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  • How To Brush a Chihuahua's Coat

    Whether you like it or not, your Chihuahua is bound to shed some of their hair inside your home. Naturally, long-haired Chihuahuas are more prone to shedding than their smooth-coat counterpart, but the fact is that BOTH types will shed. The most effective method for dealing with excess hair is to frequently brush your Chihuahua’s…

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  • Chihuahua Lifespan: Average Life Expectancy of The Chihuahua

    Healthy adult Chihuahuas live an average of 15 to 20 years. As with any breed, a Chihuahua’s lifespan varies depending on a number of different factors (see below for a complete list). Some of these factors are controllable, whereas others are outside of owners’ control. Owners should familiarize themselves with these factors so they give their…

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  • Chihuahua Car Travel Safety

    Does your Chihuahua pace frantically around your feet when he hears the metal-on-metal jingle of your car keys? Most Chihuahuas will literally jump at the opportunity to ride in a car, and with an average weight of just 3 to 6 pounds, they are the perfect size for road trips. Before allowing your Chihuahua to…

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  • Chihuahua Lifespan: Average Life Expectancy of The Chihuahua

    Healthy adult Chihuahuas live an average of 15 to 20 years. As with any breed, a Chihuahua’s lifespan varies depending on a number of different factors (see below for a complete list). Some of these factors are controllable, whereas others are outside of owners’ control. Owners should familiarize themselves with these factors so they give their…

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  • Diagnosing and Treating Chihuahua Arthritis

    Chihuahua Arthritis Degenerative arthritis (AKA osteoarthritis) is a common and oftentimes painful joint condition that affects as much as 20% of the Chihuahua population. Chihuahuas suffering from this condition may exhibit signs of general discomfort and weakness around their joints, making it difficult for them to walk normally. While there’s no cure for canine arthritis,…

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  • How to Treat a Chihuahua with Allergies

    If you’ve noticed your Chihuahua licking, scratching or chewing himself excessively, he could be suffering from an allergies. Affecting up to 27% of all dogs, allergies are one of the most common chronic diseases in Chihuahuas. Some Chihuahuas develop allergies seasonally, whereas others experience them year-round. Unfortunately, owners often mistake the symptoms of a reaction…

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  • How To Remove a Tick From a Chihuahua

    Tick In a Chihuahua’s Fur It’s not uncommon for Chihuahuas to pick up ticks when they are running and playing outside. Once a tick falls into their fur, it will bite down and begin feasting on the Chihuahua’s blood. Ticks will fall off in 2-4 days when they are full of blood, but most veterinarians…

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  • Chihuahua Potty-Training and Housebreaking

    Potty-training is an essential process that every owner must go through with their Chihuahua. Unless you plan on keeping your furry four-legged friend in a fenced-in backyard (not recommended), you’ll have to teach them to use the bathroom outside the house and not inside. Unfortunately, however, Chihuahuas have a notorious reputation for being a breed…

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  • Chihuahua Potty-Training and Housebreaking

    Potty-training is an essential process that every owner must go through with their Chihuahua. Unless you plan on keeping your furry four-legged friend in a fenced-in backyard (not recommended), you’ll have to teach them to use the bathroom outside the house and not inside. Unfortunately, however, Chihuahuas have a notorious reputation for being a breed…

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  • Comparing The Differences Between Long-Coat and Smooth-Coat Chihuahuas

    Purebred Chihuahuas are categorized as either long-coat or smooth-coat (AKA short coat). Contrary to what some people may believe, these aren’t actual breeds but rather varieties of the Chihuahua. If you’re thinking of adding a new Chihuahua to your family in the near future, it’s important to understand the differences between long-coats and smooth-coats. While…

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A lot of owners seem to overlook the importance of having their Chihuahuas spayed or neutered. When you are busy looking at puppies trying to find the one that's right for your family, it's easy to forget about future issues like spaying and neutering. Unfortunately, this results in a large number of Chihuahuas growing up without getting fixed. The fact is that there are countless reasons why you should spay or neuter your Chihuahua.

Fixed Chihuahua

Some owners are still stuck in the mentality that spaying and neutering is bad because it causes pain and unneeded stress on Chihuahuas. While there have been incidents of infections taking setting in after the surgery, they are few and far between. The American Humane Society states that fixing your dog is one of the best decisions you can make regarding their health and well-being. Most professional veterinarians will also agree that spaying and neutering is a safe, healthy procedure that owners should have performed on their canines.

