Chihuahua: inherited diseases and health
The inherited conditions below have been documented in this breed in published research. That does not mean your dog has them or will get them – but it helps to know the names when you talk to a breeder or a vet.
Conditions this breed is prone to
Veterinary charities list this breed as more likely than others to get these conditions. Read the signs and what to do:
Luxating patellaChihuahua and chocolate: how much is dangerous?
Typical adult weight: 1.5–2.5 kg. Grams of chocolate at which signs can start (20 mg/kg) and at which severe signs are reported (40 mg/kg):
| Dog weight | Milk | Dark 70–85% | Baking / unsweetened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 kg | 15 g signs 30 g severe | 3.8 g signs 7.5 g severe | 2.1 g signs 4.3 g severe |
| 2.5 kg | 25 g signs 50 g severe | 6.2 g signs 12 g severe | 3.6 g signs 7.1 g severe |
Based on published doses: signs from about 20 mg/kg, severe signs from 40 mg/kg (US FDA, Cortinovis & Caloni 2016, Swedish Poison Information Centre). An estimate, not a diagnosis.
Inherited conditions documented in the breed
Conditions documented: 22
A gene variant is known for 17 of the conditions below, so a DNA test may exist. Ask your vet or the breed club.
| Condition | Body system | Inheritance | Gene variant known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander disease[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal dominant | Yes |
| Amelia, RSPO2-related[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | Probably autosomal recessive | No |
| Chiari malformation Type I with syringomyelia[1] | Nervous system | Multifactorial | No |
| classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (cEDS), COL5A2-related[1] | Integument (skin) | Autosomal dominant | Yes |
| Coat colour, dilution, MLPH-related[1] | Pigmentation | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Coat colour, merle[1] | Pigmentation | Autosomal incomplete dominant | Yes |
| Dwarfism, growth-hormone deficiency[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | – | Yes |
| Hydrocephalus[2] | – | – | – |
| Hyperkeratosis, epidermolytic[1] | Integument (skin) | Autosomal | Yes |
| Ichthyosis, ALOXE3-related[1] | Integument (skin) | Probably autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Ichthyosis, non-epidermolytic, SDR9C7-related[1] | Integument (skin) | – | Yes |
| Intervertebral disc disease, predisposition to[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | Autosomal dominant | Yes |
| Leigh syndrome, NDUFS7-related[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Meningoencephalitis[1] | Nervous system | Multifactorial | No |
| Methaemoglobinaemia, CYB5R3-related[1] | Haematopoietic system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Myoclonus epilepsy of Lafora[1] | Behaviour / neurological | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, 7[1] | Lysosomal storage disease | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Progressive rod-cone degeneration, PRCD-related[1] | Vision / eye | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Pyruvate kinase deficiency of erythrocyte[1] | Homeostasis / metabolism | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Spinal dysraphism[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Transitional lumbosacral vertebrae[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | Multifactorial | No |
| Verrucous epidermal keratinocytic nevi[1] | Integument (skin) | X-linked incomplete dominant | Yes |
What this list means
- “Documented in the breed” means at least one published case or study – it says nothing about how common the condition is.
- Many of these conditions are rare. A responsible breeder can tell you which health tests the parents have had.
- Where the gene variant is known, a DNA test may exist – ask your vet or the breed club.
- If your pet shows signs of illness, contact your vet. This page cannot tell you whether your pet is ill.
About the breed
- Origin
- Mexico
- Weight
- 1.5–2.5 kg
- FCI number
- 218
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Sources
How this page was made: the list is taken directly from the sources below; nothing on it was written by AI. Names of conditions may be machine-translated. It is information, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages