Overall the Chihuahua breed is relatively healthy. They live the longest of all the dog breeds and often make it into their twenties!
But like all dog breeds, there are some common genetic health issues in Chihuahuas that you need to be aware of.
Eye Problems
It’s not hard to imagine why Chihuahuas may have eye problems with their large protruding eyes. Their eyes can easily get injured or get infected.
Dry eyes or Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca is another eye issue.
You may also notice tear staining under your dog’s eyes. This is normal unless you notice an odor. An odor is a sign of infection which needs to be treated by your veterinarian.
Click the link for more about eye problems.
GME ( Granulomatous Meningoencephalomyelitis)
This condition affects mostly small dogs and can cause a multitude of neurological problems including death. It’s caused by over-vaccination. You can read more about it here: Granulomatous Meningoencephalomyelitis.
Hydrocephalus
This is a condition some Chihuahuas are born with. It is often fatal but it it’s a mild case, the Chihuahua can live a somewhat normal life. It is a fluid build up on the brain. Read it about it here: Hydrocephalus.
Hypoglycemia
You have probably heard of this condition before since some people suffer from it. What it is, is low blood sugar. It is most common in younger Chihuahuas and Chihuahua puppies. Basically it’s caused by the high metabolism of the young dog. It’s important to make sure your Chi eats at regular intervals. Symptoms include muscle weakness, staggering, listlessness and in extreme cases, seizures, coma and death. If you suspect your dog is suffering from this, rub a little honey or jelly on his gums and see if that helps. You can read more about it here: Hypoglycemia in Chihuahuas.
Kennel Cough
All dogs can get kennel cough but it’s more dangerous in small dogs like chihuahuas. It’s highly contagious and is usually caused by the Bordetella bacteria but can also be caused by a virus too. To read more about this disease, click here: Kennel Cough.
Patella Luxation
Many dog breeds suffer from this. This condition in layman terms is simply loose knee caps. The cause of this can be genetic or can be caused by injury. Be sure to keep you dog at a healthy weight as obesity can aggravate the condition. To read more about this condition, click here: Patella Luxation.
Reverse Sneezing
This condition is bvery common among small breeds. Although it sounds scary, kind of like honking. It’s usually not serious. You can read more about it here: Reverse Sneezing In Chihuahuas.
Seizures
Seizures can be serious and frightening. I have an in-depth article on them here: Seizure Disorders
Shivering
Chihuahuas tend to shiver a lot. It can be caused by several different things. The most common reason is because they are cold. Being that their breed comes from a hot climate, they have trouble dealing with chilly temperatures.
Chihuahuas also shiver when they are stressed, excited or frightened.
Hypoglycemia can cause shivering too.
You can read more about shivering here: Chihuahua Shaking
Teeth Problems
Chihuahuas have very small mouths, which often causes dental problems with overcrowding with their teeth. The overcrowding causes food build up in their teeth which causes decay and tooth loss.
Tracheal Collapse
In this condition, the dog’s windpipe weakens and collapses, causing the dog to chronically cough and wheeze. It can be quite serious. You can read more about it here Tracheal Collapse
Hopefully, your Chihuahua will stay healthy through out his or her life and never have any of these problems. Veterinary care is vital in keeping your fur baby healthy and happy.
Cathy is an avid dog lover and has had many dogs throughout her life. When she rescued her first Chihuahua, she was hooked on the breed.
Hi, I am a little worried about my Chihuahua. She started to get heavy and I have been trying to be careful what I feed her. I made her dog food. I get the ground turkey and boil it. Then I puree corn, peas, greenbeans, and sometime spinach. I then add mashed up boiled egg. I also add a little dry food (for over weight dogs) and give her a supplement to be sure she gets everything she needs. She has regular visits to her Vet. Any tips that might help me. She isn’t really a big eater. I also give her occasional treats. Thanks for your time.
Debbie
I would suggest eliminating the corn and using only grain free treats. My little Annie Beck eats about 1/4 to 1/2 cup total per day. She weighs 3.5 pounds. She has dry food for small breed available to her 24/7.
Good advice Sallie.
Hi Debbie, Are you over feeding her? Chis only need 35 calories per pound of body weight a day. And that’s if they are getting some exercise too. I know for me with the dry food I feed my dog, it works out to 1/4 cup in the morning and 1/4 cup in the evening. That’s not much.
Also I think I would skip the corn and peas. They are high in carbohydrates with not a whole lot of nutrition compared to the other stuff.
Ozzy is a 4.5 pound Chi and Pom mix. I worry about his teeth. As a puppy, he had 7 teeth removed, As a 3 year old adult, his teeth are crooked and spaced unevenly. My concern is tooth decay and gum problems. He will not let me brush and his breath does not smell pretty. He eats only Wellness Core food and treats (no table food) and I use V-Oratene Drinking Water Additive (Enzymatic brushless oral solution).. He also goes for a yearly dental cleaning / exam. Is there anything else I can do to ensure he keeps his teeth (products, etc.)?
It sounds like you are doing everything you can Pamela. Does Ozzy like to chew? If so, I’d suggest getting him some chew toys and treats like Greenies, Nylabones and antlers
I have all four of my Chis’ teeth cleaned once a year. It’s expensive but they’re worth it! (They won’t tolerate me brushing them either, and they all use chew bones daily. It’s a breed thing.)
