Chihuahua Lifespan: Life Expectancy, Health Risks, and Senior Care

This article is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment.

What You Need to Know: A Direct Answer for Owners

The question “how long do Chihuahuas live” has no single number that fits every dog. Published research shows two important figures that owners should understand in context, not as a guarantee.

A 2016 UK primary-care cohort of Chihuahuas (VetCompass study) reported a median age at death of 8.2 years (interquartile range 3.5 to 12.1 years; overall range 0.1 to 17 years) [1]. That same study found a median age of the live population of only 2.8 years, meaning the breed was young and rapidly expanding in the UK at the time. This young population skews the death statistics toward the immature animals that died early; the 8.2-year figure is not “normal life expectancy” for a well-cared-for adult Chihuahua.

A 2022 dog life-table analysis estimated life expectancy at birth for Chihuahuas at 7.91 years and showed an unusual survival pattern: higher early mortality coexisted with some dogs surviving to advanced ages [2]. This estimate combines age-specific mortality across the population. It does not tell an owner how long a Chihuahua that has already reached adulthood will live.

Bottom line for owners: Do not base your plans on a single number. Focus on the health risks and preventive strategies described in this article. A Chihuahua’s actual lifespan depends on body condition, dental health, cardiac status, joint stability, and injury prevention.

At a Glance: Key Lifespan and Health Facts

Understanding the Research: Chihuahua Lifespan Data

The 2016 UK Primary-Care Cohort (VetCompass)

The VetCompass programme collects de-identified electronic patient records from primary-care veterinary practices in the UK. The 2020 publication (using 2016 data) analyzed 11,647 Chihuahuas (3.46% of all dogs under veterinary care that year) [1]. This is the largest peer-reviewed study of Chihuahua demography and mortality.

Key findings:

• Median age at death: 8.2 years. However, the live population had a median age of only 2.8 years. This indicates a rapidly growing breed population with many young dogs. When a population is young, the median age at death is pulled downward by early deaths from trauma, congenital disease, and infection.
• Sex difference: Females had a median age at death of 10.2 years compared with 6.9 years for males (statistically significant, P=0.005) [1]. This does not mean every female will outlive every male; it reflects a strong risk difference in this particular cohort.
• Range: 0.1 to 17 years. The widest possible range. Some Chihuahuas die within weeks of birth; others live into late adolescence.
• Most common causes of death: Heart disease (18.8%), lower respiratory tract disorder (16.3%), and traumatic injury (13.8%) [1].

The 2022 Dog Life Tables

A separate 2022 study used life-table methods to estimate life expectancy at birth for purebred dogs in the UK [2]. Life tables account for mortality at every age, including neonatal and juvenile deaths. The Chihuahua estimate was 7.91 years, but with an important caveat: the variance was high, meaning the prediction interval was wide. Many Chihuahuas will die much earlier, and many will live much longer.

What these numbers mean for your dog:

Neither the cohort median nor the life-table estimate predicts one dog's age at death. They are statistical summaries of populations. Genetics, early-life survival, disease, injury, environment, access to care and chance all contribute; owners can reduce some risks but cannot control every outcome.

Limitations of Available Data

• Geographic: Both studies are UK-based. Environmental factors, disease prevalence, and veterinary access differ in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Do not assume the UK figures apply universally.
• Temporal: The VetCompass data are from 2016. Breed popularity changes, veterinary medicine evolves, and new health problems may emerge.
• Selection bias: Only dogs under primary veterinary care were included. Dogs that never see a veterinarian are invisible to these studies.
• Record quality: Cause of death was based on clinical notes, not necropsy. Misclassification is possible.

Health Risks That Matter to Chihuahua Healthspan

The VetCompass paper describes disorders recorded in primary-care records during one year. It does not prove that every listed disorder shortens life, nor does it prove causation between one disorder and a later death. Its strongest use is practical: it shows which problems appeared often enough to deserve attention and which categories were recorded among deaths [1].

Dental Disease and Retained Deciduous Teeth

Periodontal disease was the most commonly recorded specific disorder in the cohort, affecting 13.5% of the sampled Chihuahuas. Retained deciduous teeth were recorded in 5.7% [1]. Clinical-record prevalence can underestimate conditions that are present but not coded, so those percentages should not be read as lifetime risk.

Dental disease matters because it can cause chronic pain, inflamed or infected supporting tissues, loose teeth, difficulty eating and reduced quality of life. It is unsafe to promise that dental cleaning will add a particular number of years. The defensible goal is prevention of pain and preservation of a functional mouth.

