According to the standard, Chihuahuas' ears should be erect.
But sometimes you can see adult Mexican dogs whose ears never rise.
Of course, for the owner of a pet-class pet, it is not so important what shape his dog’s ears are.
But for the owner of a promising puppy, ears that don’t stand up mean the end of the pet’s show career.
Why do Chihuahuas’ ears sometimes not go up and is there any way to fix this?
When and in how many months do ears stand up?
Like all other puppies, small Chihuahuas are born with not fully formed ears: they are quite soft and tightly fitting to the head, and the ear canal is closed and opens only at three weeks.
By the age of one month, the ear cartilage becomes stronger, but due to the fact that the muscles supporting them are still weak, the ears of most babies still hang.
Most small Chihuahuas develop ears at about three months of age..
However, because all babies' ears are different lengths, some puppies' ears go up a little earlier than others.
By 8-9 months, all dogs should already have ears . If they have not risen by now, then it means they will not rise again.
Which ones should they be?
According to the standard, the ears of a Chihuahua should be quite large, erect, and triangular in shape..
Depending on what type of build the dog is - a cobby or a dire, the ears can be shorter or longer, and their set can be either wide and low or rather high and narrow.
According to the breed standard, semi-drop ears are considered a serious fault, and a dog with floppy ears is considered a defect in the breed and should be disqualified.
How did the Chihuahua dog breed appear?
But the story of these kids is much longer and more interesting. Unlike most breeds, which were developed only in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Chihuahua is a purebred ancient dog originally from Mexico. Representatives of this breed were the favorites of Aztec princesses and were bred by the Mayan Indians. And many centuries earlier, the ancient Olmec tribes sacrificed these babies to the gods and arranged luxurious burials with their owners, so that the dogs would help the owner’s soul reach the afterlife.
From Mexico, Chihuahuas first came to the United States in the late 19th century. Enterprising traders noticed Americans' interest in these cute dogs and began bringing them for sale. And since the babies were bought in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, over time this name became attached to the breed. By the way, the Chihuahua breed is called with an “x” only in Russian-speaking countries. Nowhere in the world is the sound “x” pronounced in its name.
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From the USA, the dogs ended up in Europe, and the story of their appearance in the USSR is completely similar to the plot of the film. Two representatives of the breed, the boy Spanky and the girl Donna Tessa, were given to Nikita Khrushchev by the fighter for communism and revolutionary Fidel Castro . The kids, named Mishter and Mushinka, migrated to the house of Khrushchev’s daughter, Galina , who became concerned about breeding the breed in the Union.
Evgenia Zharova , a breeder and dog handler, who is considered one of the authors of the Russian Toy breed, in solving the problem So the kids became popular among the Soviet elite, and later migrated to the people. And the dog Mushinka even managed to act in a movie. It is this that can be seen in the hands of the funny coupletist Buba Kastorsky in “The Elusive Avengers”.
Why don't they get up?
The main reason for sagging ears in Chihuahuas is heredity. If the wrong partner is selected and the ear cartilage is not strong enough, puppies may be born with weak ears that will remain hanging or rise, but not completely.
Ears may also not stand up in puppies that received insufficient vitamins and minerals during intrauterine development due to the fact that the pregnant bitch was not fed correctly.
In long-haired Chihuahuas, the ears may not stand up because the hair weighs them down. As a rule, this problem is easily solved by trimming the fringes on the ears.
CAREFULLY!
At 3-4 months, it happens that the puppy’s ears suddenly fall or sag at the tips, but later rise again.
There is no need to be afraid of this, since at this age the dog’s teeth change and minerals, first of all, go towards the growth of permanent teeth, and not towards strengthening the ear cartilage.
Later, when the change of teeth is complete and the puppy has a full set of 42 teeth, the ear cartilage will become stronger again and the ears will rise.
The same thing can happen after routine vaccination: the ears fall, but later rise.
Also, the reason why a Chihuahua's ears do not rise or suddenly fall may be:
- The dog has experienced severe stress.
