Toy dogs- how small is too small?

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#41
:rofl1: :rofl1:

Our Westie actually LIKES cats, go figure! He was raised with them though ... perhaps that's the difference. But gophers or squirrels are "rats" to him .. he always wants to go after them.
haha... ours were raised with cats basically from day 1, as soon as they were up and walking they had access to cats but no matter what I try they STILL think they are something to chase. :rolleyes:

And Armani is always so proud to show me when he has one cornered :eek: He is lucky the cats are nice because they are twice his size.
 

jas_512

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#42
Tiny papillon

I have a papillon who is only 3-4lbs. The vet does not seem to be too worried about him but then again he was just diagnosed with luxating patellas. I know for a fact that he is a fragile little dog, but I also know that I cater to him even when he has the most minor injury, so, he may enjoy the attention.
I should mention that he was the runt of the litter.
I do believe that small dog breeds can be healthy but I also agree that they are very fragile and even the most careful person probably can not prevent an injury.
 

ladj8807

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#43
my mom has a small female papillon. she got her from a breeder in new jersey not to far from where she lives she went in person to get her a few years back. her dog Mariposa only weighs just over 3lb. her parents are not of the toy size. Mariposa was the only one of the litter to be that small. both her parents are of full 8-9 lb papillons. my mom is having issues with Mariposa not wanting to eat or drink. her hind legs are becoming weak and is having issues going pee when outside. can anyone please help me and my mom with this situation. her bladder is becoming harder to control. my mom has been using a vet up there and he is an awesome vet. they are having issues determining what could be wrong with her. any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Lauri
 

crazedACD

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#44
my mom has a small female papillon. she got her from a breeder in new jersey not to far from where she lives she went in person to get her a few years back. her dog Mariposa only weighs just over 3lb. her parents are not of the toy size. Mariposa was the only one of the litter to be that small. both her parents are of full 8-9 lb papillons. my mom is having issues with Mariposa not wanting to eat or drink. her hind legs are becoming weak and is having issues going pee when outside. can anyone please help me and my mom with this situation. her bladder is becoming harder to control. my mom has been using a vet up there and he is an awesome vet. they are having issues determining what could be wrong with her. any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Lauri
Hi Lauri

You might get more responses if you make a separate thread.
What kind of diagnostics has the vet done? Bloodwork and xrays?
 

Romy

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#45
my mom has a small female papillon. she got her from a breeder in new jersey not to far from where she lives she went in person to get her a few years back. her dog Mariposa only weighs just over 3lb. her parents are not of the toy size. Mariposa was the only one of the litter to be that small. both her parents are of full 8-9 lb papillons. my mom is having issues with Mariposa not wanting to eat or drink. her hind legs are becoming weak and is having issues going pee when outside. can anyone please help me and my mom with this situation. her bladder is becoming harder to control. my mom has been using a vet up there and he is an awesome vet. they are having issues determining what could be wrong with her. any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Lauri
There used to be a member on here that had major problems getting their pap to eat. Apparently it's not unheard of in the breed to get an occasional dog that is determined to starve itself. If they were bigger it wouldn't be such an issue, but they are so small it can send them into hypoglycemic shock very quickly.

I think I remember her using nutrical to help keep her weight up and blood sugar even. Eventually she did start eating normally. I'll see if I can dig up links to those threads.

ETA: here it is. There might be some clue or helpful tip in here you might find useful. http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125403&highlight=riley
 
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Laurelin

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#46
I would try to get a second vet opinion on her. That sounds pretty extreme.

Summer has gone off food before for long enough that she must feel really sick and then will not want to eat because she feels so bad. In cases like that I would put nutrical or wet food in a syringe and force feed her a bit.

Mia has the opposite problem- she wants to eat everything.
 
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#47
From a medical standpoint, any dog under 5 lbs is a pain to deal with. Most medicines are too large to cut and dose properly. That means the doctor has very limited options on what meds they can use, or the pet has to wait 3-5 days for a compounding pharmacy to make the correct med. Its impossible to bandage anything on a pet that size without turning it into a mummy or making it a peg leg. If you have to clip a small area it looks like you tried to do a lion cut on the dog. And don't even get me started on trying to restrain such a small dog without literally breaking it. Honestly I don't care how cute they are, they are not fun when you actually have to treat them for any sort of medical condition.
 

Izzy's Valkyrie

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#48
Old thread is old!

Tango is a tall Chihuahua. 12" at the shoulder and about 6.5 lbs now that we've figured out a diet that works. I think I'd be uncomfortable with a dog that was less than 5lbs because I'd be afraid to seriously damage the dog underfoot. I can't carry Tango constantly and I always cringe when he gets stepped on.
 

milos_mommy

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#51
Personally I don't think I'd feel comfortable breeding a female dog (say, chihuahuas, if we're going for smallest) under 6 lbs. MAYBE between 5 and six if otherwise super healthy/sturdy. Males I wouldn't go under 4. I guess Chis are, by standard, supposed to be under 6. So I guess my ideal to breed for would be around a 5 lb dog. I doubt I'd breed outside of the range 4-7lbs.

Breeds like paps, poms, etc. I'd go slightly larger. I don't think a dog really needs to be carried in a purse often if at all, so I'd prefer dogs like that to be more in the 7-10 lb range
 

Dekka

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#52
Tango is a tall Chihuahua. 12" at the shoulder and about 6.5 lbs now that we've figured out a diet that works. I think I'd be uncomfortable with a dog that was less than 5lbs because I'd be afraid to seriously damage the dog underfoot. I can't carry Tango constantly and I always cringe when he gets stepped on.
As an aside, Wow I pictured him shorter. He is taller than Dekka but half her weight!
 
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#53
I have an abnormally small Parson. I figure she is a throw back. She is half the size of her littermate. She is not what I would call toy sized but she is out of standard. She is 11 1/8" tall and 8.9lbs. Breed standard is 12-15. No weight specified.

I worry all the time about her. I have Great Danes and she is smart and takes care of herself around them but it doesnt stop me from worrying about her getting under feet or getting hit by a car. I have considered making a sign on the gate to not open it if the white dogs are outside. No vehicle is moved if she is outside with us. Not even a 4 wheeler.

She loves to drink water from the bathroom sink. She is the one that everyone wants though. I admit, she is the cutest Parson I have ever seen. When and if she ever comes into heat I will spay her.
 

Dekka

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#55
I have an abnormally small Parson. I figure she is a throw back. She is half the size of her littermate. She is not what I would call toy sized but she is out of standard. She is 11 1/8" tall and 8.9lbs. Breed standard is 12-15. No weight specified.

I worry all the time about her. I have Great Danes and she is smart and takes care of herself around them but it doesnt stop me from worrying about her getting under feet or getting hit by a car. I have considered making a sign on the gate to not open it if the white dogs are outside. No vehicle is moved if she is outside with us. Not even a 4 wheeler.

She loves to drink water from the bathroom sink. She is the one that everyone wants though. I admit, she is the cutest Parson I have ever seen. When and if she ever comes into heat I will spay her.
If she is nice in other ways its too bad the parson range is so big. Makes them a bit more limited in hunting if you are going after smaller game. I like small JRTs (in the 11-12 in range) and can easily find them as that is prime ground hog hunting size.
 
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#56
i suggest you go for dachshund puppies they are small and very intelligent breed, you can easily take them with you anywhere. they are very cute.
regards
 
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