Start cooperative mouth handling gradually. Use dog toothpaste, never human toothpaste, and ask the veterinary team to demonstrate brushing. A visual examination in an awake dog cannot show all disease below the gumline. The veterinarian should decide when an anesthetized examination, dental radiographs, cleaning or extraction is appropriate. Professional assessment, treatment below the gumline, pain control and appropriate anesthesia are central parts of evidence-based dental care [5]. Retained puppy teeth need individual assessment; do not wait for a fixed birthday or automatically combine extraction with another procedure without an examination.

Body and Muscle Condition

Obesity was recorded in 5.9% of the study population [1]. That figure is not a universal Chihuahua obesity rate, and the study does not support claims that every extra kilogram removes a set amount of life. It does support paying close attention to weight in a very small dog, where a seemingly small change can represent a meaningful proportion of total body mass.

Use both body-condition and muscle-condition assessment, as recommended in systematic veterinary nutrition assessment [7]. The target is not a breed-wide scale number. A veterinarian should identify the individual dog's healthy condition, review calories from meals and treats, and investigate unexplained gain or loss. Weigh food consistently and recheck trends on the same scale when possible. Rapid weight loss, progressive muscle loss, reduced appetite or a swollen abdomen warrants veterinary assessment rather than a home diet adjustment.

Patellar Luxation and Mobility

The Chihuahua Club of America and AKC list patellar evaluation among the breed's recommended health tests [2][3]. That recommendation concerns breeding-stock screening. It does not mean every Chihuahua has luxating patellas or that a screening result predicts every future mobility problem.

Owners may notice intermittent skipping, carrying a hind leg, stiffness, reluctance to jump or persistent lameness. Those signs can arise from several orthopedic or neurologic problems. A veterinary examination is needed before assuming the kneecap is responsible. Treatment depends on pain, function, examination findings, age and other disease. Weight management, environmental changes, rehabilitation, analgesia and surgery are not interchangeable; the veterinarian selects among them for the individual.

Heart Disease and Murmurs

Heart disease was the most commonly recorded cause-of-death category in this particular set of deaths, at 18.8% [1]. The category does not prove that 18.8% of all Chihuahuas die from heart disease, and the underlying diagnoses were based on clinical records rather than uniform postmortem examinations.

A murmur is a sound, not a complete diagnosis and not a prognosis. The appropriate next step depends on age, murmur characteristics, signs and the dog's overall status. Examination may be followed by imaging or other testing when indicated. Consensus guidance for myxomatous mitral valve disease separates dogs by diagnostic stage because testing, monitoring and treatment are not identical across stages [6]. Medication should follow a specific diagnosis and stage; an owner should never start a heart drug or diuretic from an internet description.

The parent-club health program recommends a cardiac examination for breeding dogs [2][3]. Confirm the actual result in the OFA or relevant registry rather than accepting “vet checked” as a substitute for named testing.

Eyes, Vision and Pain

An ophthalmologist evaluation is also part of the recommended Chihuahua breeding-health set [2][3]. Screening breeding dogs is different from diagnosing a pet with a red or cloudy eye. A clear screening result at one point cannot guarantee lifelong eye health.

Squinting, keeping an eye closed, marked redness, sudden cloudiness, unequal pupils, a visible injury or sudden loss of vision needs prompt veterinary care. Eye conditions that look similar to an owner may require very different treatment. Do not use leftover drops, especially products that might contain a corticosteroid, and do not delay because the dog can still see from the other eye.

Cough, Breathing Change and Collapse

The study recorded lower respiratory tract disorders as the second most common cause-of-death category among the available deaths [1]. It did not identify one universal respiratory disorder for the breed. Cough can arise from airway, lung, heart and other causes. No sound described online can reliably separate them.

Record when a cough occurs and, if safe, capture a short video for the veterinarian. Open-mouth breathing at rest, blue or pale gums, marked effort, collapse or inability to settle is an emergency. Harnesses can reduce direct pressure on the neck for many small dogs, but a harness does not diagnose or treat cough.

Neurologic and Behavior Changes

Seizures, circling, loss of balance, weakness, altered awareness, sudden behavior change and pain when the head or neck is moved require veterinary assessment. These signs do not prove hydrocephalus, Chiari-like malformation or epilepsy. A puppy's skull shape or open fontanelle also cannot establish prognosis from appearance alone.

