Hyprocephalus And The Molera

Hyprocephalus And The Molera

Hyprocephalus and the molera are not one in the same and should not be confused as so.  The molera, a soft spot on the top of your Chihuahua's head is similar to that of a new born human and is normal.  This trait is unique to the Chihuahua breed.  Hyprocephalus is the accumulation of excess cerebrospinal fluid in the brain and is not at all normal, nor is it curable.  It is also known as 'water on the brain.'

When fluid accumulates on the brain, it compresses the brain against the skull.  A Chihuahua puppy can be born with this disorder, or it can be caused by a brain infection.  

Check the molera, making certain it is no larger than the tip of your little finger and that there is no swelling, bulging or throbbing, although, dog's with a normal molera can still be hydrocephalic. Check carefully on the sides of the head for  bone as well. Make sure there is no more then one molera, as this is not normal.  Other signs include wide-set eyeballs, blindness, abnormal behavior, waling in circles, slowness (mental and physical), seizures, slow growing puppies and uncoordination.  These signs may come and go or become worse over time.  Concerns should only be answered by a licensed veterinarian.

Diagnosis is based on the signs in conjunction with techniques to image the brain. In dogs with a fontanel (molera), ultrasound can be performed by scanning through the fontanel to detect the excessive accumulation of fluid within the brain.  Unfortunately, there is no cure for hydrocephalus.  Mild cases can be treated with steroids to reduce pressure or with a shunt to divert fluid from the brain to the abdomen.  Severe cases in puppies usually cause death before 4 months of age.

For more information contact your Veterinarian.

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is a condition where the blood sugar level drops to an extremely low level, causing 'sugar shock.'  When levels of glucose in the blood drop rapidly, the body and brain are deprived of essential nutrients.  Results are weakness and seizures.  Usually this is due to stress, illness, lack of food, or by using up stored energy without it being replenished. Small Chihuahuas can be prone to this because they have such small digestive systems.

To prevent low blood sugar, small Chihuahuas should have small frequent meals and plenty of time to rest.  Another preventative for this is to feed your dog Nutrical, available from your Veterinarian or your local pet store. Nutrical gives your dog the vitamins needed with a single inch strip in the morning and in the evening.  Vanilla yogurt mixed in their food is also another good source. 

There is not much warning when a dog is experiencing a hypoglycemic episode.  The dog will appear tired, weak and sleepy in the beginning.  The dog may also fall over, become unconscious or begin to seizure. When this happens rub Nutrical or Nutristat on the dog's gums and the roof of it's mouth, so that it is absorbed in the dog's blood stream.  Another good source of sugar is honey or Karo syrup.  Keep the dog warm in a blanket or with a heating pad.  You should see improvement in 15 to 30 minutes with the intake of sugar.  However, it is always recommended to bring the dog to the veterinarian, as they may be in need of a glucose IV.

Each time a Chihuahua is threatened by hypoglycemia it takes much more to bring them out of it the next time. It is much easier to prevent hypoglycemia by always providing a readily available sugar supply, frequent meals and a warm bed, then to have to treat it once it happens.

Hypoglycemia can also be hereditary, so be sure to know about your dog's lineage.

Information from the American Kennel Club

Information from the 
American Kennel Club

Chihuahua
Toy Group
Breed Standard

General Appearance
A graceful, alert, swift-moving little dog with saucy expression, compact, and with terrier-like qualities of temperament.

Size, Proportion, Substance
Weight A well balanced little dog not to exceed 6 pounds. Proportion The body is off-square; hence, slightly longer when measured from point of shoulder to point of buttocks, than height at the withers. Somewhat shorter bodies are preferred in males. Disqualification Any dog over 6 pounds in weight.

Head
A well rounded "apple dome" skull, with or without molera. Expression Saucy. Eyes Full, but not protruding, balanced, set well apart-luminous dark or luminous ruby. (Light eyes in blond or white-colored dogs permissible.) Ears Large, erect type ears, held more upright when alert, but flaring to the sides at a 45 degree angle when in repose, giving breadth between the ears. Muzzle Moderately short, slightly pointed. Cheeks and jaws lean. Nose Self-colored in blond types, or black. In moles, blues, and chocolates, they are self-colored. In blond types, pink nose permissible. Bite Level or scissors. Overshot or undershot bite, or any distortion of the bite or jaw, should be penalized as a serious fault. Disqualifications Broken down or cropped ears.