- Lack of calcium in food.
- Lack of phosphorus, without which proper formation of cartilage is also impossible.
- Ears are too large or too long.
- Poorly developed muscles supporting the ears.
Recently your ears were standing, but suddenly fell off?
If your Chihuahua's ears, which were standing confidently yesterday, have fallen off, then do not panic. This phenomenon is observed when a puppy changes its milk teeth to molars: between the ages of 4 and 6 months. The problem is also observed after routine primary vaccination.
Once the teeth change is complete, the ears will rise without outside intervention. Moreover, it is not necessary that both ears fall off. Today one of the Chihuahua's ears fell off, tomorrow another. One may rise, another may fall, there is no pattern.
Professional dog breeders recommend increasing the content of foods rich in calcium and phosphorus in the dog’s diet during teething:
The diet or the prescription of calcium supplements must be discussed with a veterinarian. An excess of phosphorus and calcium increases the risk of developing hip dysplasia.
What to do if your ears don't stand up?
Depending on the reasons why the ears do not rise, there are several ways to solve this problem.:
- If the ears do not stand up due to long hair, then you need to cut off the interfering hairs, due to which the weight of the ears will become less and they will rise.
- If there is a lack of minerals or vitamins in your pet’s body, you need to contact your veterinarian so that he can prescribe medications for your Chihuahua to replenish them.
- Supplements containing chondroitin and glucosamine will also be useful, but you should not buy them without consulting a veterinarian.
- It makes sense to add gelatin-based low-fat broth to your pet’s diet; you can also cook jellied meat from beef legs for your puppy.
- Many breeders advise giving the puppy an aqueous solution of gelatin, diluting it in an amount of 5 grams per 250 ml of warm water.
- If your pet's teeth change, then he needs to add supplements intended for dwarf breed puppies to his food.
- Massage can give good results. In this case, the ear is gently massaged in a circular motion with your fingers from base to tip. This allows you to increase blood flow and strengthen the cartilage.
You should never give your dog food supplements purchased from a human pharmacy, as they are not intended for animals and can lead to hypervitaminosis or even poisoning of the pet.
Expert opinion
Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich
Expert dog handler.
“If the Chihuahua’s ears droop after the puppy is 4 months old, they need to start being glued. It also makes sense to increase the amount of cartilage in the Chihuahua’s diet; you can even give him jelly specially cooked in meat broth or beef leg jelly. If sagging ears are associated with changing teeth, then you can give the puppy calcium supplements. However, drugs containing chondroprotectors: chondroitin and glucosamine will have a much greater effect.”
How to get rid of protruding ears through surgery?
Surgical correction is the only completely effective way to get rid of a defect with a guaranteed result. The operation is called “otoplasty” and is performed from 6-7 years of age, including adults.
There are two methods of otoplasty – classic scalpel and laser. An incision about 4-5 cm long is made at the back of the ear. Through it, the cartilage is released, which is then trimmed and attached in a new place. When using a laser, manipulations are more precise and almost bloodless. After the operation, stitches, a bandage and an elastic bandage are applied. The procedure lasts about an hour under general anesthesia or local anesthesia.
Read more about otoplasty here
Staging methods
There are several ways to correct drooping ears of a Chihuahua, such as::
- Massage. Many breeders of this breed believe that massaging the ears leads to increased blood circulation and straightening of existing creases in the ear that prevent its rise.
- Gluing. With this method, the dog's ears are fixed in the correct position using a special structure. Then the dog walks with it for several days until the ear finally stands up.
- Nutritional supplements. It should be remembered that if the dosage is incorrect, they can do more harm than good. The main side effects are hypervitaminosis and urolithiasis. And in some dogs, an excess of calcium in the body leads to diseases of the musculoskeletal system. It is because of this that you should not feed your pet supplements without consulting a doctor.
- Hemming. With this method, the skin on the ears is sutured from behind, so that due to its tension, the ears no longer droop. This operation is performed in a clinic under general anesthesia. The dog wears stitches for 1-4 weeks, after which they are removed.