My concern is my 12 years old 2.5 pound Chihuahua has ALWAYS had a dripping/running nose. Her Vet has told me to use Children’s Benadryl, Which did work but I had noticed she just stands around a lot. So I took some and wow I was in la-la land. She has had this problem from the first day I got her which was when she was 6 months old. Her vet says her breathing is good. But now that I have stopped giving her the Benadryl she is so playful and so full of life I am wondering if I can just keep wiping her nose. When she sneezes a lot of mucus comes out. Her diet is hard food and I do cook for her, sometime ground sirloin, chicken, turkey and all with a lot of veggies. She does love her veggies. Any input would be appreciated. And I thank you for your time.
I take Benadryl when I can’t sleep so I know why your Chi is in la-la land. Yeah you should be able to keep wiping her nose but if you notice it getting too dry, you might want to put a little coconut oil on it.
One thing that may be messing with her allergies is the dry food. Check to see if there are any grains in it. Dogs were never meant to eat grains and some are sensitive to it.
my chi has started to get sick,vomiting, but when he does it’s just a small bit and its yellow. I changed his food and only give him sugar snap peas and carrots foe treats. He was fine for about a week, but was sick again during the night..just one time..what would be the next step..he has had X-rays and blood work. Everything came back ok.
What did your vet say to do Janet? Something is upsetting his tummy. If it was just one time after you changed his food, maybe he’s ok now. If it continues, you may want to experiment with his food again or make his food at home where you can monitor what’s going in it.
Hey I’m concerned about my 9 month old Chihuahua she is 9 lbs and 9oz hey belly keeps swelling the vet had her on antibiotics and it worked for a couple of days and then her belly started to swell back up and I know she’s not pregnant because she’s a inside dog and I don’t have any male dogs so what could be wrong
Does she act like she’s in any pain Amy? I can’t imagine what could be wrong but maybe it’s time for another trip to the vet.
Amy, I am Amy too! My chi was 6 months old when she started getting fat in her belly. At 9 months I took her to the vet. They thought maybe a liver shunt. Before she was 2 years old she was diagnosed with cushings disease. She drinks a ton of water and has a large belly. She is on medicine but she won’t live too much longer. She has a lot of issues. She is the youngest dog my vet has ever diagnosed. Her skin is flaky and cracking and she has lost most of her fur. She eats a lot but has lost so much weight, except in her belly, that she has no muscle mass and I can feel every bone in her back and ribs. I love her to death though. She has also lost the use of her back legs. She did have an osteotomy on her hip and she still never could walk right. Now she wears diapers. But, she is my honey and I will always take care of her. In July she will be 3 years old. Have your vet check for cushings disease.
Hi, my name is Mona and my Chiquaqua, Queenie, has a swollen eye. She keeps it closed. When I try to clean it, she is in a lot of pain. What do you think it is?
She could have an injury or infection Ramona. Either way she needs to see a vet as soon as possible.
Ok, thank you so much
Hi i have a 12 year old chihuahua she getting up in age. How can you tell if a tooth is loose or going to fall out.
You can feel if they are loose if your dog will let you put your finger in her mouth Christina. But really getting checked by a vet is the best way. They know what they are doing.
My 5 year old long coat Chi still has his upper baby teeth. He has regular vet visits. She says she has never seen this before. Have you? What causes this ?? He has two sets of teeth on the top.One up in the gums.
This is common with Chihuahuas. Those baby teeth need to be removed. They will destroy the adult teeth by being to close and keeping food in between the two teeth. I cant believe the vet had never seen this! Both of my chis had this and their parents and siblings had this!!
My 1 year old Chi Charlie is always shivering …..I have a doggie shirt that I put on him but he still seems to still be cold ….what can I do to help him ?
Also I feed him dog food but I also give him some people food too like for example …. cooked chicken , white rice , and the crust off my sandwich but I don’t know what the foods are that I can’t or shouldn’t feed him ….can you give me a list of the things he can’t have ?
Lorrie, read this article on things to keep away from your Chi. It losts a lot of the foods and other things too that are dangerous: https://ilovemychi.com/20-dangerous-things-to-keep-away-from-your-chihuahua/
I also have an article about Chi shivering here: https://ilovemychi.com/why-do-chihuahuas-shiver/
I have a 9 year old female chi that has a large tumor on her left breast ,it is hard ,but opened under ,she cleans it continually, tender,I can’t afford a vet.,so been using tumeric, tea tree oil, Epson salt soaks,any suggestions would be helpful sesi,s mom
Cheryl, my terri-poo had that and it was cancerous. She really needs to see a vet. See if you can work out a payment plan with them or try Care credit but please get her to a vet before it’s too late. We have an article on what you can do if you can’t afford vet care here: https://ilovemychi.com/what-to-do-when-you-cant-afford-vet-care/
Hi
I have 3 chi’s, one of which suffers more than the others from sinus, I manage this with homeopathic sinus tablets and it works a charm. I put one or two, depending how bad it is at the time, into a bit of peanut butter and he gobbles it up.
Another issue I have is my other chi has doubled in weight since being sterilised. I know this is common but managing her weight is really difficult especially with other dogs around. I give her 20g of pellets twice a day and add gem squash (a low calorie vegetable found in South Africa) just to fill her up. She isn’t putting on any weight but she certainly isn’t losing any. Any dieting tips for her please?
Thanks so much
Hi Hengie, Your chubby girl sounds like me. I don’t eat much and I can go on very low calorie diets but won’t lose anything until I add exercise to it. So since you really don’t want to cut her calories any lower, you might want to add some more play time and walks to her routine. If you need ideas on playtime games, here is an article: https://ilovemychi.com/indoor-games-to-play-with-your-chihuahua/