Question:
I have a 5 year old desexed female chahuahua (TJ). Three months ago I bought a female minpin puppy to keep her company. The dogs appear to get on fine. TJ has always lived inside, but to prevent toilet mess from the puppy we recently moved the two dogs outside. They come inside when we are home but spend days outside while we are at work and also the nights.

TJ has begun to drink a lot of water. She is drinking 2 bowls a day, where she used to drink about 1 bowl per week. She has also developed those brown streaks under the eyes, as if the eyes have watered or she'd been crying. Some mornings, one or both dogs have mucous/sleep in and around their eyes. Other than this, they both appear in perfect health and are active and happy.

The syptoms appeared after we moved them outside. It can get cold at night but each has a padded bed blanket/dunah and appears warm and cosy at night.

Is the excess drinking/watering eyes normal (ie due to changes in temp) or should I take the situation more seriously and go to the vet for medicine.

thanks
Concerned TJs Mum

Answer:
Originally Posted by TJ Dog
TJ has always lived inside, but to prevent toilet mess from the puppy we recently moved the two dogs outside. They come inside when we are home but spend days outside while we are at work and also the nights.




This REALLY bothers me.Why on earth did you get a pup if you can't bother house training it?You have a 5 year old that has been living inside for how ever long you have owned her.And now you have a pup.And to prevent toilet messes you stick them both outside.What's up with that?These breeds of dogs are not supposed to live outside.They are to tiny and their fur is to short.Poor babies.....Also,if you are so concerned about messes,then I suggest blocking off a room,like the kitchen.Or crate the pup.

I suggest you take them to a vet....And explain that you have them living outside and why.

Answer:
Okay this is too much! Where do you live, that you can leave TINY housedogs outside all the time?

Why did you get a puppy if you don't want to housetrain a puppy?

Have you taken this new puppy to a vet yet? The drinking can be a sign of serious illness - take both of them to the vet.

After you do that, find them a responsible home where they will be kept inside and treated properly.

This is disgusting!!!!

Answer:
You are concerned about them drinking too much, but not concerned for their well-being?????????????? I can't believe you leave these dogs outside? What are you thinking???? You lay out there sometimes with no covers etc. and see how you like it. If you were in my area, you would have been reported to the SPCA. You don't deserve to have dogs!

Get a darn goldfish for gods sake!

Heather

Answer:
A Chihuahua would make a fine meal for a hawk or any other bird of prey for that matter. This happened last year in a neighboring county...a lady was sipping coffee, watching her two Yorkies play in the back yard when a hawk swooped down and grabbed one as she watched in horror.
Anything can happen to a tiny dog left unattended outside...

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Absolutely irritatingly idiotic!!

Why people who make these decisions even get pets is beyond me...nice thing to look out your window at huh!

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Boggle's my mind Luba....

Common sense....we all have it, some just cannot use it.



The more I understand people, the more I want to live on a private island.

Answer:
The more I understand people, the more I want to live on a private island
Make sure there's room for me!!

What exactly goes through the minds of these people? Maybe something like this...

"I think I'll go to the pet store and buy some rediculously expensive, badly bred puppy mill puppies. I don't know this, cause I'm too ignorant to research anything about them.
Of course, I'm way too lazy and stupid to housetrain them, and I don't want them around (don't like those messes you know!) so I'll stick them out the backyard, toss them some food and look at them once in a while through the window. I know that anything from a fox to a rat could probably kill and eat them - but hey! life's a gamble ya know!

They don't need any training or socializing cause I have no intention of letting them in the house or taking them anywhere.

If they get sick don't expect me to pay money for the vet. I've got better things to spend money on, but I just love my dogs!!"

GET A YARD ORNAMENT!!Even goldfish need care, so leave them alone too!

Answer:
When I posted my question, I didn't think the world would condemn me. I was just looking for some help from "friends". For the record, I live in Queensland Australia and night time termperatures are about 15 degrees (that's about mid fifties farenheight). The dogs sleep on dog beds under cover outside the bedroom window and since I sleep with the window fully open, I'm well aware of the temperature. They have walls on 3 sides of them and a roof so are sheltered from wind and rain (should we get it - very rare). TJ is a chahuahua X and weighs 5.8 kilos, so no hawks is going to make off with her. I have owned her since she was 12 weeks old and have never baulked at any costs involved in dog care. When she was six months old she was diagnosed with a patella and hip disorder, but I flew her to Sydney for surgery at the countries top vet clinic and $8,500 later, she has great legs.
The puppy is being house-trained and in general seems to have got the hang of it. We also attend weekly puppy school so she is fully socialised. She has now had all her jabs and both dogs are fully wormed. I have not desexed her as I intend to breed from her. Why I am bothering to justify myself to you all is beyond me. Obviously you people all want to jump to your ludicrous conclusions about what an evil person I am. Oh and by the record, I already have a happy little goldfish, now 3 years old called picasso as well as a horse and 2 birds. All but the goldfish live outside and all are fine. I also have half an acre of garden around the property and numerous garden ornaments, so I don't need those either.

many thanks for your comments, my sad friends. Oh and if you want to report me to the RSPCA, feel free but don't be surprised if they don't react. I actually foster dogs on a regular basis for them and they know me well. Now if anyone has had a perfectly healthy dog who just started consuming more water than previously, I'd love to hear from you. Other than that, I'd appreciate it if you worked out the frustrations of your own pathetic lives elsewhere. This sight is about offering help, not condemnation.

regards
TJ and Lulus devoted mother

Answer:
Well it would seem to me since you foster dogs you should know that if a dog is acting differently then it needs medical attention, yes?