A seizure lasting several minutes, repeated seizures without recovery, persistent collapse or severe neurologic dysfunction is an emergency. Owners should keep hands away from the mouth, move hazards when safe, time the event and record video if doing so does not delay care. Diagnosis may require physical and neurologic examinations plus testing chosen from the history and findings.

Traumatic Injury Prevention

Traumatic injury was the third most common cause of death (13.8%) [1]. Chihuahuas are fragile. Falls from furniture, being stepped on, attacked by larger dogs, and being hit by cars are all devastating.

Prevention checklist:

• Supervise outdoor time in a secure, fenced yard.
• Never leave a Chihuahua unattended with a large dog, even if they “get along.”
• Block access to stairs and elevated surfaces if your dog is still unsteady or a puppy.
• Use a car harness or carrier during travel.
• Teach children that Chihuahuas need gentle handling and are not toys.

“Teacup Chihuahua Lifespan” Is Not a Separate Evidence Category

“Teacup” is a marketing term, not a separate Chihuahua breed, coat variety or medically defined size class. The parent-club and AKC materials do not create a teacup health-testing pathway [2][3]. There is also no sound population study that supplies a separate teacup Chihuahua lifespan.

Avoid converting an arbitrary weight cutoff into a diagnosis. Very small puppies deserve careful evaluation of growth, feeding, hydration, congenital concerns and environmental safety, but size alone does not reveal the cause of illness or predict the age at death. Claims that every unusually small Chihuahua will develop hypoglycemia, hydrocephalus, heart disease or fragile bones go beyond the source packet.

A responsible seller should identify the dog simply as a Chihuahua, provide verifiable parental health results, disclose known illness and avoid promising an adult weight or lifespan. A buyer should be wary of premiums based on labels such as micro, pocket, miniature or teacup. Select for health, stable rearing and responsible placement, not the smallest possible body.

Long-Haired Chihuahua Lifespan

The two recognized coat varieties share the same breed. The VetCompass paper did not publish separate survival estimates for long-coated and smooth-coated Chihuahuas [1]. Therefore, there is no evidence-based number for a “long-haired Chihuahua lifespan,” and it is inappropriate to claim that one coat lives longer.

Coat care still affects comfort. Check long feathering for tangles, skin irritation and material caught around the feet or rear. Groom gently and investigate odor, sores, hair loss or persistent scratching. These are care differences, not evidence of different longevity.

Senior Chihuahua Care Should Follow the Individual

There is no single birthday on which every Chihuahua becomes medically senior. Calendar age is useful, but health history, mobility, cognition, sensory function, body and muscle condition, and diagnosed disease matter more. Canine life-stage guidance provides a framework for changing care across life, while current senior-care guidance treats aging as an individualized clinical stage and emphasizes quality of life rather than “old age” as a diagnosis [8][9].

Choosing Visit Frequency and Screening

Visit frequency should be individualized. A stable adult may need a different schedule from a dog with a murmur, progressive dental disease, medication monitoring, weight loss or mobility change. At each examination, bring a complete medication and supplement list and describe changes since the last visit.

Testing is selected from the examination and risk assessment. Blood pressure, blood and urine tests, cardiac imaging, chest radiographs, eye assessment or other diagnostics may be appropriate, but they are not an automatic bundle for every dog at every age. Screening also has limits: a normal result today cannot guarantee that disease will not develop later.

Dental Decisions in an Older Dog

Age alone is not a diagnosis and is not, by itself, a reason to deny needed dental care. Anesthesia planning should consider the procedure, examination, current disease, medications, laboratory or imaging findings when indicated, monitoring resources and expected benefit. Anesthesia guidelines describe safety as a continuum that includes preparation, monitoring and recovery rather than a single drug choice [10]. “Anesthesia-free” cleaning cannot examine and treat all disease below the gumline. Discuss pain, infection, diagnostic dental imaging and individualized anesthetic risk with the veterinary team.

Murmurs and Home Observation

If a murmur is found, ask what is known, what remains uncertain and whether further staging is warranted. Do not begin pimobendan, a diuretic, an ACE inhibitor or any other cardiac medication without a veterinarian establishing the indication. Cough alone cannot stage heart disease.

For a dog with diagnosed cardiac disease, the veterinary team may teach the owner how and when to monitor sleeping respiratory rate. Use that dog's established baseline and the clinic's action threshold. Do not apply a single online number to an undiagnosed dog. Increased effort, blue or pale gums, collapse or marked distress needs emergency care.

