If you share your home with a chihuahua, start with the genuinely good news: you live with one of the longest-lived dog breeds there is, and many chihuahuas stay busy and opinionated well into their teens. The catch is that a long life gives small problems time to become big ones, and the three problems veterinarians see over and over in this breed all announce themselves quietly. A smell. A skip. A strange little cough. Easy to miss, and much easier to manage when someone catches them early.
That someone is you. Your veterinarian sees your dog for perhaps an hour a year. You see her every day, which makes you the early-warning system. This guide covers the three conditions every chihuahua owner should know how to spot, what each one looks and sounds like at home, and when it is time to pick up the phone.
1. Dental disease: the smell is a symptom
Start with the mouth, because the mouth is where a chihuahua's size works hardest against her. A chihuahua carries the same 42 adult teeth as a Great Dane, packed into a jaw the length of your thumb. Crowded teeth trap food and plaque, plaque hardens into tartar, and tartar pushes bacteria under the gum line.
The result is periodontal disease, which is infection and inflammation of the tissues that hold the teeth in place, and it is the single most common health condition in adult dogs. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, most dogs show some evidence of it by age three, and small breeds are hit earlier and harder than most.
Here is the part pet parents are often surprised by: "dog breath" is not normal. A healthy mouth does not smell bad. If your chihuahua's breath makes you turn your head, that smell is bacteria, and it is the earliest and most ignorable warning sign on this list.
If you notice any of these, the mouth deserves attention:
- Breath that smells sour or rotten, even a little
- Yellow-brown crust along the teeth, especially the back ones
- A red line on the gums where they meet the teeth
- Dropping kibble, chewing on one side, or losing interest in hard food
- Pawing at the mouth, or drooling more than usual
The clinical reality first: untreated periodontal disease does not stay in the mouth. The AVMA notes it is associated with changes in the kidneys, liver, and heart muscle, because the bacteria do not need a passport to travel. Now the warm part: this is the most preventable condition on this list. Daily brushing with a dog toothpaste changes its entire course, and a professional cleaning resets the board.
If your dog already has visible tartar or gum redness, book a dental exam in the next few weeks, not the next few months. And if a cleaning is on the table and the word anesthesia makes you nervous, that fear is common and worth taking seriously, which is exactly why we wrote a full guide to dental cleanings and anesthesia risk in chihuahuas.
2. A luxating patella: watch for the skip
Somewhere in a park near you, a chihuahua is trotting along, suddenly hopping three steps on three legs, then trotting on as if nothing happened. Owners tend to describe it as a hitch, a hop, or a funny little dance. Orthopedic surgeons describe it as a luxating patella, which is a kneecap that slips out of its groove. The patella normally rides in a track at the end of the thigh bone. In many small dogs that track is too shallow, and the kneecap pops out sideways, locks the leg for a stride or two, and pops back in.
That skip is the signature sign. According to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, affected dogs often carry the leg up for a few steps, sometimes shaking or stretching it before using it normally again. The condition is graded from 1 to 4. At grade 1 the kneecap slips only occasionally and returns on its own, and many dogs live comfortably with nothing more than monitoring. By grade 4 the kneecap sits permanently out of place and the leg's whole geometry changes. Higher grades are where surgery enters the conversation.
If you notice any of these, make a note and bring it up:
- The classic skip: a few strides on three legs, then back to normal
- A leg stretched out backward after the skip, like a tiny hamstring stretch
- Stiffness after naps, or reluctance to jump onto furniture she used to launch at
- Bowlegged posture in the back legs, or a clicking feel when she walks on your lap
When to call: an occasional skip in an otherwise happy dog is a mention-at-the-next-visit item, and your veterinarian can feel the knee and give you the grade in about a minute. A dog who skips many times a day, holds the leg up for long stretches, cries, or refuses stairs should be seen within a few days.
Two things genuinely help in the meantime, and neither is surgery: keep her lean, because every extra ounce loads those small joints, and give her routes that do not involve flying dismounts off the couch. Ramps and pet stairs are not an indulgence; they made our list of apartment essentials for chihuahua owners for exactly this reason.
3. Tracheal collapse: the goose-honk cough
The third warning sign is one you will hear before you see. Tracheal collapse produces a dry, honking cough that owners reliably compare to a goose, and once you have heard it you will not mistake it for anything else. The trachea, the windpipe, is held open by rings of cartilage. In many toy breeds those rings are softer than they should be, and the airway flattens when the dog pulls, pants, or gets excited. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists tracheal collapse as a condition mainly of toy and miniature breeds, chihuahuas among them, usually appearing in middle age.
If your dog is doing any of the following, you are likely hearing the airway, not a cold:
- A dry, honking cough after excitement, pulling on the leash, or drinking water
- Coughing that gets worse in heat, humidity, or smoky air
- Noisy breathing, or tiring quickly on walks she used to finish easily
When to call: an occasional honk during the zoomies is worth mentioning at your next appointment. Coughing fits that last minutes, labored breathing at rest, or gums that look blue or gray are a same-day call, and after hours that means the emergency clinic. The bad news is that soft cartilage cannot be made firm again. The good news is that most dogs are managed well without surgery, and the two most effective steps live entirely with you.
First, retire the collar for walks and use a well-fitted harness, so nothing presses on the windpipe. Second, keep her slim, because Merck notes that weight control matters more for this condition than almost anything in the medicine cabinet. Cough suppressants and other medications exist for the dogs who need them; your veterinarian will tell you if yours is one.
The one-minute monthly check
None of this requires equipment, and all of it fits into an evening on the couch. Once a month, lift her lip and look at the teeth and the gum line on both sides. Watch one full walk with your eyes on her gait instead of your phone. Pay attention to the sounds she makes when she is excited, and note anything new.
Run your hands over her ribs; you should feel them easily under a thin layer of padding. Then write down what is normal for your dog, because the real skill here is not diagnosing anything. It is knowing her baseline well enough to notice the day something changes. That habit only gets more valuable as she ages, which is a subject we cover gently in our guide to quality of life for senior chihuahuas.
One last reassurance, because health lists like this can read like doom: most chihuahuas with a little tartar, a grade 1 knee, or an occasional honk go on to live long, loud, deeply comfortable lives. The point of watching for these three signs is not to worry more. It is to hand your veterinarian a problem while it is still small, which is the version of the problem that is cheapest to treat and easiest to live with. If you noticed yourself nodding at any section above, you know what to do: talk to your veterinarian.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a chihuahua see the veterinarian?
Once a year for a healthy adult, and most veterinarians recommend twice a year once a dog reaches her senior years, roughly age eight and up in small breeds. Chihuahuas hide discomfort well, so these visits regularly catch dental disease and knee problems owners had no idea were there.
Is a skipping walk ever normal in a chihuahua?
It is common, but it is not something to ignore. The classic hop-and-carry stride usually means a luxating patella, a kneecap slipping out of its groove. A grade 1 luxation may need nothing but monitoring and a lean body weight, but only your veterinarian can grade it, so mention it at your next visit even if it seems harmless.
Is bad breath in a chihuahua really a health problem?
Usually, yes. Persistent bad breath in dogs is most often the smell of dental bacteria, and the AVMA notes most dogs have some periodontal disease by age three. Small breeds are especially prone. A veterinary dental exam, followed by daily brushing at home, changes the whole trajectory.
Should a chihuahua wear a collar or a harness?
A harness for walks, with the collar kept for ID tags. Toy breeds are prone to tracheal collapse, a weakening of the windpipe's cartilage rings, and leash pressure on the throat makes the cough and the damage worse. A chest harness spreads that force somewhere safe.
