address may be diet. Your vet will encourage an increased fluid intake and your teacup chihuahuas may eventually require surgery to remove stones.

Please do not be discouraged by reading this list of problems as these are all possibilities. As I mentioned at the start, if you select your pup from good, caring tea cup chihuahua breeders and enlist a good local vet for regular checkups, your tea cup chihuahua will live a long and healthy life.