Mobility, Pain and Falls

Reduced jumping is not automatically “just old age.” It may reflect orthopedic pain, spinal disease, weakness, visual loss, heart disease or another problem. Add nonslip footing, secure steps or ramps only when the dog uses them safely, and block dangerous drops. Analgesics and rehabilitation require an individualized plan. Ibuprofen, naproxen and other human pain medicines can be dangerous to dogs.

Cognition, Hearing and Vision

Disorientation, altered sleep, house-soiling, withdrawal, clinginess or new irritability may reflect cognitive decline, pain, sensory loss, urinary disease, endocrine disease or other illness. Diagnosis begins by ruling out treatable contributors. Keep routines predictable, provide safe access to resources and avoid startling a dog with reduced hearing or vision. Medication or therapeutic-diet decisions belong with the veterinarian after assessment.

Quality of Life Is More Than a Score

A written quality-of-life log can make trends easier to see. Track comfort, appetite, hydration, toileting, hygiene, mobility, engagement and whether enjoyable activities remain possible. A mnemonic or scoring tool can support a conversation, but no score replaces clinical judgment or the family's knowledge of the dog. Urgent distress should not wait for a scheduled quality-of-life appointment.

Preventive Care Across Life Stages

Puppies

A new puppy needs a veterinary examination, an age- and region-appropriate vaccination plan, parasite assessment, nutrition review and a safe social-development plan. Vaccine timing, parasite products and reproductive decisions vary with age, previous care, geography, lifestyle and local law. Do not copy a schedule without the puppy's medical history.

Small puppies can deteriorate quickly when they stop eating, vomit repeatedly, develop diarrhea, become weak or cannot maintain normal responsiveness. These signs need timely veterinary advice. Prevent falls, supervise interactions with children and larger animals, secure doors and gaps, and transport the puppy in an appropriate carrier or restraint.

The mouth, bite and eruption of adult teeth should be checked as the puppy develops. The kneecaps, heart and eyes also deserve attention during routine examinations, but a pet examination is not a substitute for the parents' documented breeding-health tests.

Adults

Maintain a measured, nutritionally complete diet appropriate to the individual. Review body and muscle condition, dental health, behavior, reproductive status, vaccines, parasite exposure and any new signs during preventive visits. Activity should be enjoyable and adjusted to conditioning, weather, mobility and medical status; there is no universal minute target for all Chihuahuas.

Track trends instead of waiting for dramatic illness. Useful observations include weight, appetite, thirst, urination, stool, cough, exercise tolerance, gait, sleep and behavior. A new pattern deserves context-specific advice, particularly when it persists or worsens.

Older Dogs

As risk changes, preventive care becomes more individualized rather than simply more intensive. Review every medication and supplement, ask whether monitoring is due, and discuss dental pain, heart findings, mobility, sensory change and cognition. Plan for emergency transport and identify who can make decisions if the primary caregiver is unavailable.

Continue appropriate activity and enrichment. Older dogs still benefit from choice, sniffing, social contact and predictable routines. Modify the environment to preserve independence without assuming that every slowing behavior is normal aging.

Breeder Screening: Verify the Named Results

For Chihuahua breeding dogs, the national breed club and AKC list three recommended evaluations: patella, cardiac and ophthalmologist examinations [2][3]. These are the minimum named tests in this source packet. Do not add unrelated DNA panels or hip certifications and present them as parent-club requirements.

Ask for the registered names of both parents and verify results in the relevant public database when possible. A CHIC number indicates that the required results were submitted; it does not mean every result was normal and does not guarantee a healthy puppy. Read the individual records.

Health testing cannot predict every disease, injury or behavior. Also ask about ages and causes of death in close relatives, dental and cardiac history, temperament, puppy-rearing practices, contracts, return policies and how the breeder matches puppies to homes. Avoid sellers who rely on “vet checked,” a commercial DNA panel or a teacup label while withholding the three named evaluations.

Turning Lifespan Evidence Into Better Decisions

A Chihuahua's lifespan cannot be reduced to one marketing range or one study estimate. The 8.2-year median age at death came from deaths observed in a young, rapidly expanding 2016 UK primary-care population. The 7.91-year life-table estimate at birth came from another UK analysis with a different method and showed unusual variation across the lifespan [1]. Neither number predicts one dog.

The useful response is not to promise that preventive care will manufacture a specific age. It is to reduce avoidable risk, recognize pain and disease earlier, maintain a healthy body and mouth, verify breeding-health information and protect a small dog from trauma. Those actions support healthspan even when no one can promise lifespan.

