When you have decided to adopt a lovely baby Chihuahua there are a few things you need to know before you take your little friend home.

From the start

When a Chihuahua gave birth the few weeks the only thing the puppies do is sleep and drink from their mother.

Chihuahua puppies should begin eating solid puppy food around three to four weeks of age to supplement their mother’s milk. Puppies under three months of age or that weigh less than 2 pounds can have constant access to puppy food or be fed at least three to four times per day until the dog is six months old. Chihuahua puppies, like all puppies, need plenty of calcium, protein and calories at this stage of development to grow and remain in good health.

What do puppies eat?

Feeding a chihuahua is no different that feeding any other dog. Puppies should be fed dog food specially formulated for their growing bodies and then weaned onto adult food. When choosing a dog food, look at the ingredients. The main ingredient should be meat and there should be little, if any, grain. Adult chihuahuas require 1/4 to 3/4 cup of dry dog food at each meal.

What you need for your puppy

Before you take your puppy Chi home it’s important to have the following things;

  • Food special for puppies
  • Food and water bowl
  • Pads
  • Dog bed
  • Dog collar and leash
  • Toys for puppies

Vaccinations

Puppies are more susceptible to infectious disease than adult dogs because their immune systems have not yet fully developed. When nursing, they receive disease-fighting antibodies from their mother’s milk. But this protection is only temporary, with the puppy’s immune system weakening as he transitions from milk to dog food. Vaccination offers protection during this sensitive time by significantly reducing the risk of common viral and bacterial infections. That’s why it’s important to give your puppy all vaccines!!

Benefits of Vaccinations

Vaccines greatly reduce the risk of many common and potentially fatal infectious diseases in Chihuahuas. Whether it’s a dog park, pet store, veterinary office, grooming salon, or even your own backyard, disease-causing germs are lurking everywhere. If your Chihuahua hasn’t been vaccinated, or kept up to date on his vaccines, he could catch rabies, canine parvovirus, distemper, canine adenovirus, or other serious viral and bacterial infections.

Vaccine Schedule

Age of Chihuahua Vaccine

  • 5 Weeks Parvovirus
  • 6 Weeks *Combination vaccine and Parainfluenza, bordetella bronchiseptica
  • 9 Weeks Combination vaccine
  • 12 Weeks Combination vaccine, Rabies, Parainfluenza, bordetella bronchiseptica and Lyme disease
  • 15 Weeks Combination vaccine, Rabies, Parainfluenza, bordetella bronchiseptica and Lyme disease
  • Adult (every 1 to 3 years) **Booster shots

* parvovirus, distemper and adenovirus type 2

** Combination vaccine, Rabies, Parainfluenza, bordetella bronchiseptica and Lyme disease