Remember that the main thing is to keep your baby
fed, dry and warm at all times.
To be sure if your baby is warm enough, keep the temperature around 76 degrees in your home.

If you can't find a small enough sweater, check at your local build-a-bear store, you can use a  tubesock with the toe cut out and two holes cut for front legs.

Bathing your baby is all right as long as you use a mild shampoo, and be sure to blow dry your baby with the low setting on your hairdryer, please don't allow your baby to be in a draft.  Always read your label on the shampoo before you use it, if not sure check with your veterinarian, remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Brush your baby's everyday and get them used to be held and played with.

Get them used to having their teeth cleaned, be sure to use a dog tooth paste,
 not human tooth paste, as this will make them sick.
  Get them used to having  their nails clipped. 
Be sure not to cut their nails to short,
if you do cut them to short,
you can apply a septic stick to the nail to stop the bleeding.
When you take home your new baby,
 try not to let temptation take over your common sense.
 Remember that your baby is very small and can be worn out very fast.

  Don't take them around other dogs or pet stores.
 As they don't have their full set of vaccinations,
they are not protected until they have a series of four shots,
 given until they are 20 weeks old.

Although you might think that is cruel to confine your baby,
 it's the best thing that you can do for them.
  A baby playpen works great  for this purpose.
  It's just the right size and they can see out,
put their bedding and food on one side
and their pee-pee pad on the other side.

 If you think that they are still cold,
place a heating pad (set on low) under one side of  the blanket,
that way they can decide which side they want to be on.
 This small area gives them easy access to their food and water,
also peace where they can rest.
A lot of babies will rest 20 hours out of 24 .

Remember that it is important
 to make sure that your baby is eating every three hours.
  These tiny babies cannot go very long without a meal.
 It is a good idea not to play longer than an hour with your baby,
play with them and then give them a small dose of Nutri-cal
and place them back into the playpen.

 Please be careful and not over- tire your baby for the first few weeks.
 Just remember that they are like children
and will keep playing until they drop,
then they are too tired to eat. 

When they have free roam of the house,
they can get stepped on,
a book falling on them can kill them,
as they don't know their size
 they will try to jump from high places,
or your wiggle from your arms,
you must hold them very securely,
 the result of  a fall can lead to broken bones
 or even death!

Always supervise small children when they are around your baby,
the safest way for your child to hold your baby is for them to sit
on the floor between their legs, or in their lap, never allow
them to carry them around, remember that  they wiggle a lot and  short fall can result in broken bones, or even DEATH.
Never leave them alone on a chair , bed ,or couch, remember that a short fall
can lead to devastating results..Never leave your baby unintended, they are so small that they
can manage to get in very small places and get stuck.  Also remember that a telephone falling or a book can fall on them can break bones, not to mention stepping on them.

Lets just keep our babies safe!!!!!

 Don't allow them to run hard
 and expend what energy they have,
 this is  up to you , as the owner,
 to monitor your  baby,
over playing or stress  can lead to hypoglycemia.

INFORMATION
Bach Rescue Remedy is also a good source to keep on hand,
this can be used in case your dog should go into shock.
This also help with stress and anxiety.
It help to restore a sense of calm and control.
This can be bought at most Health & vitamin Stores.

HYPOGLYCEMIA

 I cannot stress  enough to you how important this is!!!!!!!!!!

ALWAYS KEEP A TUBE OF NUTI-CAL 0R NUTRI-STAT ON HAND AT ALL TIMES!!!!

This is a condition that can be deadly to your baby, it's also known as low blood sugar.  This affects many small breeds of puppies usually between 5 weeks and 20 weeks, they usually out grow this by six months of age.  If you have never seen this condition, it can be very scary to see, just don't PANIC!!!!!!.  This is life threat and you must remain calm and clear headed and treat your baby as soon as possible.  This condition is caused when the sugar level drops to an extremely low level, it can be caused by lack of food, or using up it stored energy, as they can only store small amounts due their size and tiny digestive systems , their liver and pancreas can become unbalanced causing this condition.  There are several reasons that can cause this to happen, exposer to stress, not getting proper nutrition.

The sign  of hypoglycemia can occur suddenly, here is what to watch out for, it can be one sign or a combination .  the first sign is generally throwing up clear liquid on an empty stomach, some other signs are acting listless,  tired or weak, other signs are falling over, going stiff, their head turned to one side and not responding,  or even coma, this is a very severe sign and if you don't act quickly you can lose your baby.

If any of these sign appear, respond immediately!!! Get some form of sugar into them as soon as possible, ( this can be Nutri-cal,  honey , Karo syrup, or liquid glucose)
 if you don't get the sugar up, death will occur. 
If you baby cannot swallow, open its mouth and rub  the sugar to the roof of his mouth,and tongue,
sometimes it necessary to pry its mouth open,
just don't allow it to go down it lungs and cause aspiration,  (pneumonia) ,
you might have to repeat this several times, 
it should respond within five to 10 minutes,
 if he doesn't,
take them to the vet IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!,

  TAKE YOUR NUTRI-STAT WITH YOU,

I recommend the Nutri-Stat or Nuti-cal over the other remedy, because honey
tend to bring  up the blood sugar,  this only last for a short time,
then the sugar level will plummet again, the Nutri-cal or Nutri_stat has
a food source combined with sweeteners which keeps the sugar more stable
for a longer period of time.

  CONTINUE TO RUB NUTRA-STAT  INTO ITS MOUTH
 UNTIL YOU GET TO THE VET.
IT MAY BE NECESSARY FOR THEM TO BE GIVEN AN IV OF GLUCOSE (DEXTROSE),
be sure to STRESS that this is  low blood sugar shock ,
and to be treated  as an emergency
and they need to be treated immediately,
 as this can be  a life or death situation.
Every minute counts.!!!!!!

