Destiny Chihuahuas
Small Dogs, Big Dreams
Important Information About Your New Puppy
So You have picked out your special new furry family member, what now? Chihuahua puppies make great pets because they are small, easy to travel with, and are fiercely loyal companions. But just as preparing for a new baby to come home you will need to prepare for your New Chihuahua Puppy to come home.
Because Chihuahuas are little they require special things. We recommend purchasing some sort of puppy play pen or having some sort of safe area you can put your Chihuahua puppy when you can not give it your full undivided attention. This is a safe spot where they have a cuddly bed, toys, a place to potty, and eat their meals. Puppies need lots of rest and this is their spot where they can not get into trouble while unattended and can get the rest they need.
click on the picture to purchase puppy pen used in example
We Litterbox train our puppies starting at 4-5 weeks old. As soon as they are old enough to crawl out of the whelping box we put a small cheap $4 cat size litterbox in their pens. The litter is made up of a compressed pine pellet and is 100% natural and safe. The puppies have a natural instinct to use the pine pellets and basically
train themselves, and are often 100% reliable
by 8-10 weeks of age. We have found
litterbox training to be much more effective
in cost and reliability than potty pads. We
recommend giving it a try when you bring
your new puppy home and seeing if it works
as well for you as it does for us. You can buy
the litter at Petsmart. It is called Feline Pine. We get ours in 40lb bags at Tractor Supply Company called Equine Pine.
We Feed Royal Canin to all our puppies and adults. We have tried every expensive,
quality, holistic, home-made, and even raw diet dog food and found that our puppies not only thrive on but LOVE Royal Canin. We feed RC Mini Puppy to our babies for the 1st year of their life, then switch to RC Mini Adult as their metabolism slows down.
We also love and recommend their wet puppy food for picky eaters. Chihuahuas generally have high metabolisms so we recommend feeding them twice a day. The average needed food is 1/4 cup morning and evening but more can be fed depending on your puppies weight and energy level.
Vaccines- Your puppy will have 1-2 puppy shots when you bring them home depending on their age. We start our vaccine shedule at 9 weeks old and follow every 4 weeks for a total of 3 shots. (9, 13, 17 wks old) We use the following brand.
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Nobivac® Canine 1-DAPPv (Galaxy DA2PPv) prevents Canine Distemper, Adenovirus Type 1 (Hepatitis), Adenovirus Type 2 (Respiratory Disease), Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus
Please do not take your puppy to public places until they ahem had at LEAST two sets of puppy shots. Because Chihuahuas are small and very susceptible to vaccine reactions we do not vaccinate for Bordetella and recommend against it. We also recommend waiting till your puppy is 6 months old to do a rabies shot especially if your puppy is on the small side.
We recommend and require your puppy from us to be spayed or neutered at 6 months old unless otherwise recommend by your vet. We believe it aids in proper house training and allows your puppy to remain a great pet without their teenage hormones starting to kick in.
Hypoglycemia is very common in Chihuahua puppies because they have such high metabolisms and are very active. They can get low blood sugar drops and have what we call a sugar crash. It is important to feed your puppies at least 2 meals a day and monitor that they eat their food. Sometimes when puppies 1st go to their new home they become stressed and do not eat as well. It is important that they do eat to prevent hypoglycemia. Always keep karo syrup or Nutri-cal on hand from the 1st day you bring your new puppy home. We use karo syrup because it seems to work faster when really needed but Nutri-cal is also great to have on hand and you can take it with you when you take your puppy out of the home.
Some signs of hypoglycemia: Weakness, listlessness, uncoordinated (acting as if drunk), stiff, unable to walk or stand, shaking, pale gums or skin color, lock jaw, cold to the touch, confusion, disorientation, and/or unusual drowsiness. Left untreated, the dog may go into seizures and/or unconsciousness and may die. If you detect any of these signs it is important to immediately give them a least a tsp of karo syrup or Nutri-cal. Continue to hold and stimulate your puppy till they start acting a bit more normal. Follow about 10-15 minutes later with a high protein food such as Gerber chicken baby food or the RC wet puppy food. If your puppy refuses to eat or does not get better in 15 mins call your vet right away.
We hope your new puppy is everything you hoped for and makes a great addition to your family. We are available by phone for emergencies and text/email for questions and continued support.
For more questions about health and general care please click this logo to be directed to the Chihuahua Club of America website for additional information. Also a great place to learn more about the breed in general.