How Veterinarians Work Through Overlapping Signs

Many Chihuahua concerns are nonspecific. Cough can involve the airway, lungs or heart. Reluctance to jump can reflect a knee problem, spinal pain, generalized weakness or fear after a fall. Collapse can represent cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic or neurologic disease. The breed label narrows some possibilities but never replaces a history and examination.

The initial workup asks when the sign began, how it has changed, what triggers it, whether appetite and elimination changed, and what medications or exposures are relevant. The veterinarian then selects tests based on the most important differentials. A murmur may lead to cardiac imaging; respiratory signs may lead to thoracic imaging; persistent lameness may require orthopedic examination and radiographs; neurologic signs may justify laboratory testing or advanced imaging. Not every dog needs every test.

This staged approach prevents two errors: assuming a common breed problem without confirmation and ordering a generic “senior panel” that does not answer the clinical question. Owners should ask what each proposed test can show, what it cannot exclude and how the result would change management.

Emergency Triage

Seek urgent or emergency care for trouble breathing, blue or pale gums, collapse, major trauma, uncontrolled bleeding, repeated seizures or failure to recover normally, a swollen painful abdomen, inability to urinate, severe eye pain, suspected toxin exposure or rapidly worsening weakness. Call ahead when possible so the clinic can prepare.

Do not give leftover medication, human pain relievers or another pet's prescription. Do not delay severe signs while trying supplements, massage, dietary changes or internet remedies.

Owner Observation Makes Veterinary Visits More Useful

A concise record often helps more than a long list of theories. Note onset, frequency, duration, triggers and recovery. Record a cough, gait change or episode when safe. Bring packaging or photographs for possible exposures and list every diet, treat, supplement and medication.

Track weight on a consistent scale when possible, but avoid rigid home thresholds. For a dog with a diagnosed condition, follow the monitoring plan supplied by the veterinary team. Increased thirst, urinary change, persistent appetite loss, unexplained weight change, repeated vomiting or diarrhea, cough, reduced stamina, pain, confusion or altered sleep should be discussed rather than attributed automatically to age.

A home safety audit is especially relevant because traumatic injury was prominent among recorded causes of death in the cohort [1]. Check doors, gates, balconies, furniture drops, stairs, vehicle restraint and interactions with larger animals. Supervision reduces risk but cannot create a guarantee. Children need active adult guidance and the dog needs an escape option and uninterrupted rest.

Prepare for emergencies before they happen. Save the nearest emergency clinic's contact information, keep the carrier accessible and know how the dog will be transported. Basic supplies can help protect a wound during travel, but first aid is not a substitute for evaluation after significant trauma.

Prognosis Must Be Condition-Specific

Breed-level mortality data cannot supply a prognosis after an individual diagnosis. Prognosis depends on the confirmed disease, stage or severity, concurrent conditions, response to treatment, access to care and the dog's comfort and function.

Heart disease illustrates the problem. The cohort's cause-of-death category does not identify the stage, treatment or survival time for each dog [1]. A newly detected murmur and congestive heart failure are not the same clinical state. Only the examining veterinary team can discuss prognosis after appropriate assessment.

The same principle applies to patellar luxation, dental disease, neurologic signs and respiratory disease. Avoid claims that a particular grade guarantees surgery, that a dental schedule adds a fixed number of years, or that one normal screening test means the dog is cleared for life. Ask what outcome is being measured: survival, pain, mobility, eating, breathing, independence or overall quality of life.

Body and muscle condition are modifiable parts of care, but they are not the “single most powerful” predictor for every dog. A dog with severe congenital disease, major trauma or advanced heart disease cannot have that risk erased through weight management. Preventive care improves the odds of detecting and managing problems; it does not make every cause of illness manageable or preventable.

Special Considerations by Life Stage

Very Young Puppies

Young puppies have limited reserves and can worsen quickly. Weakness, tremors, poor suckling or appetite, repeated gastrointestinal signs, abnormal breathing, collapse or reduced responsiveness warrants immediate veterinary advice. Do not force-feed an unresponsive puppy or apply an unverified sugar protocol without professional direction, because aspiration and delayed diagnosis can cause harm.

The breeder should provide dates and products for vaccines and parasite care, growth information, known illness and a veterinary record. A buyer should arrange an independent examination promptly. Safe housing, reliable warmth without burn risk, appropriate feeding and protection from falls or rough interactions are practical priorities.