Drinking water can be diabetes, thyroid, tumours, shock, fever, reaction to virus/vaccination, pancreatitis, poisoning....the list goes on.


So why are these dogs outside at night if you are home? I could care less about the temperature being warm but they are exposed to other things such as insects, rodents and prey. Do you not want your dogs to be around you? Why not? I really do not understand that, so pls explain. I"m not trying to jump on you but for heavens sakes, at night why are they not inside with YOU!!


Now I read you intend to BREED and you know this little about dogs and dog behaviour. Great, another BYB designing genetically faulty dogs that end up costing owners a small fortune and get dumped in shelters.

Go figure, you'll probably end up fostering one of your own one day down the road!

Answer:
tj when my 8 year old shetland sheep dog started drinking more water that normal we thought it was just due to changes in the weather too. Not long after that he started acting lathargic nad he sometimes got sick. when we took him to the vet we learned that he had devloped diabities. we had to give him insolin twice a day. he lived about six months before his kidneys shut down and i had to have him put to sleep. i hope this is not what is wrong with your dos but i strongly suggest that you have it checked out right away. and as for breeding your dog PLEASE DON'T there are enough birth defects in chihuahuas already, the breed does not need any more contributions. good luck.

Answer:
I have not desexed her as I intend to breed from her.
It just keeps getting worse! Now he is going to backyard breed an untitled, out of standard Chi who has genetic defects. Wonderful...NOT!

If you are hoping to make money by breeding this dog, better think again. She may have 2 puppies, and those two may have to be delivered by C-section.

Oh, and my sister-in-law's Chi (who IS standard, gorgeous and NEUTERED) shivers if the temperature dips under 65 degrees.

I wish these little dogs luck, they're going to need it.

Answer:
First of all drinking excessive water can be signs of poisoning, or many other serious illnesses. Second of all I am one of those people who own what ignorant people claim a vicious breed Mastiff. I run into more unsocialized small and tiny dogs that will try and attack my boy who if he was the least bit aggressive one bite and there would be no more small dog. I really wish the owners of these dogs would socialize them so they don't bite and be so aggressive. Of course the news would never publish a story of a small dog biting it would not be nearly as interesting and according to e.r. most bites are from small dogs and goldens. So keeping your dog in a backyard and not socializing it does nothing for its personallity and who would want a puppy from a dog who is not socialized I think they call that backyard breeding.

Answer:
I posted something about a kitty biting problem and everyone told me i was cruel when i actually had the facts and research to back it up!

Right on!

Answer:
A chihuahua and minipin(pincher?)two tiny dogs,exposed to the danger of Aussies nocturnal creatures,sounds like a horror-movie,these little dogs are house-dogs,lap-dogs,carry-around dogs,please keep them inside....

Answer:
I posted something about a kitty biting problem and everyone told me i was cruel when i actually had the facts and research to back it up
So anything you read on any website it true and accurate and right?

But what do I know? I've just raised so many cats and kittens I can hardly count them. I never did this type of thing to any of them, but they didn't bite or scratch! Amazing....

Answer:
Funny how people think we're rude when we just give the facts straight.

If you don't like us why are you here? You must use our information and advise but say you don't?? Sounds like someone's playing both sides of the fence.

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I don't doubt that you have raised many animals... but you act like i am a newcomber to raising animals.

I can respect the fact that you have done all that, but there are better ways of dealing with people than just calling their actions idiotic!

maybe you guys should work on the way you phrase things. It makes you sound stuck up and bitchy!

I'd be more than happy to extend my knowledge of animals to others. The difference between me and you is that i can be polite about it!

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So we all should be like you now?

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You are an evil person.You have had one dog for 5 years,now you have a pup,and BOTH are tossed outside because of potty training.

And now to hear you want to breed the other one?
What do you know about breeding?Are you a licenced breeder?Does your pup come from a champion lines?What about the pedigrees?Do you even know about them?Probably not.

Just because your Chi is a mix,do you think a hawk knows the difference?

I would rather be stuck up and bitchy ,then evil and cruel.

Answer:
and everyone told me i was cruel
Please don't exaggerate. "Everyone" certainly did NOT say that..please check your posts.

If it pleases you to think that everyone is wrong and you're right, that's fine.

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