How can I prepare for my chihuahua having puppies?
compostlipstick asked:
I have a female chihuahua that will be having puppies in a couple weeks. She is small, under 4lbs. The vet doesn’t forsee any complications but I have heard that chis can be difficult sometimes. Anyhow I have never had experience with any breed having puppies. I’m looking for tips and things I should have ready.
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I have a female chihuahua that will be having puppies in a couple weeks. She is small, under 4lbs. The vet doesn’t forsee any complications but I have heard that chis can be difficult sometimes. Anyhow I have never had experience with any breed having puppies. I’m looking for tips and things I should have ready.
March 1st, 2009 at 5:02 am
watch her close and pray she makes it thru .
March 3rd, 2009 at 7:29 am
Read everything you can. Some good sites are
March 5th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Spay her. Seriously! Under 4 lbs?? That’s begging for a c-section and possibly even death.
Chihuahuas are tiny and known to have birthing problems. Even if you find a male small enough, at least under 3 lbs, you have no guarantee that he’ll throw small pups, as he could have come from larger parents and can throw those larger pups. You have no guarantee what she’ll throw either, as just because she is small doesn’t mean her parents and grandparents were either.
Are you prepared to handle the guilt of her possible death? Much less the bills involved with trying to save her. Sure your vet doesn’t foresee any complications. It’s not his dog, and this is his source of income!
Having puppies is hard work, having chihuahua puppies, even harder. Do you work full time? What will you do if she goes in to labor while you are at work? What if she doesn’t live, or does and doesn’t make enough milk? Are you available every 2 hours day and night to feed those pups?
I wouldn’t do it. I have a 3.5 lb female chihuahua of my own. She’s beautiful!!! Would probably make gorgeous puppies. Not that I’ll ever know. I wouldn’t even have her spayed because I was concerned about the risks of surgery. I’m certainly not risking her to pregnancy! She means the world to me, and I can’t picture if anything terrible was to happen to her, much less something that was my fault such as breeding.
Enjoy your little girl, and leave the breeding to the experts.
Edit: OMG, just reread your post. You’ve already bred her? Without doing any research?? I’ll be praying for her.
March 8th, 2009 at 5:23 am
Here, i would read over the questions on the link below and find a way to answer them. They may save your dog should she have complications:
I would also have your vet be on call starting at around day 60 or sooner, that way if she goes into labor early he will be in office or ready to help.
Be prepared to rush her in for a c-section - MOST Chi’s need them. Even a slightly bigger male could mean big puppies, which could mean problems and death of the b*tch.
I assume you’ve had x-rays taken? If not, do so within the next week. That will tell you how many puppies to expect (which can alert you to possible complications if she stops whelping) and can give a rough estimate of their size - that right there could immediately tell you “she’ll need a c-section.”
In fact, i would just ask your vet if you can schedule her for a c-section regardless. That way you don’t have to worry about whelping complications or losing her to them. It may be your safest bet. If you don’t wish to do this, i suggest a trip to the local library or book store to pick up some dog breeding/whelping books.
Also talk to your vet about HOW to help during whelping if needed.
March 9th, 2009 at 11:18 am
why did you breed your dog without research and the guidance of a breed mentor?
Your best bet is to see if its too late to spay/abort this litter.. that will be safer for her, and cheaper for you. If its too late, make sure you have at least $3,000 or so for emergency care. Chis often need cecarians to deliver.
March 10th, 2009 at 6:11 am
WHY OH WHY are you breeding her when she is under 4 pounds, ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!!!!!!! Please pray she is okay and then get her FIXED!!!!! I bet she is not even the proper age to be having a litter and no health testing has been done either right!! Oh and you feed purina dog food right..
Good grief people will never learn. You should have to have a lic to own an animal
March 11th, 2009 at 6:01 am
Have an emergency vet lined up with 24 hr service. Chi often need a c-section. If she is having trouble a quick trip to the vet is all that will save her and the Puppies. I have raised dogs years ag, and sometimes things start of OK, but then a pap is stuck or is presented sideways. I had a Pug that needed vet assistance and on one occasion a Scottish Deerhound. You would think some thing as big as a Deerhound wouldn’t have problems, but she carried so many puppies that her contractions just quit and she had to go to the vet too. Just be prepared.
March 12th, 2009 at 4:16 am
Under 4lbs. Seriously what were you thinking? And your vet is an IDIOT frankly. No reputable breeder in their right mind would breed a female under 4/5 pounds at all. Only bybs and puppy mills do because they don’t care about the mother’s safety.
Chihuahua’s are already at a high risk for c-section and you have just upped that risk. Honestly I recommend having her spayed and the litter aborted. Do you plan to stay home the last week of her pregnancy 24/7 JUST to make sure that someone is always around to watch her?
That’s the problem with BYBs they don’t take into consideration that fact regardless of size they are putting the life of their female at risk. Good breeders do at least and this is why they spend YEARS learning to breed before ever producing a litter.
March 15th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Please have a couple of thousand dollars in case she needs a c-section. Know the location of an emergency vet in case he is needed. Have a friend come help when the time comes if at all possible. Take time off work to be there because a chihuahua should not be left alone during labor. Too many things can go wrong. Hope everything is okay.
March 18th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Sell all your worldly goods and your children if you have any to help pay for the c-section and aftercare she is almost sure to require, then you can have her spayed and work on saving to buy back your children and your possessions.
March 21st, 2009 at 6:43 am
These are issues you should have researched and prepared for BEFORE you decided to join the ranks of the BYBers and breed her, don’t you think?
March 24th, 2009 at 4:59 am
The first thing you should do is take the mother to the vet to make sure she is healthy.
This will give you an indication of if there might be complications or not.
Also, contact other Chihuahua breeders and ask them questions. Breeders usually love the breed, so they are willing to help you for that reason alone. This site has a lot of Chihuahua breeders
March 25th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
I am im your same position and I am fed up of people acting like the know it all’s of the world forbidding anyone else but themselves to be a chihuahua breeder. If they want to be useful they should give you as much information as possible rather than go on and on about how wrong it is! Your chihuahua is already pregnant and I am sure you will be absolutely fine! Anyway there is nothing you can do
I have two chihuahuas myself and I hope to breed them soon too. I am sorry I can’t provide any useful information but I am in the process of looking for it myself. Good Luck I hope it works out really well 