Skin stitching is very painful for your pet and does not have the best effect on his mood and general well-being..
In addition, for a show-class puppy, this method is useless, since any stitches on the animal’s ears will lead to the dog’s unconditional disqualification.
Preventive measures
The main method by which you can keep your Chihuahua's ears in the desired position is to choose the right diet. A balanced calcium content, mineral supplements, and steamed gelatin are required.
In sunny weather, make sure that the dog does not overheat - this can have a bad effect on its general condition. You should not avoid sun rays - they are important for strong bones and full development.
Take time to massage your ears. The thumb is fixed on the outside, and the index and middle fingers on the inside. Using smooth, smooth movements, lightly massage one ear, then proceed to the second, but under no circumstances pull. Carry out this procedure at least once a day.
Related article: How to properly keep and care for a Chihuahua
The most gentle method
Before you start gluing your Chihuahua's ears, you need to prepare the following materials and tools::
- A thin sheet of plastic or any plastic packaging.
- Cotton pads.
- Facial lotion or alcohol.
- Scissors.
- Adhesive plaster on a gauze base, 2-2.5 cm wide (in the form of a roll).
Next, you need to use a cotton pad soaked in lotion or alcohol to clean the inside of your ears. There is no need to go deep inside: just wipe the visible part of the ear and then let it dry completely.
A strip 7-10 mm long is cut from the plastic, after which, using the application method, the required length is determined: it should be slightly less than the length of the ear.
The excess part is cut off, and the corners of the plastic are rounded so that, as a result, the strip is shaped like an ice cream stick: a rectangle with rounded ends.
The second splint is made in the same way for the other ear.
After this, the strip is glued lengthwise to the sticky side of the adhesive plaster, so that it extends beyond the plastic on all sides.
This entire structure is glued to the fabric side of another strip of adhesive plaster, which is then cut to the required length, and its corners are rounded.
In the same way, a second frame is made from an already prepared plastic tire and two strips of adhesive plaster.
This entire structure is glued to the inside of the ear, from which the hair must first be cut off. In this case, it is necessary to glue the frame evenly, without folds or creases. The frame on the other ear is glued in the same way.
The frame is worn for 5-7 days.
It should then be removed to give your puppy's ears a rest. If the ear still does not rise, the procedure should be repeated after about a week, and sometimes the ears have to be glued up to eight months.
If you need to remove the frame, you need to moisten the adhesive plaster with vegetable oil, then it will come off easily and without pain for the puppy.
A month after you start wearing the frame, you can get by with gluing using two layers of adhesive, without a plastic splint: this contributes to the correct formation of the ear cartilage.
Manufacturers rating
Among the popular brands of ear glue are the following:
- Tear Mender is made in the USA and acts as an alternative to fixatives. The composition does not contain toxic compounds, it is completely safe for animals and humans. It is made on a water basis. After application, the skin continues to breathe under the adhesive layer, so there is no need to take a break from the procedure. It is characterized by fast drying (30 seconds - 3 minutes), economical consumption, and excellent fixation. Packaged in 60 and 177 ml bottles. In a tightly closed container, the shelf life is unlimited, after opening – a year. Re-application is carried out if the need for adjustment arises. For removal, it is better to use baby oils; they are harmless and at the same time soften the skin.
Tear Mender glue cannot be stored or transported at low temperatures. After defrosting, use is prohibited.
- Beleza Cemento Para Oreja is made in Spain. Provides complete correction of your pet's ears. The composition is safe for animals and humans. Before application, you need to prepare the auricle (cut hairs, degrease). The fixation lasts up to four days, the procedure is repeated if necessary. Sold in 30 ml containers.
- Cherry Knoll Ear Fix is an ear adhesive made in the USA. The base is latex. Does not contain allergens, toxic compounds, completely harmless to the skin of humans and dogs. Fixation occurs quickly (up to 5 minutes), without pain. Sold in 30 ml containers.
