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Only get a pet if you can afford the vet expenses and be prepared to take out pet insurance, because with pets anything can happen at any time. Your mums friend has no business breeding a dog willy nilly so tell her to get her doggie spayed. Other than that I can't say anything the others have said.
By the way how old was Einstien and how did he die?
yes ma'am!
Ein was 6 months old, the person who gave him to us said he was vaccinated already, but it seems his parvo shots wasn't up to date and he got infected by walking around in the yard. he had to be put down.
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I got a tiny chihuahua for my 16th birthday, the lady in the house my family was moving to gave him to me. He's so sweet. We've been saving money and making sure his shots and up to date and everything.
His name's Loki, if you guys want, I'll post some pics as soon as i find my camera.
Aw! Very valid concerns, but actually I saw this movie this past weekend and at the end of the film, they have a disclosure about purchasing chihuahuas or any dog and how much work and attention they need. Even on the movie's website they post a disclaimer about proper pet responsibility.
Ein was 6 months old, the person who gave him to us said he was vaccinated already, but it seems his parvo shots wasn't up to date and he got infected by walking around in the yard. he had to be put down.
This can be a toughie. Sometimes the mother will have a very high titer against parvo in her circulation so when she has the pups, the babies gain protection against parvo via her colostrum. As long as the mother's antibodies against parvo are in circulation in the puppy, then the puppy will not possibly be able to make their own parvo antibody.
This is why puppy vaccinations usually have to be done in series. Not just a single jab or two. In some breeds and in some individual cases, the mothers pass on such strong maternal antibody that even if their pups get parvo vaccination til they are four months old, they may still come down with a lethal case of parvo at 6 months.
It's very frustrating. I'm so sorry for the loss of your Einstein.
Immunology can be a complex issue. Here's a study showing impaired immune effect of oral rabies vaccination when mother foxes are vaccinated. Scroll to the conclusion -- similar pattern which occurs in dogs. The other thing too, is that titer measurements even if fairly adequate are not a true measure of the organism's ability to respond to a potential disease. This is because while the antibody titer may be high, there can be impairments in the cascade of immunological events that lead to successful immunity. It's like having a house with four fire extinguishers and if no one is home to operate them, the high 'titer' of extinguishers gave a misleading sense of security.
We have the same fear...chihuahuas are VERY high-maintenance dogs, despite their small size (my boyfriend & i have 6 between the 2 of us...3 at my house, 3 at his, which luckily is only 3 houses away!!!) We are both full-time artists and work from our homes, which is why it works for us to care for so many, but believe me it gets VERY expensive. They all eat high-quality kibble, and are all on holistic supplemens to ensure their health is being addressed every day, add the cost of vaccinations, flea/tick & heartworm prevention, & we're talking serious bux here...but that's what responsible pet ownership is about. People who skip out on preventative measures for their pets may get lucky, but more often health issues develop and by the time they surface it's too late to treat.
Please do plenty of research to make sure this is the dog for you!!! If you don't have time or $ to nurture a dog, it will absolutely break your heart if it gets sick...no matter what breed it is. If you're too young to get a job, I think it's a bad idea to committ yourself to an animal yet, unless mom is in a position to take the responsibility...!
i had a question me and my boyfriend were planing to get a chihuahua, but we were not sure how much it will cost for ALL the shots for a chihuahua...
i had a question me and my boyfriend were planing to get a chihuahua, but we were not sure how much it will cost for ALL the shots for a chihuahua...
I don't mean to be harsh, but if you're asking whether just the vaccinations are costly, I don't think you're ready for a dog. What will happen when she's spayed or he's neutered and something happens and medical bills mount up? This isn't a hypothetical happenstance, it's reality. Dogs are expensive. And the inoculations are the least of the costs.
And remember, chihuahua puppies need REGULAR, FREQUENT feeding: their livers are very small when they're puppies and are unable to store enough energy. Hypoglycemia is a REAL danger with these puppies.
And NO puppy should be left alone all day while the owners are at work.
i had a question me and my boyfriend were planing to get a chihuahua, but we were not sure how much it will cost for ALL the shots for a chihuahua...
Depending on where you live and the programs instituted by the veterinarian, and if the vet is in cahoots with the county and local laws... It can cost from under a hundred to several hundred.
What I mean about vets in cahoots with the county and local laws, there are some locations where vets are expected to disregard patient to doctor confidentiality and they are required to report to the county that you own a dog or cat. This means you might get a letter from the county assessing you with fees and possible penalties.
This is in some places due to non-progressive, radical mandatory spay/neuter regulations, and other invasive laws that defeat the objectives of the No-Kill movement.
Bakiryu,
congratulations on getting your chihuahua puppy. Enjoy Loki. I have had chihuahuas off and on for the past 45 years and I adore the breed. I've had pure and mix. They are loyal and loving, if a bit on the yappy side sometimes. They need lots of loving and attention and are house pets, not outdoors pets. Give them all of that you will have a loving companion for a long time.
No money to buy a chi, too young for a job (where's the Vet cash going to come from)?
Why not try VOLUNTEERING at your local shelter to get "your dog fix"....
who knows..........it possibly could lead to a future job there when your old enough to work & you'll already have experience as well as know the staff that hires.
Also you can see what people are talking about ....different dogs with the same breed can be so different due to how their owners cared for them & if they were socialized & you may also end up trying to see if you can research dog training to HELP the one's that need it the most to prevent them being euthanized!
Just a thought to ponder, plus all the dogs there can be like a "family" to you depending on you to be responsible and show up for volunteering, walking them for exercise etc.....
If anyone like myself wanted to know how much vaccinations, heartworm medication & cost of dog or cat being fixed.......why not do what I did & google Local Vet's & just simply pick up the phone & call the Vet(S) around you and ASK THEM YOUR QUESTIONS REGARDING COSTS DIRECTLY!
Also look into any agencies like MSPCA (or Kitty Angels) to see about FREE or LOW COST spaying & neutering!
If you can't figure out that was a really good source for your reply to your question, then just maybe you aren't ready to be a responsible dog or cat owner. DO YOUR RESEARCH THOROUGHLY BEFORE GETTING ANY PET.
When my daughter was only 8 years old and wanted a parakeet for her Birthday, I brought her to the Library to do her research since it was going to be taken care of by her. When she showed she had done her research & had knowledge enough for me to feel comfortable about buying her one....that was what I did - BUT NOT BEFORE THEN!
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...3 at my house, 3 at his, which luckily is only 3 houses away!!!) We are both full-time artists and work from our homes, which is why it works for us to care for so many, but believe me it gets VERY expensive. They all eat high-quality kibble, and are all on holistic supplemens to ensure their health is being addressed every day, add the cost of vaccinations, flea/tick & heartworm prevention, & we're talking serious bux here...but that's what responsible pet ownership is about. People who skip out on preventative measures for their pets may get lucky, but more often health issues develop and by the time they surface it's too late to treat.
my 2 cents worth on the looking for a chi