 Just don't panic. 

This baby depends on you to act  quickly and with a clear head.
 Just remember that the quicker you respond
the faster they will bounce back.

 Always be on the outlook for these symptoms:

.  If your baby went comatose,
 it can take several hours for him to get back to normal,
remember that his whole body shut down.
 so if he doesn't want to eat,
make sure that they have food in their stomach,
you can give them baby food,
mixed with Nutri-cal,
 boiled chicken livers mashed up,with cottage cheese,
this needs to be almost liquid so
 you can use a syringe and inject this into his mouth a little at a time,
you might have to do this every 2 to 4 hours until they will eat on their own.
This might take several days, so don't worry,
but just be  careful  that this doesn't happen again.

Keep them warm, because their body temps drops when this happens:
wrap them in a blanket, and place a warm heating pad (set on low)
under them. keep it there
 until their body can retain body heat on their own.

If you purchased your baby from a reputable breeder,
they should have come with their first or second shots, depending on age,
not under eight weeks of age, preferably around twelve weeks,
 depending on size of you baby, and how well they are eating.
They should be clean and groomed,
they should have been wormed regularly.
Take your baby to the vet within 48 hours of
getting him.  Take a stool sample with you to have it checked
for worms, coccidiosis/Guardia. These can be present and cause your
puppy's system to run down and turn an otherwise healthy puppy into one
that is prone to hypoglycemia. The undiagnosed bacteria or parasite infection
can be cleared with antibiotics such as ALBON, AMOXCILLAN or FLAGYL,
alone or in combination.
This should clear up in no time and your baby might never have an attack again.
Try and have a good relationship with your vet,  You'll never know
when you might need him or her.

Try and not let your puppy jump from high places
(couch, chair, or bed),
as they don't know their own size
they can easily hurt their back or legs.
Never go outside without a leash,
even though that are small,
they can run very fast,
also they are not afraid of larger dogs,
this is a precaution to keep them
from becoming a fast food meal for some large dog.
Even though they are small
they think they are Great Danes,
and don't realize their own size.
so for their own protection
you will have to protect
them and keep them from harms way.

The Molera

"SOFTSPOT"

The Chihuahua was developed in Mexico and the United States,
 it has displayed a "soft spot" on the top of the head.
 In the Chihuahua, this spot is know as a MOLERA;
 and is the same as found in human babies. 
This molera is accepted as a mark of purity in the breed.
  It is also know as fontanel
Please note that while many Chihuahua puppies are born without the molera,
 there are as many born with one and its presence is nothing to become alarmed about.

The molera will occur on the top of the head
 and may have a variety of shapes and size if present. 
Many lay people and some veterinarians who are not familiar with the Chihuahua,
 try to link the mere presence with a medical conditions known as Hydrocephalus.
  This has caused many new comers serious concern and undue worry.
 Observations from many devoted breeders and adequate medical evidence
show  support to these moleras are nothing to worry about.

 
HYDROCEPHALUS

This a congenital condition as well as a result of trauma or brain tumor.

This condition is caused when excess fluid is found around the brain, the
body may form too much fluid, it cannot drain from the central nervous system.
Within the brain fluid-filled spaces called ventricles are filled with too much fluid causing the brain
to swell and increase pressure causing brain damage.  These dogs typically have a limited life span.
Where the severity differs, few dogs live past two years of age.  Treatment is expensive and is often unsuccessful.    No dog should be bred with this condition, and should be removed form breeding programs.
In general, most
Chihuahuas are healthy and live to 15 years old or longer.  Most are lost when they are puppies due to fractures and accidents because they are so small and fragile.

Vaccines:  Discuss vaccines and dosages with your vet to determine the correct dose for his size.  Because they are so small, their tolerance to "normal" doses are much lower and can cause reactions in these small babies.

Feeding

I feed all my babies tiny bites and small bites top quality food.
  I free feed because they eat so little and with proper exercise
they don't tend to get overweight. If I have a puppy
that doesn't want to eat, I'll feed them boiled chicken.
I always keep fresh water and use treats very seldom. 
If I do use treats I use Pup-a-roni,
which I cut into very tiny pieces .
 This way they don't get spoiled and will continue to eat their dry food.
  The dry food tends to lead to less tooth decay and plaque buildup.
 Always feed your babies a high quality dog food, be sure to read the
labels to determine the
correct proportions of  proteins, carbohydrates,
fats and vitamins and minerals contained.
Be sure that the first ingredient on the label
is meat (BEEF, LAMB, OR CHICKEN), if it isn't
then you are feeding your puppy corn, wheat or barley, soy-meal,
or a combination of all.
 this way you know that they are getting all the nutrients and vitamins
 that they need. I also give my dogs Cod Liver Oil softgels to
keep their coats  soft and shinny.  It also helps their skin from becoming dry.
Remember that puppies need three basic things to thrive:
good nutrition, warmth and companionship.  They must not
be deprived  of any of these.
Every Baby come with it's first or second shot (depending on age),
 wormed and vet checked.  They come to you with a

blanket and toy ,
food that they have been eating, I include
 a booklet that explains all the care that is needed.
They all come with their pedigrees and paper work.
As many people have never seen how small a Chihuahua is when its born,
I include a new born photo of them.
Every puppy is socialized from the time they are born,
they're played with everyday,
and we strive to have puppies that will love everyone.
They know how to mix with other dogs
and loved to be held and carried about.
The hardest thing is knowing when to put them down.
But the truth is we want everyone of our babies to be spoiled rotten.