Question:
how old do they need to be to get then fixed? Is 6 weeks to early to be away from mom? When can I gove him a bath? Is there anything I can do about nasty puppy breath?


Answer:
Hi Kryssy, welcome to the forum.

Many vets and shelters are now using early spay and neuter programs. Early sterilization is not only effective but also easier on the animal. The AVMA supports early sterilization as early as 8 weeks.

Puppies should not be taken away from their mothers at 6 weeks. I do know of some breeders that allow puppies to go as early as 7 weeks but most reputable breeders will wait until 10-12 weeks (and the puppies may be sterilized ahead of time). Baths can start as early as you want. Just make sure that the puppy is well dried and kept warm.

"Nasty puppy breath" is normal. You should start brushing your puppies teeth at a young age so that they are used to the procedure. You can also try safe chew toys to remove any plaque built up...though, puppies don't have a lot of plaque.


Answer:
Well I'm gonna call the vet in the morning and set everything up.

His name is Bugs and he was my christmas present from my hubby. We had rescued a couple chihuahuas 6 yeasr ago and back in Oct they were both killed by a nasty neighbor. It broke my heart and I just couldn't deal with not having a dog, so he surprised me. When we went to pick him out there was like 20 puppies running around, not tied or fenced in right by the road. It was really hard to pick just one. The lady said they had been feeding them cat food. Uggh. But he's doing great now. I bought wormer and got that taken care of, but he gained almost 12 pounds in just 3 weeks. He is now 9 weeks old. The lady had taken them from their mom at 6 weeks. I thought that was strange, but I didn't know, and he looked good.
It only took me 6 hours to house break him and he's learning all his commands real fast. Here's a picture:


Answer:
Hope you enjoy the forum.

First of all, I'm so sorry about your chihuahuas. That's horrible what happened!

What a sad situation Bugs was in, huh? How did your hubby find him?

Make sure when bathing him that you use puppy shampoo that is nice and gentle. Also, you can get him fixed pretty early nowadays or you can wait. I usually wait till they are about 4-6 months old. But if it is safer for you to do it early, then you should.

He's very cute.


Answer:
He looks very cute! I have heard of animals being spayed/neutered early these days, but with my cats I waited till they were about 6 months old. I'm sure the vet will advise you properly.


Answer:
Awww...he's so cute!! I'm going through the same thing right now...I have a 9-1/2 week old Basset Hound, and the breeder let him go at 7 weeks! Is your little guy sleeping nights yet?


Answer:
Wow, we got Lil when she was only 5.5 weeks old, that's probably why she is so insecure about us leaving her now. Cute puppy BTW!