Your Chihuahua had puppies? Do you want to know when the puppies’ eyes will open? To answer this question, this post will talk about the initial care of the puppies and the moment when the chihuahua breed dogs will open their eyes. As a complement, let’s talk about the physical and behavioral characteristics of chihuahua dogs.
When do chihuahua puppies open their eyes?
Puppies start to open their eyes from the second week of life. Puppies are very sensitive, especially in the first week of life, due to the need to adapt to the extra-uterine environment. Puppies are born with their ears and eyes closed, locating the parturient only by the exhaled heat and mothers smell.
Newborns care
As soon as the puppies are born it is important that they are placed in a clean, warm place with controlled air humidity. Parturient and their puppies should stay indoors, away from winds or cold. The puppies in the first days of life do not control their temperature, requiring a warmer environment.
It is very important that puppies feed on colostrum in the first hours of life. Because it is through colostrum that puppies receive antibodies that will prevent the puppies from getting sick. And it will be these antibodies that will protect the puppies until the beginning of the vaccine protocol.
Puppies will urinate and defecate upon stimulation by licking the puppies’ genital region. The female dog tends to leave the environment as clean as possible. However, it is still necessary to maintain periodic cleaning, avoiding flies and other insects.
Puppies will start to open their ears and eyes around the second week, and this is when they will begin to explore their environment. It is important to avoid excessive lighting and noise during this period. As dogs begin to explore the environment, animals should not be left in dangerous places, with many obstacles or open places.
From the third week of life, female dogs can start weaning their puppies and it is during this period that shallow water bowls can be placed in the environment along with the weaning diet. After the fourth week of life, the puppies can eat commercial food for puppies.
About the Chihuahua breed
One of the theories about the origin of the Chihuahua believes that these dogs lived wild in Mexico. These small dogs were captured and domesticated by the indigenous people of the region.
Physical characteristics
The head is very round and small, and the eyes are round. The ears are large and are always on alert. It is a dog with a compact body, short and muscular limbs, its tail is moderately long, carried high, arched or in a semicircle.
The Chihuahua’s coat can be short-haired or long-haired and can be found in many shades and combinations except for the merle color.
Behavior / Temperament
Chihuahuas have a strong personality. They are small dogs but agile, alert, restless and very courageous. It’s a dog that can bark a lot. They can react to any strange movement, always calling the tutor’s attention. Therefore, it is considered a good guard dog.
Breed health
Chihuahuas are very healthy animals, but they need to do physical activities such as playing and going for walks to burn off some energy. This breed can have some genetic diseases such as:
- Patellar deviation;
- Cryptorchidism;
- Hydrocephalus.
Patellar deviation is a disease where the animal may limp and feel local pain, as the patella leaves the anatomical place, which may lead to injuries from temptation and other complications.
Cryptorchidism is the disease present in males where one or both testicles are not observed in the scrotum. The puppies are born with the testicles in the cavity and until 8 months these testicles tend to be in the scrotum.
After 8 months of the absence of one or more testicles the animal is considered cryptorchid. In these cases, castration of the animal is indicated, since the testicle in the cavity has a greater predisposition to become a tumor that can worsen the health of the animal.
Hydrocephalus, on the other hand, has no well-described causes. It is the disease that happens in the intra uterine life where there is a large accumulation of liquids in the puppy’s skull. Thus, the bitch may have difficulties when giving birth to the animal in a natural way, being a necessary cesarean section. Puppies often die due to neuronal complications generated by hydrocephalus.
Dogs with these genetic disorders are discouraged from breeding. And there must be veterinary monitoring for better resolution of the cases.
These animals do not have so many reproductive problems, but gestational follow-up with a veterinarian is advised due to the high incidence of hydrocephalus, which can lead to dystocia, resulting in the mother and the offspring’s death.
Animals must have a routine of being vaccinated and dewormed. In addition to care with ectoparasites such as fleas and ticks. When these preventive cares are not applied, the animals can present health problems.
Illness, happiness, excitement, or fear can cause the animal to shiver, this same sign can be seen when they are cold. If constant tremors are observed, a veterinarian should be sought.
General Care
Short-haired dogs do not need clipping, while long-haired animals may need clipping. Bathing these animals must be done constantly and they must have their fur brushed at least twice a week.
Baths in this breed are indicated with specific shampoos for dogs and neutral shampoos. Bathing should be done very carefully, especially to avoid getting water into the ear. The animal must always be very dry after bathing to avoid the growth of microorganisms that can lead to dermatitis.
Brushing the dog’s teeth is necessary to prevent tartar buildup. Brushing the teeth should be done every 48 hours, using specific toothpaste for dogs. As for nail clipping, the nail should be cut once or twice a month. Cutting the nails prevents the animal from getting hurt or even hurting the tutor.
Conclusion
Puppies open their eyes from the second week of life. Several care must be taken in the first weeks of life of dogs to avoid diseases and death of animals. The puppies after opening their eyes can start to explore the environment even more and may be exposed to various untempers of the environment. In addition, we also saw some of the physical and behavioral characteristics of the Chihuahua breed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): When do chihuahua puppies open their eyes?
How heavy is a chihuahua?
The Chihuahua’s weight should be between 1 and 3 kg.
How long does a chihuahua live?
Chihuahuas usually live between 12 and 20 years, depending on their genetics and general care.
Does the chihuahua bark a lot?
Yes, because they are dogs that have great hearing and any noise they find suspicious they will bark. Thus making them good dogs to guard.
Reference
CBKC – Brazilian Canine Confederation, 2015 Official Breed Standard: chihuahua. Available at: https://cbkc.org/application/views/docs/padroes/padrao-raca_187.pdf, accessed January 22, 2022.
Secco, P. M., & Moya, C. F. (2021). Fisiologia Reprodutiva Básica da Fêmea Canina. Atualidades e Fundamentos em Reprodução e Desenvolvimento, 4.
Pictures from pixabay.com
