Chihuahua Health Problems

[abraxas]

I am in the market for a small (3-4 lb) long coat chihuahua and am getting mixed information about health problems with this toy breed. I would like to hear from any chihuahua owners what their experience has been with patellar luxation, hypoglycemia, heart problems, etc. Also, do you think a male or female makes the best pet. I want a lap dog that will allow me to baby him/her. I intend to buy from a reputable breeder, but want to be sure I get a healthy, lovable dog.
Thanks for your information.

[summerskkye]

I don't own any Chihuahuas, but my Mom has two...Sandy and Hershey (guess the colors LOL!!)

So far, neither have had any health problems...they're so healthy it's eerie!! LOL..they're indoor dogs, maybe that's the reason...anyways, they're both girls, and both were spayed at about 7-months old (they're both 3 1/2 yrs. old now). Some tips, though:

*Chihuahuas are not all-that-friendly towards strangers

*Spaying females early on is the responsible thing to do with Chihuahuas: besides the usual reasons, whelping can be dangerous - life-threatening, really - to these tiny dogs. It's best left to experienced breeders.

*One more thing...if you want a truly tiny Chihuahua, you might want to double-check their Pedigree...this breed can have huge variations in size! My Mom's Sandy is tiny (5 lbs.), but Hershey is huge! And she was pocket-certified...ironically, she's Mom's favorite...her "little darling", really, cause she's so intelligent and charming

Hope you make a good match, and good luck !!

[kellymilam]

I have had chihuahua's my whole life, and none with any health problems. They generally will live a long time.

As an alternative to purchasing a chi through a breeder, based on my latest experience, I would also recommend "adopting" through one of the Chihuahua Rescues. We have recently added "Hope" to our family. She was a rescue chi - and a sweeter or more loving dog we could have never asked for. We have been fortunate with our two that we have now, as they are very sociable to just about everyone. However, chihuahua's as a breed are a little stand off-ish to people other than their families. However, with work and proper training they will manage to fit into any crowd, and win just about everyone over!

Good luck!