Neck, Topline, Body
Neck Slightly arched, gracefully sloping into lean shoulders. Topline Level. Body Ribs rounded and well sprung (but not too much "barrel-shaped"). Tail Moderately long, carried sickle either up or out, or in a loop over the back, with tip just touching the back. (Never tucked between legs.) Disqualifications Cropped tail, bobtail.

Forequarters
Shoulders Lean, sloping into a slightly broadening support above straight forelegs that set well under, giving a free play at the elbows. Shoulders should be well up, giving balance and soundness, sloping into a level back. (Never down or low.) This gives a chestiness, and strength of forequarters, yet not of the "Bulldog" chest. Feet A small, dainty foot with toes well split up but not spread, pads cushioned. (Neither the hare nor the cat foot.) Pasterns Fine.

Hindquarters
Muscular, with hocks well apart, neither out nor in, well let down, firm and sturdy. The feet are as in front.

Coat
In the Smooth Coats, the coat should be of soft texture, close and glossy. (Heavier coats with undercoats permissible.) Coat placed well over body with ruff on neck preferred, and more scanty on head and ears. Hair on tail preferred furry. In Long Coats, the coat should be of a soft texture, either flat or slightly curly, with undercoat preferred. Ears-Fringed. (Heavily fringed ears may be tipped slightly if due to the fringes and not to weak ear leather, never down.) Tail-Full and long (as a plume). Feathering on feet and legs, pants on hind legs and large ruff on the neck desired and preferred. Disqualification-In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness.

Color
Any color-Solid, marked or splashed.

Gait
The Chihuahua should move swiftly with a firm, sturdy action, with good reach in front equal to the drive from the rear. From the rear, the hocks remain parallel to each other, and the foot fall of the rear legs follows directly behind that of the forelegs. The legs, both front and rear, will tend to converge slightly toward a central line of gravity as speed increases. The side view shows good, strong drive in the rear and plenty of reach in the front, with head carried high. The topline should remain firm and the backline level as the dog moves.

Temperament
Alert, with terrier-like qualities.

DISQUALIFICATIONS
Any dog over 6 pounds in weight.
Broken down or cropped ears.
Cropped tail, bobtail.
In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness.

Approved September 11, 1990
Effective October 30, 1990

Do your Chihuahuas like Digging holes?

Digging

Is your puppy turning your yard into a minefield? If you answered yes, discovering the reason why your puppy is digging up your lawn will help you deal most appropriately with his behavior.

Why puppies dig:

Fun: Puppies dig because they have a lot of energy, and digging helps them expend some of it. If your puppy is digging to have fun and expend energy, you can discourage his digging by providing other outlets for him. Keep your puppy busy and active by playing games with him, and taking him for walks. Keeping your puppy active and occupied will help use the energy he formerly used for digging.

Nesting: A hole in the ground may provide a comfortable nest for your puppy. On a hot day the cold soil may also provide relief from the heat. Help your puppy keep cool by providing fresh water for him to drink, a shady area for him to retreat to, and maybe even a small plastic wading pool for him to cool off in.

Escape: Is your puppy digging because he has discovered that it provides an escape from the yard? Ensure that your fence is in good shape so as not to make the escape easier. If your neighbors welcome your puppy with treats ask them to stop. The treats may be encouraging your puppy to visit them, perhaps by digging an escape route under your fence! Supervision is the best prevention.

Fright: Is your puppy digging because he is frightened at being alone? Let your puppy know that you are not abandoning him when he is left alone for a short time. Leave your puppy for a few minutes, and then return with a treat for him. Do this again, letting the interval you are out of sight last a little longer. After doing this a few times, your puppy will understand that just because you are out of sight doesn't mean you have abandoned him. Of course, your puppy should never be left unsupervised for long periods.