Is Spaying and Neutering Really Necessary?

The benefits of having your Chihuahua spayed or neutered far outweigh the disadvantages. With that said, there are a few special circumstances when you may want to avoid having the procedure done. If you plan on breeding your Chihuahua at a later date, then you obviously wouldn't want to have them fixed. Of course, this is a big decision that shouldn't be made lightly. Breeding a Chihuahua will require a great deal of time and money, both of which are difficult to come by in today's fast-paced world.

Another instance where you might want to avoid spaying or neutering your Chihuahua is if your veterinarian advises against it. If your Chihuahua has a compromised immune system, is too young or old, or if they have some other underlying health condition, a veterinarian may advise against spaying or neutering. However, contrary to what some people may believe, there's no such thing as a dog that's too small to fix. Always follow the advice of your veterinarian to ensure the safety and well-being of your Chihuahua.

Spaying and Neutering

Spaying and Neutering Saves Lives

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 5-7 million animals enter animal shelters each year, and a staggering 60% of these animals are euthanized (3-4 million annually). It's a grim statistic that's only made worse when owners neglect to fix their pets. As a Chihuahua owner, you can do your part to lower these numbers by having your Chihuahua spayed or neutered.

Having your Chihuahua spayed or neutered will prevent them from breeding, which in turn will help deal with overpopulation. Even if you don't plan on breeding your Chihuahua, the hormones set off by a female in heat is a powerful attractant to unfixed males. It's all too common for family Chihuahuas to away from home in search of a mate, which is why you need have yours spayed or neutered.

Neutering Helps To Prevent Males From Running Away

If you've owned unfixed male Chihuahuas or other dogs in the past, you are probably well aware of how eager they are to run off, especially if there's a female in heat nearby. I guess you could call it mother nature's dating service, as it brings the male and female together to propagate the species. Unfortunately, though, shelters and rescues throughout the country are overrun with far more puppies than they can handle. Neutering your male Chihuahua will eliminate their instinctual desire to roam the neighborhood in search of a mate.

With the desire to roam now gone from your male Chihuahua, there's less chance of them becoming injured from other cars, dogs, people or getting into poisonous chemicals. This alone should be reason enough for you to get them neutered.

Neutering Reduces The Chance of Prostate Cancer

As lesser-known benefits of having a neutered Chihuahua is the reduced risk of developing prostate cancers. Each year, thousands of male dogs die from this horrible disease. While having them fixed doesn't completely eliminate their risk of developing prostate cancer is does significantly lower it.

Studies have shown that prostate growth is directly linked to the amount of testosterone a Chihuahua produces; therefore, the more testosterone a Chihuahua has, the higher the risk of developing prostate cancer. Having them neutered removes the testosterone-producing testicles, which lowers their chance of developing this cancer.

Chihuahua Run Away

No More "Territory Marking" On Your Furniture

One of the biggest complaints owners have about male Chihuahuas is their instinctual behavior that results in them lifting their back leg and and peeing on the sides of furniture. Even if they are potty-trained, they may still have the desire to mark their territory on your furniture. Behavior such as this simply can't be tolerated in the house, especially if you want a clean home without the dreaded smell of pee.

You must understand that male Chihuahuas, or all male dogs for that matter, have the instinctual desire to mark their territory because of the testosterone hormone. By neutering them, their testosterone levels decrease significantly, which should curb their desire to pee on the sides of your furniture, walls and other areas inside the house.

Spaying Eliminates Heat Cycles

Female Chihuahuas go into their heat cycle about once or twice a year. During this time, they will be more sensitive, territorial, and they will bleed. Caring for a Chihuahua in heat requires extra care and attention. By spaying your female Chihuahua, however, you will eliminate their heat cycles altogether.

The truth is that these are just a few of the many benefits of having your Chihuahua spayed or neutered. If there's one reason that draws you to fix your Chihuahua, it should be to help control the population of Chihuahuas that end up in shelters.

*In the words of the famous Price is Right host Bob Barker "Help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered."

References:

https://www.avma.org/Pages/home.aspx

http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/adoption-pet-care/caring-for-your-pet/spaying-neutering.html

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/why_spay_neuter.html

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/spayneuter-your-pet

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