Adolescents and Young Adults

Adult teeth, gait, body condition, behavior and reproductive planning often need attention during this period. A retained tooth, intermittent skip or new cough should be examined rather than saved for a convenient future procedure. If anesthesia is planned for any reason, the clinician decides whether another indicated procedure can safely and appropriately be combined.

Social maturity can change dog-dog relationships. Continue reward-based skills, supervise interactions and address fear or aggression early. Behavior change can also reflect pain or illness, so veterinary assessment is part of responsible behavior care.

Mature and Older Adults

Age increases the relevance of trend data but does not create one mandatory testing panel. Revisit examination frequency and monitoring whenever a new diagnosis appears or treatment changes. Preserve mobility with safe footing and individually appropriate activity, maintain dental comfort, and review changes in sleep, interaction and toileting.

End-of-life planning is not a prediction of imminent death. It is a way to clarify the dog's valued activities, emergency preferences, financial and caregiving constraints, and signs that would prompt reassessment. Early conversations reduce rushed decisions during a crisis.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do Chihuahuas live on average?

Published UK estimates differ by method. One young 2016 primary-care cohort reported a median age at death of 8.2 years among recorded deaths, while a later life table estimated 7.91 years at birth and showed high lifespan variation [1]. Neither number is a personal forecast.

Can a Chihuahua live into its teens?

Yes, the VetCompass cohort included deaths as late as 17 years, showing that survival into the teens occurs [1]. That range does not establish the probability for one dog or guarantee that preventive care will produce a particular age.

At what age is a Chihuahua considered senior?

There is no universal medically decisive birthday. Use the dog's age together with diagnoses, function, body and muscle condition, sensory change and veterinary risk assessment to choose a life-stage care plan.

What health problems are important in Chihuahuas?

The UK cohort commonly recorded periodontal disease, obesity and retained deciduous teeth, while heart disease, lower respiratory disorders and trauma were prominent among recorded causes of death [1]. These are population findings, not a diagnosis for every Chihuahua.

Do long-haired Chihuahuas have a different lifespan?

No published estimate in the cited studies separates long-coated from smooth-coated Chihuahuas. Both are coat varieties of the same breed, so a claim that one coat lives longer is unsupported.

How long do teacup Chihuahuas live?

There is no evidence-based teacup lifespan because teacup is a marketing label, not a defined breed or research category. Ask for the same verifiable parental cardiac, patella and ophthalmologist results recommended for Chihuahuas [2][3].

What can support a Chihuahua's healthspan?

Maintain an appropriate body and muscle condition, protect dental comfort, use individualized preventive care, investigate new signs promptly, verify breeding-health results and reduce traumatic-injury risks. These actions support welfare but cannot guarantee lifespan.

When does a Chihuahua need emergency care?

Trouble breathing, blue or pale gums, collapse, major trauma, repeated seizures or poor recovery, inability to urinate, severe eye pain, uncontrolled bleeding, suspected poisoning or rapidly worsening weakness needs urgent veterinary attention.

Related Veterinary Guides

• Senior Dog Checkup: What Should Be Included?
• Dog Obstruction Symptoms
• Dog Seizures: What To Do
• Dog Coughing: When Should You Worry?
• Preventative Dental Care for Dogs

References

[1] O'Neill DG, Packer RMA, Lobb M, Church DB, Brodbelt DC. Demography and commonly recorded clinical conditions of Chihuahuas under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016. BMC Veterinary Research. 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32046714/

[2] Teng KT, Brodbelt DC, Pegram C, Church DB, O'Neill DG. Life tables of annual life expectancy and mortality for companion dogs in the United Kingdom. Scientific Reports. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10341-6

[3] Chihuahua Club of America. Chihuahua Health Statement. https://cdn.akc.org/Marketplace/Health-Statement/Chihuahua.pdf

[4] American Kennel Club. Toy Group Health Testing Requirements. https://www.akc.org/breeder-programs/breed-health-testing-requirements/toy-group-health-testing-requirements/

[5] Bellows J, Berg ML, Dennis S, et al. 2019 AAHA Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30776257/

[6] Keene BW, Atkins CE, Bonagura JD, et al. ACVIM consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30974015/

[7] Cline MG, Burns KM, Coe JB, et al. 2021 AAHA Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34228790/

[8] Dhaliwal R, Boynton E, Carrera-Justiz S, et al. 2023 AAHA Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36584321/

[9] Creevy KE, Grady J, Little SE, et al. 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31622127/

[10] Grubb T, Sager J, Gaynor JS, et al. 2020 AAHA Anesthesia and Monitoring Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32078360/