Puppy’s got a bad habit

Puppy’s got a bad habit

A puppy with a bad habit can be annoying, frustrating or even, in the case of biting, dangerous. The housebreaking errors, constant barking or even aggression can make owning a puppy an ordeal rather than a pleasure. But that can be changed! If your puppy has a bad habit read on for tips on making his bad behavior a distant memory.

Behavioral problems

Some of the behavioral problems observed in puppies are caused by lack of socialization during the puppy’s early months. A puppy that has started interacting with people at about 4 to 6 weeks of age and continues that interaction is more likely to grow into a puppy that seeks and enjoys people.

If you are thinking about getting a puppy, always select the one that comes to you, is interested in you. A pup that has been socialized is one who wants to please people and be with people, and a pup that wants to please is easier to train.

To keep your puppy from becoming a nuisance, you need to recognize when a bad habit is developing and then use proper training methods to direct him into acceptable behavior. Punishment is not an approved training method.

Jumping behavior

An example of a nuisance behavior is the puppy who, out of simple pleasure of seeing his master, jumps up to greet him. It's no fun to be greeted with dirty paws, get scratched or even knocked down. Here is where you, as owner, must be consistent in how you treat your pup. You must be sure you don't encourage him sometimes and discourage him on other occasions, as this will only confuse him and make training that much harder.

To change this jumping behavior, start by pushing him down and away giving the command "off" in a firm manner. In extreme cases, you may have to bring your knee up sharply as your puppy jumps up in order not to hurt him, while giving the "off" command. When you come in and your pup does not jump up on you, praise him lavishly. It just takes time, so be patient.

Barking behavior

Barking is, of course, a natural action for a puppy, and has been a benefit to humankind and probably one of the reasons that humans and dogs took on this relationship many thousands of years ago. Excessive barking is a problem, creating issues for everyone – neighbors, guests and the owner. If your puppy barks excessively you may have unknowingly taught him this bad habit. You can, for example, over-condition a puppy to respond to minor sounds by alerting him to "Listen" or "Watch" to a point where the puppy barks at even the slightest sound, especially when home alone. If you are a part of the problem, change your behavior.

Conditioning your pup to not bark at every sound takes time but it is worth the effort. Start by leaving the house for short periods, but staying within hearing distance. If your pup does not bark during this period, praise him lavishly and maybe even give him a treat to reward his behavior. Gradually extend the period you are gone, rewarding your pup with lavish praise whenever he does not bark during your absence. In extreme cases, you may need the help of an animal behaviorist to get the problem corrected. Your veterinarian can advise you on how best to solve the problem.

How Does Your Garden Grow? April 6, 2006

How Does Your Garden Grow? April 6, 2006
Gardeners who use cocoa mulch unwittingly put dogs at risk.

The mulch is made from the hulls of cocoa beans and contains theobromine, an ingredient also found in chocolate, which can be harmful to dogs. Attracted by the scent, some dogs eat the mulch, consuming quantities large enough to be toxic. To keep your dog safe and your garden green, use bark mulch as an alternative.

Long Coats for Sale

AKC Champion Quality Tiny Chihuahuas Weatherford, Texas
Please e-mail me with any inquires you might have.
marcuccino@aol.com

I've always been a dog lover, especially the little ones. I've been breeding toy dogs for over 18 years. I live in beautiful Weatherford, Texas 15 miles west of Fort Worth.

I raise happy, healthy, quality babies for you to love and become members of your family. All of my adult dogs meet the standard for the breed & are in good health. My facilities are clean and my dogs are well cared for and loved, I never have a problem with showing anyone around, there are no closed doors here.

I do not sell to pet stores or wholesale my puppies. I also do not sell to breeders that I have not checked out and approve of.

I work very hard to raise these little babies that I'm responsible for bringing into this world, I owe them the best possible homes. I want you to be happy with your new friend, but above all, I want the pup to be happy and safe in their new home.

I don't think a breeders part should stop when you leave with your puppy, I'll be there if you have any questions. I will be happy to provide you with references.

Again, thank you for visiting and I look forward to speaking with you.

Sincerely,
Bianca