Hi,
I took Cooper to another vet today to see about his seizures. This guy had a
lot
to say about seizures such as it's almost always neurological; can be caused by
worms in the dog's head and behind his eyes; and of course many many tests are
required to get a better determination of the cause. He said it's almost
impossible to diagnose unless he sees the dog while it's having the seizure. So
most of that is the same info we've discussed here many times.
We have an abundance of chis in shelters here because they are freely bred in
Mexico and smuggled across. Unfortunately, so many of them are then dumped
because of "behavioral problems". He said that the largest cause of death of
chis is euthanasia - at the owner's request. If they can't house train the dog,
or it barks or bites, the owner requests that it be put down.
He said that there are 3 things a chi owner needs to do. That is Feed Right,
Keep them Well, and Train them. He believes in positive training and never
telling your dog that he is a "bad" dog. Oh and he said we, the humans always
have to be the leader of the pack.
Teeth - he stressed dental hygiene and even brought out a flip chart to
demonstrate.
He said many Chis have the Mexican Hairless underside until about age two. Then
they should start growing hair.
All in all, he was pretty enthusiastic and seemed very determined to make and
keep chihuahuas healthy and happy.
BTW, Cooper got an otherwise clean bill of health and is at a good weight. He's
about 2 years old.
Anyway, just thought I'd share yet another vet's findings. What do you think --
True or False?
Carolyn, Cooper and Joe
