Today’s vets have access to more knowledge than ever before. This is both a positive and a negative for the vet and the Chihuahua owner. Vets need to be a jack-of-all-trades, but veterinary treatments are vastly different for chimps and cheetahs than for Chihuahuas. Also, treating small dogs like Chihuahuas requires a special touch as well as specialist knowledge, especially in regards to the special wacky world that makes up Chihuahua allergies.
For example, all super small dogs with short noses tend to snore loudly, snort and make a strange honking sound which can be quite alarming. This is actually normal for most Chihuahuas, and not a reason to suspect that your Chihuahua has allergies. Your vet needs to realize that honking and loud snoring is normal in short nosed tiny dogs, or your dog may be subjected to a wrong diagnosis, unnecessary medications and a really frustrated Chihuahua.
One place Chihuahuas get extremely agitated at is the vet’s office. If your vet has never treated small blunt-nosed dogs like Chihuahuas before, the vet might misdiagnose a problem. How to choose a vet for your Chihuahua? First, ask if they often treat Chihuahuas. Vets are so busy that it does not pay for them to lie in order to get more business they can’t attend to properly. If they are not familiar with Chihuahuas, they will refer you to a vet that is.
Be sure you know who your vet is and how to get to the office before you bring home your Chihuahua. In many places in the world, emergency vets operate 24 hours a day, but are more expensive than a regular vet or a vet clinic in a large pet store. It is good to know where both your regular vet and your emergency vet are before any emergency arises. Keep their phone numbers by the phone or displayed in a prominent place so you don’t have to waste time hunting through the phone book in case of emergency.
Unless the attacks get worse, you don’t need the vet to check on them, as there is no known treatment for Chihuahua allergies that affect breathing. Even cutting down on pollen, dust or strong smells will not guarantee the attacks will cease. In short nosed dogs, like the Chihuahua, their small nose makes for noisy breathing. Your Chihuahua will most likely snore, snort, wheeze, snuffle and gasp.
The best thing to do when your Chihuahua starts an attack is to get the dog to calm down. Pet the dog, throw a toy, take the dog out into the yard – do something to distract the dog. Don’t get upset yourself. This will only make the dog upset and prolong the attack. Don’t yell or fuss, just calmly act like life is no big deal. Having your Chihuahua checked by your vet every year will be sure there aren’t any additional complications. Always contact your vet if you have any questions on Chihuahua care.
If you own one of these little dogs try to find a vet that cares very much about the best Chihuahua care. Knowing how to choose a vet for your Chihuahua should be learned before you bring your dog home.
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